Meet Chrissy Huszczo

Courtesy of Chrissy Huszczo

Chrissy Huszczo
Age: 25
Stomping Ground: Ulsan, South Korea
Job: Teacher at G.A.T.E. English Academy

Still buzzing from a study abroad program in college, Chrissy Huszczo quickly found working in a cubicle constricting, so she quit her job in Los Angeles for something more hands-on—teaching English overseas. We caught up with her just after she finished teaching back-to-back evening classes for 13-year-olds to find out what it was like to take the plunge from corporate America to South Korean classroom.

What surprises you about living and working in South Korea?

People from home, back in the U.S., thought I was crazy to come here. They said it was a war zone. It’s not. I’m not saying that it’s easy to be here, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The culture is just so different, and nothing can really prepare you for that. People are extremely hard workers here; they never rest. To stay home sick from work means you are so sick that you’d need to call 911. I was sick the other day, and my director actually came to my home and insisted I go to the hospital. I just needed to rest for a day, but that doesn’t really translate in this culture. I’ll never regret a second of any of it though; the entire experience has been so valuable, and so eye opening for me.

What inspires you about your work?

I’ve met people from all over the world and every day is so different from the life I had in corporate America. Just walking down the street to work is an experience in itself. And I absolutely love the kids. I’m one of only two foreign teachers at my hagwon, so the kids want to know all about what Americans are really like. The things that come out of their mouths can be hilarious. The other day, some of them told me that Americans are tall because we play basketball. The kids and I laugh a lot together.

What challenges you about your work?

Not knowing the Korean language is challenging on a day-to-day basis. I’m taking classes, but I’ve been here five months and know enough to be able to take a cab ride, which is a start. No one speaks English in this town. It’s not like Seoul. It’s also hard to make meaningful friendships because people who speak English are often only here temporarily.

How did you make the leap from a desk job in the music industry to teaching abroad?

In college, I was originally an education major before switching to communications, so teaching has always been an interest. But honestly, there wasn’t a lot of planning involved; I just knew my career needed to be more of an adventure and that I loved to travel. I had a friend teaching abroad so I googled it, and a program in South Korea was the first thing that came up. There was an immediate opening for a teacher in Ulsan; I sent an e-mail, had a phone interview the next day, and within a month had a visa and one-way plane ticket.

What is a typical day on the job like for you?

I work at a hagwon, an academy that offers after-school enrichment programs in English, so my workday begins around 3:00 p.m. I teach back-to-back classes starting at 3:50 p.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. My students are between the ages of six and 15. Classes for the younger students are 40 minutes, and 50 minutes for the older ones. I get a five-minute break between classes and a 20-minute dinner break.