First and foremost, my interest in Northwestern starts with my desire to prepare myself in the best way possible for a career in medicine, specifically through the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. In combination with the strong curriculum in chemistry and biology, I found it appealing that Weinberg offers a relatively small undergraduate pool of around 4,000 students, resulting in modest class sizes of around 15 students and more individual attention...
The cultural identity crisis that I went through was indeed distressing. Because of the economic recession and the resulting social instability, my brothers and sister might experience it more intensely; that strikes me as unfair. Putting some distance between myself and my country at this point will help me amend this unfairness. In any case, the country I am experiencing is neither the country my father expected to find, nor the one he aspires to create through politics...
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving”-Lao Tzu
The mountainous weather-worn sandstone steps stood ahead, glowing in the warm afternoon sun. And with a soft breeze at our backs, we started our two hundred step trek to the top. All day we had been walking around Okinawa, travelling from one end to the other. But before the day’s end and our return to our hotel we wanted to do one more thing, climb the Nago Mountain Steps. These steps are famous not only for their size, but also for the local Shinto belief that when you reach the top you receive good fortune for years to come...
Lugging buckets of blood bags back and forth on a Wednesday afternoon, trudging miles down a hot Texas road on the 4th of July and wrapping presents for strangers on a Saturday morning are not what most high school students consider a good time. However, to me, carrying buckets of donated blood, at an Exeter Blood drive that I organized, walking for charity to benefit disabled children at the Key Club International Convention in Dallas (Key Club is the largest high school service organization in the world) that I arranged people to attend and wrapping Christmas gifts for needy children as part of a service project that I spearheaded are what I consider some of the most worthwhile activities that I could spend my time doing...
I began college as an electrical engineering major because it demanded a logical, creative approach to problem solving that felt natural and kept me engaged. But after taking my first psychology class and volunteering as a peer counselor on campus, I realized that engineering lacked the human component I was craving. I am drawn to clinical psychology because it gives me the chance to blend these two elements into a field that uses both theoretical foundations and scientific methods to create therapeutic techniques...
When I first walked into my band director’s office freshmen year, I was struck by the glaring purple-ness of the room. At the time, I didn’t notice the Northwestern banner above her window; I only realized she was an alumni when she started talking about Northwestern’s football wins during rehearsal. Her enthusiasm must have trickled down to me, because when the time came to finalize a list of colleges, Northwestern had claimed spot number one...
As I approached the gate, a familiar clanging pierced my ears. It was the morning bell, signifying my eighth tardy in the first few weeks of fourth grade. Though only Monday, I refused to be late a second time that week, resolving to wake my family an hour earlier the next day. My father usually pleaded with us not to wake him until we were ready to leave, so it was by sheer coincidence that he found time for television that Tuesday morning. As the television powered on, the room fell silent...
Because of the way I was brought up by my parents, I’ve always thought in the back of my mind that one day, I was going to go to college. Along with that assumption came another, but more dangerous one: the fact that I would be ready for it. Just a year ago, if someone had asked me if I thought I could handle college, my answer would have been a simple shrug accompanied by a “sure, why not?” I was organized, getting good grades, and doing lots of extracurricular activities...
I walked into the band room for Pep Band and was greeted with this from my band director: "Hi Joon! Do you want to conduct today?"I must have looked quite ridiculous, a half-eaten cheeseburger in one hand and decorative caution tape in the other, complete with an “is this really happening” grin on my face. Conducting? How could I say no?..
I have a secret. I have lived more than one life. In fact, I’ve lived hundreds. I’ve been an emotionally detached man with a deeply instilled sense of duty. I’ve been a fragile girl with three days left to live. I’ve witnessed my town burned by raiders. I’ve been an life auctioneer. I’ve rescued a friend from a collapsing building. I’ve sacrificed my life for someone.
My secret? I am a writer...
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