Hi, my name is Inyoung Cho, and I’m from Korea. My journey began at a community college in Washington State and has since led me to a career in the tech industry, where I now work in Silicon Valley.

Arriving in the U.S. and Finding My Footing

I still vividly remember the day I arrived in the US—just two days after Christmas in 2012. The international student coordinator from Olympic College picked me up at the airport. Jet-lagged, I drifted off as we neared Bremerton, Washington. Waking up, I was struck by the low-rise buildings, a stark contrast to my home mega-city of Seoul. It was then I truly grasped that this was where I would be living and attending Olympic College. Arriving in a new country for the first time, I was a mix of nervous and excited. I knew I was starting a new life, but I was unsure of what lay ahead. Like many international students, I planned to major in business or psychology and eventually return home. Frankly, beyond the general goal of studying hard, I didn't have a specific ambition.

Immersing Myself and Building Confidence

Fortunately, I had always enjoyed studying English, so I was excited by the chance to learn and practice it every day. Everyone I met was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and I quickly grew to love everything about Bremerton and Washington. My determination to immerse myself in the language was so strong that just five months after arriving, I was brave enough to run for Vice President of the student government. To my surprise, I was elected. I believed that serving as a student body officer would force me into constant conversations with American students, quickly improving my English. That strategy worked well, but I felt I needed more practice. At one point, I had seven or eight conversational partners—American student volunteers who met with international students once a week to help them learn English. I loved my new life in the US and did everything I could to thrive.

Choosing a Path That Could Keep Me in the U.S.

Only a few months into living in Bremerton, WA and attending Olympic College, I decided that I wanted to stay in the US for a long time. I tried to figure out what I needed to do to continue living here beyond my time as a student. After talking to many American friends and teachers, I figured out that by studying engineering, I would have an easier time finding a company that would help me stay in the US. Though in Korea I had been a student who never liked math and science, I had great math teachers at Olympic College and suddenly I was hooked on the subjects. Standing at the intersection of my academic interest and my personal goal of finding a way to stay in the US, I decided to major in Computer Science. It was a pragmatic choice; Computer Science was rapidly growing in popularity, and high demand for CS jobs was projected.

Facing Challenges After Transferring

That became my major when I transferred to Western Washington University. The rigorous curriculum was a shock. I struggled and had many sleepless nights, often ending up with less than ideal GPAs. I felt hopeless, thinking that I had maybe made the worst choice in my life and that I wouldn't be able to do anything with the major once I graduated. At times, I wasn't even sure I’d be able to graduate. But I never gave up. I kept going and worked hard enough that, miraculously, I obtained a BS degree in CS from my college in March 2018. For the first time in my life, I felt that I had achieved something meaningful personally. When I came to the US just about 5 years before 2018, I never imagined that I was smart enough to major in Computer Science or even earn an academic degree in it, I still felt pressured to find a job. However, eventually majoring in CS turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made to this date.

Breaking Into the Tech Industry

The job searching process was tough. Landing interviews was hard, but passing interview after interview was even harder. However, four months into the search, I was lucky enough to find a job at SK Hynix Memory Solutions America. In various aspects, I felt disadvantaged—my F-1 visa status was often less appealing to employers compared to citizens or permanent residents, and I knew my coding skills were not the strongest. Still, I believed in myself. I told myself that I would give everything I had so that when I walked out of an interview room, I would have no regrets. During the interviews, I was able to present myself confidently and answer questions well. The interviewers praised how hard I must have studied English, eventually deciding to give me a shot at the role.

Reflecting on the Journey and Looking Ahead

In August 2018, I started working as a Product and Applications Engineer. Since then, I have been validating enterprise solid-state drives used in data centers—the essential infrastructure of Silicon Valley. Looking back, when I first came to this country about thirteen years ago, I never imagined I would come this far, meet so many great people, and work in the role I have today. Whenever I faced difficult periods, I would write my goals on a clean sheet of paper and remind myself that I could achieve them. It helped guide me toward the path I truly wanted and kept me from getting sidetracked or distracted. I am deeply grateful to this country, its education system, the industry, and the many people I met along the way who helped shape who I am today. I look forward to continually improving myself in this field, building my skills and knowledge, and contributing meaningfully to the U.S. tech industry.

Olympic College laid the foundation for this entire journey, giving me the academic support, encouragement, and confidence I needed to discover my path and believe that a future in technology was possible. To learn more about Olympic College, click here.