God has always pulled me through at the last minute, so often to the point I should have confidently seen this coming. While enrolled in the OPT Program for a year starting June 16, 2014, I ultimately sought companies or universities to sponsor me for a work visa, the only realistic way for me to remain in the United States and look to eventually become a permanent resident. However, with rejection after rejection since graduating college, I gradually lost courage and wondered about my life’s purpose. Though willing to accept anything my Father assigns me, thinking about leaving the country where I grew up and received the vast majority of my education and most of my friends resided especially worried me. “I will do anything in Your will as long as You let me stay in the US” flooded my mentality rather than simply “I will do anything in Your will.”

Unsurprisingly, most of whom offered to help me find a job immediately forgot their promises, and my patience wore thinner and thinner. I was repeatedly misinformed a standard corporation could sponsor me by April 1 at the latest, any research-based institution or higher education by April 15—two months prior to the expiration of my OPT status—and international-student advisors will enter those who fail to be sponsored into the H-1B visa lottery, where one in three recent graduates will be selected. Thus, on April 15, I quit trying and hoped for the lottery to play in my favor until I found out no such system even existed. I was again misled I should apply for the Green Card lottery in spite of the ineligibility of South Koreans. Thanks to a quick Google search, I avoided giving up my debit-card information to scammers who look to capitalize on sponsorship scams. I began searching for opportunities in Western Europe and Australia, even applying to a graduate program in the United Kingdom. Although pessimistic as ever, I still believed, somehow, God would prevent me from returning to my home country at the last minute; nevertheless, each time I felt this, I asked myself, “How? April 15 was my last chance.”

Around the time I booked a trip to Iceland to relieve myself from this intolerable stress and praise God looking at His awe-inspiring nature, I was led to do my own research on visa sponsorships and instantly discovered the claim about a research-based company or university needing to sponsor me by April 15 at the latest to be utterly false, as either could sponsor at any time of year. I was riled up to be so brazenly misinformed time and time again, because if I did not think to Google this myself, I would have obliviously remained hopeless. I went on HigherEdJobs and entered “Korean” in the search engine, as I figured this skill to be my best shot to get me sponsored. When I read the description of “Korean-Asian Recruitment and Support Specialist,” one of the first results that popped up, I was hooked right away and spent nearly three hours polishing and submitting my resume, cover letter, and application and praying specifically for this position unlike I had ever done.

My testimonial featured on HigherEdJobs!

While worshiping on top of Perlan in Reykjavik, Iceland, I reflected on my traveling and how God kept letting me find my way to my tours and museums at the last minute and imagined, “Maybe something will happen at the last minute with my visa status and I won’t leave the US.” More importantly, I for the first time started feeling peace and becoming open to temporarily returning to South Korea. When I had dinner with my brother and sister-in-law two nights following my return to America, they noticed my change in attitude and face. Right after that occasion, I checked an email from the University of Nebraska at Kearney for the aforementioned job. For a year, every time I saw an email from a hiring manager, I assumed it to be an automated message of rejection, but oddly for this, I accurately expected to have gotten an interview. The search committee initially offered me a phone interview, and I told my close ones, “I wish it were a video interview so that it could be more personable.” A couple of days later, the team changed it to a Zoom interview. Based on the impeccable timing of everything since I sent out the job application, I had confidence I would be offered the position even prior to the interview. The four interviewers were “all very impressed with” my answers to their questions and put me on the short list of recorded interviews to be viewed by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Affairs upon his return to the States from China. He, having enjoyed my positive attitude and high energy, called and offered me the job, and HR jumped onto the process of sponsorship straightaway. (Ironically, the one who continued to feed me untruths about sponsorship tried to take credit and seems to genuinely believe he found this opportunity for me, insane to say the least.)

God pulled me through at the last minute again. I knew He was training my patience all along and something would save me from leaving America, but the longevity drained me to the brink of surrender. Seeing my problem resolved promptly after I wholeheartedly thanked God and felt peaceful, I learned being grateful and content in all situations to be key; as the Apostle Paul teaches, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

The Author of my life highlighted the chapter of 2014 to refine my perspectives on the world and society in which I live. I rapidly gained a diverse cultural panorama traveling alone to Italy, the Bahamas, France, Belgium, and other parts of the United States. Though I lacked even the basic knowledge of these cultures prior, setting foot on these unfamiliar territories motivated me to explore not only their histories but also the world less familiar to me.

Largely due to my status as an international graduate in eventual need of a work visa, companies I applied to rarely considered me. Originally longing to remain at Emory University to prolong my memories with my alma mater, I applied for virtually its every available position that fit my degree in English literature and work experience. Oxford College’s Office of Admission first notified me of an interview. Though excited beyond measure, I was scheduled to go on a cruise to the Bahamas, and the office never followed up in the two weeks I patiently waited. I had no choice but to explain to the office administrators my vacation plan so that they would not schedule an interview while I was gone. Their vice president replied the email I read “was due to a system error,” that I was not actually selected for an interview. Disappointed, I decided to move on from higher education several days before Emory College’s Office of Admission offered me a legitimate interview, where I would be required to give a presentation, on one day’s notice. I embraced the opportunity and met with five interviewers, divided into five sessions. I felt obligated to mention my Optional Practical Training (OPT) status, that I could not be unemployed for ninety days and thus must receive an update shortly. Two interviewers individually promised to let me know in a couple of weeks to no avail. I hesitated emailing and pressuring them to speed up the selection process, but I was left with no other option when nobody from the office contacted me for over four weeks. My instinct accurately guessed somebody was already chosen but the panel did not care to inform the other two rejected candidates of the decision. I was disgusted, and their irresponsibility stealing my only time prior to the end of the year to visit my family and friends in Korea especially riled me up. I removed my account from the university HR and moved on. Two sales companies ultimately hired me, and I accepted one without realizing I would have to give up church. The hiring manager must have known this would have created a problem based on my resume and interviews but refused to disclose the peculiar working hours until my initial day of training. I quit instantly.

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Ninety days of unemployment since enrolling in the OPT Program swiftly approached, and I had to mentally prepare to return to my home country of Korea. However, God had another plan. I arbitrarily wanted to surprise-visit my closest professor, whom I had not seen in over four months, without even remembering where he lived. I faced no trouble locating his home, and he and his wife welcomed me with open arms. I shared with them my situation, and we immediately found a temporary solution: I would volunteer for the wife’s nonprofit until I land a stable job that pays and will sponsor me. This experience connected me to the realm of politics and numerous individuals with remarkable accomplishments, including President Jimmy Carter, with whom my grandfather shares a profound history, and a retired chairman and CEO of United Parcel Service, who connected me to the president. Managing my own work schedule, I also participated as an extra in two films, The Originals and Vacation, being on set four separate times, making friends with actors, and even being invited to dinner with one of the actors and his family and to the wrap party of Vacation.

PC: The Carter Center

“2014 was a year of completion for our family,” expressed my father during my recent trip back to Korea. I completed my college studies on May 12. My brother completed his wedding on December 19. My mother, after twenty-seven years, completed her career at Merrill Lynch on December 31. I say, “2015 is a year of new beginnings.” Though I desperately require employment that will sponsor me for an H-1B visa, I find confidence in knowing God has always led me to the right path even when I doubted Him. Whether or not I find a job in the United States, I am certain the Author of my life knows where to take me next. I cannot wait to witness what my Father has in store for me for 2015.