Student's Journey Back to Seoul: Finding Identity Through Spider Research

Jillian Kurovski's return to South Korea wasn't just about science. The 27-year-old Ph.D. student, who was adopted from South Korea and raised in Iowa, managed to bridge personal and professional worlds through her unique path of spider research. Her journey back to her birthplace began unexpectedly during a brief layover in South Korea while working in Guam.

Her decision to visit her birth country wasn't initially planned. It was a choice between routes suggested by her lab manager. But this stop turned into a profound reunion with her birth family, prompting a deeper exploration of her identity. The three-day visit left her yearning to return, an opportunity that materialized when she received a Fulbright Presidential STEM scholarship. In July 2025, she found herself in Seoul again, this time for a year.

In Seoul, Kurovski has been navigating her dual identity. Living an hour away from her birth family, she's been facing language barriers and cultural nuances, but the experience has been enriching. The challenges are real, like the frustration of not fully understanding her mother's stories. But the dedication of her family to bridge the language gap reflects a deepening bond.

Here's the thing: Kurovski's story isn't just about personal discovery. It's how diverse life paths intersect. Her research on spiders, often misunderstood creatures, mirrors her own experiences as an adoptee. Feeling caught between cultures, much like the spiders' existence between predator and prey, she realizes that identity isn't black and white.

So, what's next? Kurovski's narrative is a reminder of the complexities within personal identity, especially for adoptees. It's about finding peace in the middle ground, embracing the American and Korean parts of herself. In the end, it's a journey of self-acceptance, where both her families play key roles in shaping who she is today.