CAMP HUMPHREYS -- Twenty past and current interns gathered at the Humphreys Community Fitness Center to celebrate the first "Intern Homecoming Day," Sept. 27.
This event was hosted by the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Public Affairs Office, which, along with Army Community Service, has hosted the garrison internship program since January 2010.
This Good Neighbor Program allows for local Korean college students to spend six months (one semester) working in various organizations here, providing them with the work skills and also the opportunity to work in an English-speaking environment. Currently, besides PAO and the Visual Information Branch, interns are placed with organizations within ACS, Directorate of Emergency Services, Family and MWR, and the Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.
Each session, an average of 12 interns complete the program and then either return to college to graduate and move on into the working world. Some have found positions working for the U.S. Army here.
With so many interns having graduated from the program, it was decided that some sort of alumni association was in order. Thus, the first homecoming event was held.
The day began with a briefing by Edward Johnson, the Humphreys public affairs officer. He emphasized the importance that this program has with the garrison's portion of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance and the Good Neighbor Program.
"The purpose of this homecoming event is to keep friendly relationships among the interns, sharing information and helping each others," said Peter Yu, the Humphreys Garrison community relations officer.
Those interns in attendance, both past and present, dedicated the Camp Humphreys University Intern Alumni Association (CHUIAA) to secure and strengthen the relationships between the alumni and Camp Humphreys and work in partnership with the university program schools to encourage alumni participation in its programs, activities and development efforts.
Yu said this annual event will be for career networking, programming and direct access to alumni through CHUIAA.
"Interns are the members of the Camp Humphreys community and we will keep doing this program to continue the fellowship."
Lee Eun-byeol, who worked in the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security for the second session interns, was elected the group's leader. William Kim, who worked in PAO during the ninth session, was elected vice-leader.
"It was a wonderful gathering and a great opportunity for alumni and current interns to get to know each other," Lee said. "And, it is an honor to be the first leader and I am happy to be a member of CHUIAA. Hopefully, this association will become a strong bridge for the alumni and the current interns to stay connected with one another."
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