Inside the Gwangju News: Johanna Lezada Lays It Out

Each month, this column spotlights one of our regular contributors to the Gwangju News, giving readers a chance to learn more about the diverse voices and hands behind the magazine. These profiles take the form of interviews, offering a window unto their talents, perspectives, and stories of the people associated with the Gwangju News. — Editor

Gwangju News (GN): Thank you for giving of your time for this interview, Johanna. Could you begin by giving us some background information on yourself before coming to Korea?

Johanna: It’s my pleasure! I was born in the Philippines, but my brother and I were raised to speak English as our first language. I only learned our country’s language, Tagalog, when I was already in school, so I was deemed a foreigner from the get-go. I was most known for being the best at English, so much so that a newspaper article was written about me when I was about six years old.

As a kid, I was always interested in dinosaurs, animals, art, and literature, but especially art. I loved drawing so much that I just couldn’t stop scribbling away – even on papers I shouldn’t have! I would draw these comics that were nigh impossible to read due to me trying to squeeze 40-some panels into one page – inspired by the Philippine soap operas I would watch on TV after school.

GN: What was it that brought you to Korea? You came at an earlier age than is common for an expat.

Johanna: Never in my life did I think I would come to Korea of all places! My father had already been teaching Korean students of various ages in the Philippines, and then in 2012, he was offered to teach at a church school in Jeonnam-Gwangju and be able to bring his entire family along, which, as we found out, was a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity. Frankly, it was the country I least expected we’d go to, even if there were hints right in front of me.

GN: So, you attended secondary school here in Korea? What was that experience like?

Johanna: Actually, I was homeschooled from the sixth grade until high school through two American online homeschooling programs, so I never got to experience Korean classroom life until I entered university.

GN: Could you expound a bit on your university experience?

Johanna: It was an opportunity that came swiftly because my dependent visa was about to expire, and time was of the essence. A university here in Jeonnam-Gwangju was kind enough to let me in right away, however I found my university experience there to have been rather lackluster. For a major such as IT business, I expected more engagement, more activity, and more attention from both students and professors. However, I ended up getting graded more for attendance than for my performance in the classroom.

Needless to say, it was demotivating. I was warned that this could happen, but I wanted to give this a fair shot anyway, since I didn’t have the privilege of choosing where I could study at the time. However, I know it isn’t too late for me to get the full university experience; I plan to go back, this time majoring in geology!

GN: How, and why, did you get involved in writing for the Gwangju News?

Johanna: I remember the first article I wrote! It was in 2023 for the International Students Fair, and I was tasked with writing a piece on my experience there. As someone who loved to write, it was right up my alley, and that was how I first engaged with the Gwangju News. However, I didn’t realize the magazine’s significance and community impact until I took on the job of layout editor.

GN: You have been doing the layout for the Gwangju News going on two years now. How does the work involved compare with your original expectations?

Johanna: Frankly, I thought it’d be more difficult, as the first few months were a struggle, but I adapted quickly to the InDesign publishing application and what was expected of me. You could say my keen eye for detail and format perfectionism helped me to adapt. It seemed like a job I was cut out for, and I still think that today.

GN: Well, we’re glad that you find such a thankless job so satisfying. What plans do you have for the near future?

Johanna: I aspire to be a paleontologist to aid in environmental awareness and conservation, so I will be going back to university and build up to a PhD… as soon as I overcome my current challenges.

GN: I imagine that you might have an extensive bucket list. What items might be at the top of that list?

Johanna: I wish for my parents to see the world, for me to pursue my own artistic and paleontological projects, lend a hand to those in financial need, especially in my home country, and witness my brother become a chess grandmaster.

GN: Well, I hope all those wishes materialize. In wrapping up this interview, is there anything else that you would like to say to our readers?

Johanna: Yes. Hope is based on action, and action can be as small as getting your word out! What better way to do that than through the Gwangju News? Thank you so much, Dr. Shaffer, for this opportunity, a thank you to all our readers for tuning in issue after issue, and to our writers for your contributions! I hope to keep getting better at laying out the magazine to improve your reading and publishing experiences.

GN: And thank you, Johanna, for your devotedness to Gwangju News layout, as well as for making time for this interview!