As an American college student who was stuck at home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I had limited options for furthering my vocal and dance training, and I often wondered how I would be able to escape the mundane day-to-day and find a way to still pursue my dream. However, thanks to the trainee program, I was able to receive online lessons from great teachers and safely make it all the way to South Korea to take classes from my instructors in person.
Coming to South Korea has been an eye-opening experience; moving to a foreign country is never an easy task. Keeping up with school, practicing every day, and working hard to meet my own expectations has been hard work, but getting to explore the wonders that a new environment has to offer has been keeping me sane. After moving to Seoul, the hustle and bustle of Hongdae’s streets makes the boredom I had been feeling back at home in the United States feel like merely a distant memory of the past. Whenever I am not working on my singing and dancing, I love breathing in the fresh air at nearby mountain trails, the blooming flowers that decorate the city landscape, and exploring all that Seoul has to offer with my friends.
Although I have only spent two months here, I have a new-found confidence in my aspirations and ambitions of working in the Korean entertainment industry as a career. The opportunities I have been offered during my time here have given me a deeper understanding of how K-pop entertainment companies function, how fast-paced the show business truly is, and how much patience and determination it takes to succeed in one’s pursuit of K-pop idol stardom. Of all the lessons that Acopia Entertainment has taught me, I believe the most important takeaway is that the key to “making it” is not only hard work, but also perseverance in the face of obstacles. The path to success is hardly a straightforward one!
（2021年１月～５月 練習生養成コース E.C)