Letter From The Editor

This month’s theme is “Back To School”. Many think this time of year is just for children, but that can’t be more wrong, it is for everyone! I have come to realize that learning is a lifelong journey. As our circumstances change, as society demands more, as our careers take off or switch trajectories, or as our family grows, we must keep learning and adapting to succeed. Education doesn’t have to come in the form of a degree. In today’s world, “education” means so much more. It means opening your mind to new ideas and challenging yourself to just keep learning, anything, but don’t stop learning.

In this month’s magazine, our authors challenge you to learn a little about yourself, support your family, get engaged in your community, and simply be open to learning something new and interesting. Learning doesn’t have to be expensive, at a fancy school, or even in a brick-and-mortar building. You will see that learning can happen all around us, especially in a country with such a rich culture and history like South Korea. 

Personally, in this military lifestyle, I find myself learning more and more to help my own family. The birth of our son was the first stepping stone that led me back to college. Learning about developmental disabilities, Autism, and special education was the only way I could ensure my son’s needs I thought. This would later lead me to become a teacher, a leader of a non-profit organization at Humphreys, and to become a writer in July of 2022. My first published work in United on the RoK was “Support Networks on RoK” for children and adults enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program. Like many, each PCS we must learn so much to establish ourselves and I wanted to share my expertise and knowledge with others. 

Now, two years later, I am still writing to you, our readers, and I am hoping that the words here in our magazine make an impact. Professor John Hattie said, “Know thy impact”. Your impact depends on your education, your ability to learn, and how you incorporate those things into your daily life. Leaders never stop learning. Inside each of us is the power to be a leader somewhere in our lives, so just keep learning, anything, but don’t stop learning.

May each one of you find the support you need to be successful, may that support help you reach your goals, and if you find yourself at a standstill, think to yourself, “What can I learn today?” 

Jetta Allen

United on the RoK Editor in Chief