Lakewood Ranch Rotary sponsors exchange traveler

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Katina Frierson pulled out the business card she’ll be using over the next month and slid it across the table.

Not only does the card have her picture on it — a first for Frierson — but it also has her information written in both English and Korean.

“They all put pictures on their cards,” Frierson said with a smile and a shrug. “This is a tool for introduction. You have your prop.”

On March 26, Frierson, who works in Lakewood Ranch at Family Home Health Services, and a team of four other business professionals from Sarasota and Southwest Florida, left for a monthlong stay in South Korea through Rotary International’s Group Study Exchange program. Team members return April 26.

“The idea is to get rid of the extraneous information and stereotypes and introduce ourselves and our lives to them,” Frierson said. “It brings it down to the human level.”

While in Korea, Frierson and her teammates will learn about their respective vocations in Korea and business practices there. They also will present about their own vocations to various Rotary Club groups in the country and possibly others.

Participants will stay with Korean families to be fully immersed in the culture, as well.

“Every day will be different,” Frierson said. “The day-to-day stuff will be the vocational exchange and then cultural points of interest there.

“I’m really curious about daily life in Korea, and I have a feeling I’m going to like the food a lot,” she said. “I’m hoping (to spend) real time in one of the firms. I want to see how they work. I really want to see some design.”

Frierson said she’s also excited to see a ceramic factory and other aspects of Korean life and culture.
The Rotary’s GSE program is not open to Rotary Club members, so Frierson learned of the opportunity through the alumni association of her alma mater, Columbia University. The association’s president, a Rotarian, suggested Frierson, membership chairman for the association, apply for the program.

The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch, which Frierson has been visiting, sponsored her trip.

“I love traveling,” Frierson said of why she decided to apply. “I like new things. I was intrigued by the idea of Rotary. (At this point in my life, I) really want give back. This might be a really good first step.”

Frierson said at first she hoped the trip would serve to hone her skills giving presentations, but now, her vision for the trip has changed to understand more about the country and what she can do to help.

To learn more about the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch, visit www.lakewoodranch-rotary.com. For more information about Rotary Club International, visit www.rotary.org.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Travel Partner
Also going on the trip with Frierson is Sarasota resident Sarah Kunkel, of Hoyt Architects.

“Part of the excitement is we don’t know what we’ll be doing,” said Kunkel, a graduate of Riverview High School. “It was a great opportunity.”