A Thank You Letter to New Star Scholarship Foundation from Joshua H. Lee

For the last fifteen years, I have been surrounded by children. on May 7, 1997, my mother founded Ban Suk (Cornerstone in Korean) Children’s Garden, a family daycare, to care for my then ten year old brother Chris, me, and my six month old sister Joyce. After I graduated from Children’s Garden on June 19, 2000, I was entrusted with  a few responsibilities. I woke up at 7 a.m. each day to vacuum the house and prepare for the opening of the daycare. During play time, I helped build block towers with the children, took on mock family roles, and calmed them down when they ran around yelling. I helped out at home eleven hours each day during the summer and three hours each day during the school year to help my frail mother.

 

 

 

But as burdened by work as my mother was, she recognized the importance of a good education, and supported me when I studied for Finals in my room while the daycare was still operating. I wore thick headphones to try  to block out the sound of children singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and “London Bridge.” I ignored the rumble of the floor as the children ran around in the living room just outside my room. I tuned out the requests of children to play with them. Despite the distractions, I was able to work diligently and be accepted to North Hollywood Highly Gifted Magnet.       My father has also played a large role in my life. For the last seventeen years, I have attended Sunday service at Ban Suk Presbyterian Church, a tight-knit group of twenty members. My father, the pastor, showed me someone who I could rely on in times of need, and also stressed the importance of giving back to others in his sermons. I took an active role in the church and in the community, by forming the youth orchestra and praise team, and by joining Boy Scouts to lead community service events. My father influenced me to think of others and to live a life through service. Because of my upbringing, I’ve grown to be a genuinely happy person with the desire to share this joy with others.       In the future, I want to become an urban planner. I dream of a bigger picture, where I see myself developing vacant lots into recreational centers in inner-cities so that each child has easy access to parks. I recognize that cities besides Los Angeles also suffer from overpopulation: Chicago, Detroit, New York City. Becoming an urban planner is my way of giving back to my community and paving it forward for the children across the nation.         Stearns supports New Star Scholarship Foundation to encourage Korean American students who will be next leaders in the community.   [출처] A Thank You Letter to New Star Scholarship Foundation from Joshua H. Lee|작성자 남문기