By Lauren Antone
Contributing Writer
This year, Saint Rose has welcomed a new professor to its business and sports management department. From Seoul, Korea, Professor Jaeyeon Hwang traveled a unique journey to Albany and the Saint Rose community. After switching her major from agricultural biology to sports studies, Hwang decided to follow her love of sports.
During that time, she found her ideal sports marketing job in Korea, and out of 2,000 applicants, was chosen for an interview. Already in a male-dominated country and a male-dominated profession, Hwang knew the competition she was up against.
When management finally made its decision, she was upset to find that not only had she not been offered the job, but her colleagues of equal or lesser qualifications had been offered the job instead. Disappointed and offended, Hwang decided to search for other jobs in Korea so as to not give up. During her search, she found more job opportunities but was not completely satisfied being in the male-dominated sports profession. Deciding to try something new and different, she moved to Florida to pursue her Ph.D. at Florida State University for Sports Management.
Hwang said that her biggest accomplishment in the past five years was getting her Ph.D., because during her dissertation, she got into a car accident that kept her from her work for six months.
“After the accident, it took a lot of motivation to finish,” said Hwang. “It took much longer than I anticipated, but I’m glad I did.”
Not wanting to teach at first, Hwang was reluctant to start her career in academia, but thought it would be best to try something new. After teaching at several institutions, including the University of South Dakota, and Livingstone College in North Carolina, she found that teaching might have been her calling all along.
When asked if it was harder teaching in another country where the culture is different from hers, she replied, “I have the common sense needed in my culture, but I’m still learning the culture here. My schema was made in another country and sometimes I see that gap in culture. I view sports differently than a native person here, and that’s partly why I find more of my strengths in academia.”
She also said that the thing that stuck out to her the most in terms of differences between Korean and American cultures was the diversity of American culture. One time when she had gone back to Korea to visit during the summer, she noticed a Malaysian man being discriminated against by a Korean nurse. She said if she hadn’t spent so much time in the U.S., she might have ignored the encounter.
She was shocked and absolutely furious that the nurse was treating him with such disrespect and immediately complained about her behavior. After living in America and being in a diverse culture, she said it has made a huge impact on her and she’s very grateful.
Just this past year, Hwang was offered a job to teach sports marketing and business at Saint Rose. She gladly accepted, and, in August, moved to Albany, New York.
“I really like that Saint Rose fairly treats their employees and the fact that they treat us with dignity. They use a democratic structure that gives faculty a say, and I really appreciate that.”
When asked about her favorite part of teaching, she said that she loves getting feedback from the students. “I feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m able to change students’ attitudes toward learning and I like knowing that they have gained the knowledge that they need for further advancement,” said Hwang.
Herman McLean, one of her students, said, “Professor Hwang is very knowledgeable and conveys high expectations to all of her students—she is one of the best professors I’ve ever had!”
Hwang stated that she loves knowing that she can make a difference in the lives of her students.
Hwang said that the students and staff at Saint Rose make her feel very welcome. Maria Dimarzo, a student in her class, said, “Professor Hwang has a very professional teaching style. She is passionate about the business field and teaches in a way that prepares her students for their careers.”
Hwang also mentioned that there are always a couple of students who are harder to reach than others, but she tries her hardest to reach each and every one. Another student, Nicole Rocio, commented, “Professor Hwang keeps the class fun but educational. She always tells us to ask questions if we don’t understand something and always remembers to ask for our opinion. I’m happy to have a professor who cares about what I think. She is truly one of the best!”
Hwang said that the students at Saint Rose treat her with respect and kindness and that’s part of what makes her job so satisfying.
In the next five years, she plans to continue teaching and creating a closer relationship with her colleagues and students.
“I found Saint Rose to be a very welcoming and diverse place. I am highly satisfied and have a high commitment to the college,” said Hwang.
