Opinion Editor Grant Kuppenheimer interviews recent John’s graduate Annabelle Bulag to learn more about life after college.
The community at St John’s encompasses many students and professionals in different stages of life. In learning more about our community of learning, I spoke with recent graduate Annabelle Bulag about her transition to pursuing a master’s degree in the anthropology of music at King’s College, London. For those new to John’s, Annabelle was a familiar face to many at college as she became incredibly involved in college life and an integral part of our community. She held numerous positions within the SJCR, including Welfare Officer, and was a contender in last year’s presidential election.
Durham is great to figure out who you are and what you want to do in a safe and supportive environment
Despite taking full advantage of her time at Durham, and having “no regrets” about her time here, Annabelle’s studies did not begin without a hitch as she matriculated in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. As she reflected during our interview, life in John’s was starkly different from today, with corridor bubbles being in force and all SJCR meetings on Zoom; “rather intimidating” for a new first-year student hoping to get involved. Yet these setbacks did not discourage her from increasing her engagement within John’s and Durham, where she threw herself into DU musical interests and worked as Music Editor for Indigo, the arts & culture magazine within Palatinate. Within the SJCR, Annabelle explained that serving as a college Welfare Officer was a rewarding role as “you really feel like you’re making a difference” in engaging with students from across our community. She jokes that by the end of her time at Durham, the SJCR commitment outweighed time spent on her actual degree, but that again, she has no regrets. “It was worth it; I love you guys so much”.
Turning the conversation to her master’s degree at King’s, studying music was an obvious choice for Annabelle, who admitted that it’s been a lifelong passion for her. Currently, her research specialisation explores Korean music, and she aims to write her dissertation on North Korean refugees increasing accessibility to the arts and music without educational barriers. Indeed, since moving to London, Annabelle has become increasingly interested in exploring issues of limited accessibility to music, which led her to work directly with underprivileged boroughs in London to increase engagement and interest in the arts, especially with children. “It’s important to cultivate an interest in music early”, she explains. “Currently, advanced education is expected for your opinion to be taken seriously; this should not be the case”. Annabelle aims to travel to the Korean peninsula to teach English or pursue a degree, as much of her area of study relates to Korean arts & culture.
You leave John’s but the people come with you
Despite the seemingly smooth transition from undergraduate to graduate studies, Annabelle quickly mentioned how different King’s “academic culture” is compared to Durham. Student life is “completely different”, and at times, the adjustment has been challenging, especially leaving such a small and intimate college environment at Durham. She laments that “Durham is great to figure out who you are and what you want to do in a safe and supportive environment”; the move to London is very eye-opening as one can feel detached in the Durham bubble. However, John’s alumni support network prevents any notions of being ‘cast away’ after a Johnian moves on. Annabelle comments how the “Durham-London pipeline is real, and it’s very easy to make the adjustment and reconnect with former Durham classmates”. Students will be pleased to know that John’s College organises numerous alumni events in London. Annabelle joked, “You leave John’s, but the people come with you”; there is no escaping it!
Despite some initial challenges, Annabelle is enjoying her time at King’s and finds the intellectual environment invigorating and the chance to explore London exciting. As King’s is an open campus, there is so much to do, including free tickets to the Royal Opera and taking advantage of the riches London offers a musically-minded student. Annabelle’s life at King’s consists of active participation in orchestra, vocal concerts, and other musical societies where competitions between KCL and University College London (UCL) are routinely held. “KCL is so supportive, especially surrounding mental health”, which has been such a plus for Annabelle. “They make the transition so easy”.
Regarding graduation plans, a PhD is definitely on Annabelle’s mind, which she is hoping to pursue in the USA. However, as such programmes are highly competitive, there is still uncertainty about continuing her education. Originally hailing from New York, Annabelle would like to return to her home country eventually. However, timing is still very much up in the air. In the meantime, her future trip to Korea is an exciting milestone, where she plans to shoot a documentary on Korean music as part of her fieldwork. It is certainly curious where such interests will take this Johnian; John’s Chronicle is excited to follow Annabelle on her path.
John's Chronicle 