2008 Sejong Writing Competition
Essay Winners
| Senior Division | Junior Division | |
|---|---|---|
| First Place | Susan Yoojin Lee (La Canada, CA) 12th grade, Crescenta Valley High School essay |
Julia Triesch (Sugar Land, TX) 7th grade, Lamar Junior High School essay |
| Second Place | Sara White (Wahiawa, HI) 11th grade, Waialua High and Intermediate School essay |
Sharon Bae (Algonquin, IL) 7th grade, Sabio Academy essay |
| Richard Chung (Los Angeles, CA) 8th Grade, Harvard-Westlake School essay |
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| Third Place | Bori Ha (Albany, CA) 10th grade, Sabio Academy essay |
none |
| Honorable Mention Friend of the Pacific Rim Award |
Sai Challapalli (Schaumburg, IL) 10th grade, Sabio Academy |
Daniel Ahn (Glenview, IL) 6th grade, Springman Middle School |
| Krystal Le (Sugar Land, TX) 10th grade, William P Clements High School |
Vivian Chan (Poquoson, VA) 7th grade, Poquoson Middle School |
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| Claire Lee (Inverness, IL) 10th grade, Sabio Academy |
Sarah Bohyun Kim (Norristown, PA) 8th grade, Sabio Academy |
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| Michael Lee (Rockville, MD) 9th grade, Sabio Academy |
Michael Maciel (Sugar Land, TX) 7th grade, Lamar Junior High School |
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| Victor Mori (Oceanside, CA) 12th grade, Westview High School |
Catherine Ryu (Lincolnshire, IL) 8th grade, Sabio Academy |
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| Douglas Riechel (La Canada, CA) 11th grade, La Canada High School |
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| Connie Suh (La Canada, CA) 11th grade, La Canada High School |
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| Jasmine Wang (San Diego, CA) 12th grade, Canyon Crest Academy |
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| Lindsey Weintraub (Northfield, NJ) 11th grade, Mainland Regional High School |
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| Victoria Youn (Fairfax, VA) 9th grade, Sabio Academy |
My name is Susan Y. Lee, and I am currently a senior at Crescenta Valley High School. I heard about this competition from the school's daily bulletin, which posts information about athletic events, club meetings, academic competitions (such as this one), and scholarships. While writing my essay, I realized how much a part of my life is influenced by Korean culture, although I previously put little weight on my Korean heritage.
I plan on attending the University of Southern California, where I will major in Neuroscience with a pre-professional emphasis on Pre-medicine. I will also be involved in the Thematic Options Honors Program. I would like to become a professor of medicine because being a teacher, researcher, and doctor describes the perfect combination of all of my interests.
At Crescenta Valley High School, I was involved in Key Club, the Academy of Science and Medicine, Spanish Club, Math Club, and the National Honor Society. My hobbies are tennis, reading, travel, and international culture and food, and my personal interests are community service and other forms of philanthropy.
My personal hero is Marie Curie because she was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry, but even more amazingly, she sacrificed her own health for the progression of science by experiencing radiation on a daily basis on her quest to bring radium down to its purest form.
I am now a senior at Waialua High and Intermediate School, a small country school on the famous north shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
I participate in multiple sports at school: soccer, cross country and basketball. My favorite out of school sport is surfing. I am a member of the National Honor Society, Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, treasurer of our student body government, on the renowned robotics Team 359 and was elected 2008 prom queen!
During my junior year, my English teacher offered me the opportunity to enter the 2008 Sejong Writing Competition. After looking this up on the internet, I decided to read all the Korean folktales and create an essay. I wrote about my grandmother so composing it was very emotional and special to me. My grandmother has had a tremendous impact on my life and is still one of my heroes. I learned about some traditional Korean folktales and about many specific lessons these folktales taught me. I plan to go to college on the mainland to become a registered nurse.
Writing has always been something that was fun for me, but I would never have considered writing outside of school. Recently, I enrolled in an online writing class in which we analyzed and wrote essays about Korean folk stories. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, but I wasn't aware at the time that these were to be submitted to a writing competition. Shortly after we finished, my teacher made us fill out applications and submit the essays.
While writing this essay, I read all 10 of the Korean folk stories. Some I had heard many times before, others I had never read before. Korean culture is so rich, that one cannot possibly learn it all in a lifetime. I find that I am constantly learning new things about Korea.
One of my main hobbies is dance. I started ballet when I was 4 years old and Korean traditional dance when I was 7. I also like hip-hop and choreography. Music is also something I love, having played piano since I was 4. I love to try new things, so I started playing electric bass in my jazz band last year. I attend our local Taekwondo dojang when I'm not busy studying to further my training and have fun exercising.
My future goals include being open to new experiences and opportunities. I am interested in pursuing a career in architecture, law, or business. My goal is to live life working hard, but also having lots of fun.
My personal hero is my grandmother who labored for decades so that her children may have a successful life. She never said I love you, but the message was clear in everything she did for her children and for her grandchildren. Without her, I certainly would not have been born, but I admire her most for selflessly sacrificing her youth and her life for the sake of her children.
My name is Sai Challapalli, and I'm a soon-to-be junior at Conant High School. I heard about this competition from Ms. Dee, my writing teacher at Sabio Academy.
Growing up in a culturally centered family, I was always fascinated by other cultures and their customs. Therefore, writing about Korean folktales was very rewarding for me because I had the chance to read how the Korean culture expresses its morals and beliefs through story telling.
In Conant High School, I'm an active participant on the swim team, badminton team, music honor society, orchestra, and Business Professionals of America charter. In addition, I'm also involved in my community: I recently became a member of the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra, and I help out and teach swimming lessons to disabled children. My hobbies include drawing, fashion, and volunteering.
My short term future goal would be to start "Cougars for a Cause," which is a club dedicated to raise awareness and support for causes that involve animal and/or human rights. My long term goal is to become an oncologist, and to further my hobbies of fashion and drawing.
My biggest heroes would be my parents and my extended family. Without my parents, I would never be able to function properly. My biggest inspirations come from my cousin, my grandparents, and my aunt "Appu" all from India; They taught me the importance of perseverance, compassion, and happiness. I'm forever thankful for both my parents and my extended family's support.
Passionate about writing, speech, and journalism, I discovered this competition hidden among the thousands of results for writing competitions on Google. Naturally, I clicked on the website, curious to learn more about the contest. After reading the prompt and some of the folk tales, I was immediately hooked; instantly, I began writing my essay.
Although I am a Vietnamese American by birth, my fascination for the beautiful and exotic Korean culture began ever since I discovered the delightful taste of kimchi. From there, the wonders I discovered about the culture transcended beyond the colorful dishes and into the language, history, and myths of the Korean peninsula. While writing this essay, I was able to immerse myself in another world, taking in its customs, traditions, and way of life. Along the way I noticed that although the Korean culture is unique in many ways, the basic values of trust, honesty, and sacrifice make up a basic foundation from which all the other world cultures share and stem from.
Ambitious and driven, I am currently a high school sophomore pursuing a path in journalism, writing, and international relations. I hope to be able to attend Harvard University for undergrad and Stanford for grad; my dream career is to be an anchorwoman on my own show on CNN, a bestselling writer, or a CEO of a large corporation (or all three at once).
Besides writing, I enjoy traveling, ice-skating, filming, photography, eating ice-cream, doing karate, dancing, and doing random acts of kindness. For the upcoming school year, I will be the Vice President of my school’s academic speech team, Vice President of the Buddy Up Club (a club to help special needs children), and copy editor of my school newspaper. I plan to become presidents of these clubs by senior year, as well as editor-in-chief of the newspaper and producer of the school’s show.
My personal heroes are my parents, who have relentlessly encouraged me to actively pursue my life’s ambitions to the end. Not only have they kept me sane throughout the years, but they help me keep a worldly perspective during every step of the way. I am infinitely in their debt, thankful for every single thing they have ever done to help make my dreams a reality.
My name is Claire Lee and I recently finished my sophomore year at William Fremd High School in Palatine, IL. I first heard of this competition through my essay writing class at Sabio Academy. Our teacher, Ms. Gretchen Dee, is always looking for competitions for us to submit our writing to and thought this one about Korean folk tales would be especially interesting.
The folk tale I chose to write about really pushed me to explore my own life and learn things about myself. I ended up writing about very personal issues that I probably wouldn’t even have thought to put to paper if it hadn’t been for this prompt. And of course, reading all ten stories gave me further insight to the ideology and principles of Korean culture.
I love learning and competing. In school I am on the varsity tennis and badminton teams and am involved in scholastic bowl, science bowl, model United Nations, foreign exchange club, and SOS (Service over Self). I also absolutely love traveling; the thrill of being in a new place with new people to meet, new customs to learn, and new cultures to become accustomed to is just so brilliantly intriguing. I also thoroughly enjoy exploring new musical artists, cooking, riding roller coasters, watching movies, and reading anything by (in no particular order) Salinger, Wilde, Mann, Shaw, Fitzgerald, Miller, Sartre, Hemingway, O’Neill, Camus, Smith, Rowling, Forster, Lewis, Márquez, Steinbeck, Faulkner, and other greats.
I really don’t have a singular personal hero. There are so many wonderful people in my life who set positive examples through both their conscious and subconscious actions, are there to support me, and help me get through the inevitable obstacle life presents to us all. These people include my family members, close friends, teachers, and even individuals I may have never met before but heard or read about their amazing stories.
In the future, I hope to attend the school of my choice and pursue a profession in dietetics. I am also very interested in studying abroad in Spain and taking some time to travel to South America and other countries in Europe.
Name: Michael J. Lee
Biography: Graduated from Robert Frost Middle School, Rockville, Maryland. Currently attending Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland
Future goals: I would like to pursue science in the future and also enhance my writing further
Hobbies and interests: Playing clarinet and tennis (school varsity team), as well as reading literary magazines and books
Personal hero: My father inspired me to be who I am today, to never give up and pursue one’s dreams. He instigates me to be diligent and meticulous. Without him, I would not have the sense of optimism and mirth that I have today.
In writing this essay I learned to use more of my creative side in writing since the writing topics were related to folk tales, which involve lots of imagination.
As a student, I actually discovered this competition by one of my teachers; in fact, my Korean teacher introduced the competition to the whole class. She was very enthusiastic towards this competition which would reveal our own awareness of Korean culture as well as our writing capabilities. So naturally, we all began to grumble as we began the assignment. Surprisingly, as I look back at the whole experience, I realize that this was not just a competition, but another opportunity for me to get in touch with my Korean heritage . Sure, I am a Korean American and i take Korean classes, but by analyzing a folktale as well as relating it to my own life, I learned more about Korean culture and my own values in life.
A major goal on my list would be to figure out which colleges I wish to apply to, and hopefully I will be able to choose the right college for myself when the time comes. Besides college, my other goals include working on my volleyball career, becoming a more worldly person, and choosing the right major( which I'm thinking is occupational or physical therapy) that I will love and make a career out of.
I am a member of the school varsity volleyball team (as well as other club teams), band, girl scouts, NHS, CSF, and I also compete as a flutist. these are some activities that I do, but for things that I absolutely love, I love to eat food, exercise, socialize with others, and shop. Currently, my obsession with food is cupcakes. I am an active person who enjoys playing sports, and volleyball has made me a fitness conscience person. I'm big on talking and meeting new people. As for shopping, I think that I am a recovering shopaholic that still eyes shoes, bags, and dresses when passing by boutiques.
My sister is the one that I have looked up to my whole life - not only literally, but also because her amazing talents and persistence has made her the exemplary student, friend, and person that I wish to become. She has been my friend, fellow shopping buddy, competition, volleyball player, and therapist; we are a spunky couple that has experienced the worlds highs and definite lows together.
Jasmine Wang was born in Boca Raton, Florida and moved to California in her youth. A graduating senior from the inaugural class of Canyon Crest Academy, she found the Sejong Writing Competition through a series of school counselors and scattered use of the internet. She had never directly considered Korean folklore and poetry before entering this competition, and is glad to have been enlightened by the ten stories and the sijo poetry she read upon applying.
Set to study Communications at the University of California, San Diego next year, Jasmine plans on entering the field of advertising as her career, while continuing to pursue writing and the fine arts. She enjoys visual and auditory art in general, and loves the earth. In her spare time she engages in such activities as photography, painting, filmmaking, music composition, and writing (especially by answering questions, especially anonymously). Her personal hero is a composite of a list of people, including Kevin Leal, Vikas Srivastava, Phil Hansen, Mark Z. Danielewski, T.S. Eliot, and her family.
My critical thinking teacher, Mrs. Robin Nash, assigned this essay for a class project. She submitted several of her students' essays to this competition. While I was writing this essay I realized that writing of this nature requires a lot of critical thinking. I had to think " outside of the box" to come up with ideas.
Later on in life I definitely want to go to college, but my mind is still open to all the opportunities that are available. I know that writing is important no matter what I decide on as a career.
During this school year I have been a member of the basketball team, volleyball team, swim team, and the Honors Band. I am the oldest of four children and we enjoy a variety of family activities such as camping, boating, and water skiing.
I really do not have one personal hero. I have been blessed with a wonderful, supportive family and teachers throughout my entire life who have inspired me to do my very best in whatever I pursue.
My name is Sharon Bae, and I am currently in seventh grade at Elgin Academy. Because this school that I attend is a private school, I do not get into many special programs such as The Sejong Writing Competition. I heard about this essay competition from my tutor, Ms.Gretchen Dee from Sabio Academy. Sabio has always given these opportunities for me to excel. It was very difficult for me to choose one Korean folk tale and write an essay about it. All of the stories that were listed on the website have their own moral values and lessons. I chose The Green Frog because my mother used to read this book to me at bedtime, so I clearly knew what the story was about. Because Korean culture has its own distinct quality, such as veneration of ancestors, or respect for elders, these aspects are what make Korea what it is today.
My hobbies are playing tennis, cello, and reading. I plan to join my school tennis team when I get into high school. I also play the cello. I am currently a member of the McHenry County Youth Orchestra, and I am the principal cellist. Music has always and will always be a part of my life. Reading is my favorite hobby. Recently I read a book called Night. My favorite book would be Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.
For my future goals, I would like to achieve a good score on the SSAT and attend a boarding school in Boston, Massachusetts. I would also like to pursue math and music in the future.
My hero would be my mother because she gives me both strong support and courage. Her inspiration made what I truly am today, as a versatile, social, and diligent human being.
I attend Harvard-Westlake School and I have one brother named Michael who is eleven years old. I learned about this competition from my school last year. I really enjoyed reading through all ten folktales and although I chose to change an aspect of one of them, I learned a lot about Korean culture and morals. As of now I don’t know what I want to be in the future or what college I want to attend. I enjoy playing football, reading, working out, eating, and playing violin. At my school, I am on the orchestra team, I am a class senator, and I am the founder of the Bible Club. My family has also traveled a lot all over the world. My personal heroes are my parents who set a strong example for me through their hard work and perseverance and support my ambitions.
My name is Daniel Ahn, and I am currently attending Springman Middle School in 6th grade. I found about Sejong Writing Competition while my mother and I were looking at its website. Before writing an essay on “The Silkworm,” I read all of the 10 Korean folktales, and learned how much wit and wisdom Korean old stories are filled with. I also learned how to polish my writing by revising and editing it several times. Since I like to write creative stories and have an interest in making the world better, I strive to be a journalist or to work in the international organizations like United Nations in the future. I enjoy playing the violin and swimming. Ban Ki-moon, a UN secretary, is my personal hero. I admire his personal achievement and dedication to the peacemaking of the world.
My name is Vivian Chan and I am a 7th grader at Poquoson Middle School. My English teacher had us write the Sejong essay and we got to decide if we wanted to send it or not. While I was reading "The Rabbit's Judgment", I learned about the discreet characters of Korean folk tales. In the future, I hope to attend an adequate college and acquire a job with a healthy income. I am not yet decisive on the career I would like to be engaged in. I enjoy playing tennis and I am in the school band. I participated in "Battle of the Books" and the local Lion's Club Music Competition. My favorite books are those from the "Harry Potter" series. I do not have a personal hero, but I am thankful for those who have helped me to be the person I have become.
Name: Sarah Bohyun Kim
Future goals: I mostly want to attend the Massachussetts Institute of Technology for my college years, and I hope to change the world.
Hobbies and personal interests: I play the violin in the school orchestra, and I play tennis and swim. I am interested in computer science and math.
Personal hero: My personal hero would be everyone. Everyone inspires me to do something. No one person can have all the characteristics that I admire. They teach me determination and perseverance.