In this blog post, I’ll explain how my academic efforts, school activities, and experiences with compassion and giving during high school led me to choose to major in international law and shaped my future career plans.
Academic Experience
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I had a reputation at school for being good at memorization. The reason for this was that I once memorized an entire textbook. There was a teacher at my school who was notorious for being strict—my homeroom teacher and English instructor during my sophomore year. She possessed tremendous charisma and commanded students with her firmness; her assignment was to memorize the entire textbook by the end of the month. Naturally, not many students could do it. And among those few, I was the only one who passed that test.
At first, I also found it really hard to memorize the text every month. But I discovered a trick. First, it was “reading a lot.” If you start trying to memorize every single word, it becomes a never-ending task. Also, since there was so much to memorize, it was overwhelming to think about when I’d ever finish. But once I started reading it over and over, the overall context and content began to sink in. After that, I moved on to the second step: “memorizing vocabulary.” While reading the text, I made a list of unfamiliar words and memorized them. That way, I was able to learn frequently used words along with the content. Finally, I practiced “memorizing in groups.” After memorizing “cup,” I moved on to “cup of coffee.” By memorizing in this way, I was able to memorize entire sentences before I knew it.
This is how I began memorizing, and I became one of the few students in the entire school to pass the text memorization test. And once I mastered this memorization technique, it naturally became one of my strengths. This is because I realized that memorizing other subjects in this way—not just English—also led to better retention. For example, in social studies, I could memorize the material much more effectively by first grasping the overall context and then focusing on the details. I applied this memorization technique to various other subjects as well.
School Activities
The Power of “Decisiveness” I Learned as Broadcast Director
An indispensable part of my high school experience was my involvement in the “Broadcast Club.” This activity, which was intense from the very beginning, left a profound impact on me. There, I learned just how grueling it is to produce a broadcast—reporting, filming, and writing articles. I also realized and experienced firsthand that these activities are driven by passion; that when you’re brimming with passion, there’s nothing you can’t do—whether that means pulling all-nighters or pleading with strangers to grant an interview. The time when I learned the most—or, to put it another way, when I struggled the most—was when I served as the head of the Broadcasting Club.
The head of the Broadcasting Club is in a position where they must make many decisions while also shouldering a great deal of responsibility. First of all, approving articles and approving production proposals are both the head’s responsibilities. Furthermore, deciding whether to revise or scrap a proposal, as well as suggesting directions for revision, is also the head’s role. As a result, there came moments when I had to make many decisions. First, I had to consider two things. One was the school’s perspective. Since social media is quite active at our school, videos produced by the Broadcasting Club are posted on Facebook and Twitter. The problem is that these are shared with everyone who follows our social media accounts—and our school’s name is on the line. If that happens, our work naturally goes out under the school’s name, and if it’s handled poorly, it could tarnish the school’s reputation. Additionally, I had to think about my peers. On a smaller scale, I had to consider the friends within the broadcasting club. I couldn’t forget that everyone had worked hard to draft the proposals and had put in a lot of effort. At the same time, however, I had to consider whether the content would be both entertaining and informative for the students.
Being in a position where I had to weigh all these factors, I realized just how difficult it is to make a “decision.” And I also came to understand that making a decision is something that simply must be done. If I were to overthink things without considering other factors, my lack of decisiveness would ultimately lead to a situation where my friends’ efforts would have to be put on hold. During my year and a half as director, I experienced firsthand just how difficult—yet essential—it is to grapple with these issues and make decisions.
Our biggest event: the charity drive!
The biggest initiative we undertook in the Broadcasting Club was the “charity drive.” We collected donations not only of money but also of various foods, supplies, clothing, cosmetics, school supplies, and more from both teachers and students. We then donated these items to organizations doing good work. The biggest challenge was “publicity.” Our goal was to get as many students as possible to tune in, and through our hard work on the ground and our broadcasts, we ultimately succeeded in attracting a large number of participants. It was a truly rewarding and valuable experience.
Consideration and Sharing
Fortunately, many of my friends saw me as someone with leadership potential. They nominated me for class president and station director, and I worked hard not to let them down. When I served as station director, I wanted to do my best in that role to coordinate the busy operations within the broadcasting station. As class president, I worked to create a harmonious and diligent class by assisting teachers and classmates. Throughout this, the quality I focused on most was “compromise.”
People in positions of responsibility often face moments when they must exercise restraint. For example, when I was the broadcasting club president, I was always the last to eat during meals with my friends. I would only start eating after everyone else had finished, after settling the bill, verifying that the club funds had been used correctly, and checking to make sure everyone had enough water. I did this because I had to take “responsibility” for everything that happened there. It was the same when I was in my class. There were many times when I wanted to play or rest. But my friends trusted me and elected me as their class leader. I felt I had to live up to that trust. So even when I wanted to play, I checked everyone’s homework for my friends’ sake, and even when I was hungry, I put their needs before my own. In particular, even when I wanted to rest but cleaning was required, I would always take the lead in cleaning and let my friends take on the easier tasks.
I made those sacrifices because I believed that compromise is the most essential element in group life. I knew that if no one was willing to compromise, the group would eventually fall apart and collapse due to selfishness. However, if even one person makes a concession, the group can function thanks to that concession, and a culture of mutual compromise takes root. I always hoped to be that “one person.” So I always tried to make concessions, and there were many times when that effort paid off.
Background and Career Path
I was born into a loving family
My greatest source of pride is that I was born into a loving family. I grew up surrounded by the love of my grandmother, who always cherished me; my grandfather, who always taught me to think with integrity; my parents; and my two older sisters. That’s why I was able to grow into a confident and ambitious person. This is because I had people by my side who believed in me and loved me no matter what I did. So even when I struggled with my studies, I believed I could do anything. In fact, my two grandfathers always told me that academic achievement is useless—what matters is how you think and live your life. Furthermore, no matter how difficult a task I faced, I drew strength from seeing the faces of those who watched over me and believed in me.
My family gave me their full support, telling me, “No one but you can do this.” Thanks to having people who always loved me like this, I was able to grow into an enterprising person who isn’t afraid to try new things and boldly forges my own path.
Careful deliberation and making decisions are incredibly rewarding.
For me, the most rewarding part is the act of “making a decision.” I believe that making these decisions is both the most difficult and the most enjoyable thing in the world. Once I make a decision—no matter how small—I must take full responsibility for it. That’s why I have no choice but to think things through carefully before deciding. But that’s precisely what makes it so appealing. Even the struggle to weigh all the factors is fun. It’s also enjoyable to consider various possibilities to ensure I make a decision I can stand behind. And the joy I feel when I finally make a decision is immense. And the joy is even greater when that decision leads to a better outcome. Making decisions like this—taking on new tasks and carrying them out—carries significant risk, but it is equally rewarding. Realizing this, I came to want to do work that helps people make decisions even in diverse and challenging situations, and that enables them to create better outcomes through sound decisions. That is why I chose to major in International Law.
I Dream of Becoming an International Lawyer
As a student majoring in International Law, my dream is to become an international lawyer who resolves international disputes. It is said that legal boundaries between nations are gradually disappearing. This means that the physical and psychological distances between countries have grown closer. Therefore, I want to serve as an international lawyer, mediating the interests of various nations and corporations to help them make the right decisions. To achieve this, I will diligently follow Kyung Hee University’s curriculum. I will study diligently to build a solid foundation of specialized knowledge. I will also gain practical experience. By observing and resolving various issues on campus, and by broadening my perspective on the world through experiences abroad, I will continue to learn about life while expanding my knowledge and experience.
