Centralight

19 centralight fall '14 Today, the partnership between CMU and Korea continues, still benefi ting students on both sides of the world. CMU has nine exchange agreements with Korea – eight with universities and one with a city government. One especially noteworthy partnership is with Korea University Sejong, an hour south of Seoul. CMU sends as many as three students each semester to the university, where they take classes and live in residence halls with Korean students, speaking English to them to boost their skills. The Korean university also sends several students each semester to study at CMU. CMU's master of public administration program also has a cooperative agreement with the Seoul metropolitan government. CMU students spend two weeks studying how the government works. A delegation from CMU traveled 6,000 miles to Seoul in May to explore more exchange agreements and to establish the fi rst alumni chapter in Korea. Among them was Tim Hall, professor of history and associate d ean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Why send CMU students to study in Korea? "Korea is one of the Asian tigers," Hall says. "It has catapulted ahead in economic development. Korea is extraordinarily prosperous and its role in the world economy continues to expand rapidly." "Students interested in business are well-served to go to Korea," he says. • Burgeoning economy makes Korea a rich learning experience for today's CMU students Korea University Sejong CMU Professor Won Paik (from left) serves as a translator for ByungShik Lim, Mihyang An and ByungYong Ahn as they talk about Central's Chosen Children project via Skype. A lasting impact on CMU students By 1969, the campus eff ort had expanded and students were also supporting a children's home and hospital on Penayong Island. Yet by the mid-1970s, interest in the project had waned. The Campus Veterans Association reported that the Korean Orphanage Committee was "looking for a cause closer to home and more current." Meanwhile, Neil Kirwan had gotten on with life. After graduation, he got a job at the Maryknoll magazine, a publication of the Catholic organization that does mission work overseas. He says his work with Central's Chosen Children likely helped him land the job. He worked there, in New York, for 10 years as a writer and circulation manager. He met his wife, Dorothy, there. They've been married 51 years. After the magazine, Kirwan spent most of his career as an insurance salesman. These days, he's enjoying retirement with Dorothy 19 centralight fall '14 in St. Augustine with his two daughters and grandchildren. Speigl joined the Peace Corps after graduation, heading to Tanzania to teach. He went on to work in social service, specializing in adoptions and foster care before switching to a career in information services. He and his wife, Mary, have been married 40 years and have three children and three grandchildren. "Being involved in Central's Chosen Children was a key factor in my life – a foundation," Speigl says. Kirwan, too, says his time helping the Korean orphans changed him. "Can anybody look at a kid in need and not want to help?" Kirwan asks. "I can't. The experience made me very aware of the need for us to help each other." Kirwan has a fi le on Central's Chosen Children, including copies of old newspaper clippings and notes from the orphan committee meetings. But he doesn't need the fi les to remember. "I'll tell you what I like to think to myself," Kirwan muses. "When I die and I get to the golden gates and they won't open, I'm gonna yell, 'Are there any Korean orphans here?' They'll open them for me." • "The experience made me very aware of the need for us to help each other." – Neil Kirwan, '61

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