Azusa Pacific University has a unique community of international students who are committed to building their faith as they grow academically. While some international students plan to stay in the U.S. after graduation, others feel called to help their home country. Heejae Jeong ’26 is an honors humanities and international relations (IR) double major with an economics minor. Originally from South Korea, Jeong’s love for his country and passion for peace between North and South Korea has inspired him to study as hard as possible and build his relationship with the Lord to make a difference on a global scale.
Jeong knew peers from his high school that attended APU and enjoyed their time on campus. It was one of his top schools, and when he received the full tuition Trustee’s Scholarship, he knew that God was opening a door for him to accomplish his goals. The Honors College was also an important deciding factor for Jeong. He wanted a classical liberal education which is what honors offered. To prepare for his first semester in honors, Jeong was assigned to read Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince. “That book is still my favorite because it challenged my Chrisitan faith,” he said. “Everything Machiavelli said about the way the world works seemed realistic, and I wrestled with ideas to prove him wrong. I disagree with him on a lot of things, but I saw value in the way he argued and looked at human nature.”
Deep conversations about humanity, love, faith, and philosophy from honors have helped Jeong in IR too. After graduation, Jeong plans to continue his education in graduate school before returning to South Korea. “My goal is to work in the Department for Unification as a government official and human rights activist,” he said. “I want to craft unification and economic strategies that make unity a reality.” Jeong feels for those in North Korea who are unable to practice their Christian faith, and honors has taught him how to show his faith in a variety of ways to reach people who are at different stages of their spiritual journey. “My best friend used to identify as atheist, and what I read in honors helped me approach conversations about love, God, and philosophy in a way that explained my Christian faith without using Christian terms,” he said. “I was able to explain my faith with Aristotle and Plato which intrigued him. Honors has not only helped build my intellect, but it is also a means to connect with nonbelievers."
Faith has played a big part in helping Jeong find his place on campus. He has served as a D-Group leader and is the founder of weekly South Korean prayer meetings. He also loves participating in spontaneous worship and prayer meetings around campus. Jeong shared that one of the most impactful memories of his time at APU happened in the weeks following the 2023 Asbury Revival. President Adam J. Morris, PhD, invited Asbury’s student body president to campus as a chapel speaker. She encouraged APU students to seek God in every moment. After chapel, a few students began worshipping in Felix Event Center, eventually moving to the prayer chapel and growing to a group of about 80 people. Around midnight, so many students had joined in that the group moved to the first floor of Wilden. For two days, more than 200 students worshiped nonstop. “This was so transformative because I witnessed how God can soften people’s hearts,” Jeong said.
Learning to rely on God changed Jeong’s perspective of what it means to be a scholar
and disciple. Jeong’s first language is Korean, so his first year in the Honors College
was difficult because of the language barrier. “I couldn’t understand what people
were saying, and the speed of American English was beyond my expectations,” he said.
One afternoon, Jeong was having trouble starting a research paper as the deadline
was quickly approaching. He said a quick prayer, and all of a sudden one of his friends
knocked on his door and asked if he needed any help with the assignment. “There have
been countless moments like this,” Jeong said. “Throughout my time at APU, God has
helped me a lot through my friends, professors, and the Writing, Speaking, and Tutoring Center staff. I appreciate the APU community for their help and support.”
The academic rigor of the Honors College and balancing two majors and a minor helped Jeong cultivate grit and resilience as he worked hard to cultivate academic excellence. However, Jeong realized that life is more than a grade. “What I accomplish gives meaning to life that is far greater and deeper than a grade or money,” he said. “I want to thank the APU community and especially extend my gratitude to the professors in the Honors College and the Department of History and Political Science. They’ve helped me grow academically and personally. I’m going to confront a lot of challenges in my career, and APU has prepared me to get through them by relying on God rather than myself.”