Stepping Into the Bigger World: Isabella on Korea, Marquette, Music, and Choosing Courage | Conversations with a Chiropractor
In this episode of Conversations with a Chiropractor, Dr. Stephanie Wautier sits down with Isabella, a 17-year-old high school senior in Marquette who was born in Korea and made the life-changing decision to study in the United States as a teenager.
Isabella shares what it was like growing up in a small coastal town in South Korea, far from Seoul, surrounded by rice fields, ocean mudflats, and a culture where Education shapes almost every part of a student’s day. She explains the intensity of Korean school life, from long academic days to after-school private academies, late-night homework, and the pressure many students feel to reach a university in Seoul.
Her story shifts when she chooses a very different path. At 14, Isabella asked her parents if she could come to the United States to study, with the hope of attending college here and seeing more of the world. That decision brought her to Marquette, where she found new opportunities through music, school activities, healthcare programs, work, and friendships.
Stephanie and Isabella talk about the cultural differences between Korean and American schools, including sports, music, Dating, school dances, respect for elders, classroom participation, food, language, and self-expression. Isabella also shares her Love of flute, her involvement in band, orchestra, HOSA, Health occupations, and her interest in dentistry and orthodontics.
At the heart of the conversation is Isabella’s message about bravery. She talks honestly about the difficulty of leaving home, learning English, making friends, adapting to a new culture, and growing into a more independent version of herself. Her advice is simple and powerful: step out of your comfort zone, even when it feels uncomfortable, because that is where Growth begins.
In This Episode, Discover
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Credits
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Conversations with a Chiropractor 00:40 Meet Isabella 01:00 Growing up in a small coastal town in Korea 02:00 Moving between Korea, Canada, and the United States 02:30 Choosing to study in America 03:20 Korean school schedules and after-school academies 05:00 Homework, hagwon, and the pressure to study 06:00 Sports, academics, and student life in Korea 07:00 Music, arts, and choosing a career path early 08:00 College expectations and the push toward Seoul 10:30 Leaving home and coming to Marquette 11:20 Flute, band, orchestra, and finding opportunities 12:15 HOSA, health occupations, and early healthcare experience 13:40 Exploring dentistry and orthodontics 14:40 Stereotypes about American students 16:20 Korean food, family dinners, and kimchi 18:30 Cultural similarities, food traditions, and shared human connections 19:20 Respect, classroom culture, and speaking up 21:30 Dating, school rules, and social life in Korea 22:20 Prom, winter formal, and American school dances 23:20 Graduation trips and school festivals 24:00 Uniforms, makeup, and self-expression 25:00 LGBTQ acceptance and cultural differences 26:20 K-pop, K-dramas, and the spread of Korean culture 27:40 North and South Korea, military service, and daily life 29:20 Identity, nationality, and being asked where she is from 31:20 Friendships, prom, and choosing her own path 32:00 University of Michigan and future plans 32:40 Choosing nationality and thinking about the future 33:40 A busy American schedule and working during high school 35:00 Restaurant work, confidence, and improving English 36:00 Thinking in Korean, speaking English, and language learning 37:30 What Isabella wants listeners to know 38:20 Stepping out of your comfort zone 40:20 Isabella’s Korean name and closing thoughts
