Excellence - 2014
Growing up as a “1.5” generation Korean American, I was constantly reminded by my parents of the indispensable and pivotal deeds of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, a man known as a heroic Freedom Fighter by Koreans, but also as a pioneer by Korean Americans. One can almost picture my astonishment when I discovered that one of the very first guests during the Korean American Youth Leaders in Training Internship was the grandson of Dosan Ahn Chan Ho, Phillip Ahn Cuddy. Aside from discovering his intense passion for surfing and active work as a speaker in various renowned universities and programs (including the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership), it would be the first of many times I would learn about and greet the great Susan Ahn Cuddy.
Though Susan’s plethora of amazing achievements include becoming the first female Navy gunnery officer and becoming a member for the National Security Agency during a time where Asian Americans were not easily welcomed to covert government agencies, her legacy is one without ethnic bounds. Over a span of 99 years to date, Susan Ahn Cuddy leaves a trailblazing legacy serving as a reminder that the world that the most arduous dreams that are often met with intense resistance from society are indeed possible. Susan Ahn Cuddy’s legacy is a classic example of what everyone strives to attain, knocking brick wall after brick wall and leaving behind a trail where others like her can follow and attain similar goals with much more ease and serenity.
With my deep and inseparable connection to the Koreatown Community, Susan Ahn Cuddy has become an obvious source of pride and unprecedented source of inspiration. From writing about her in my college application essays and striving to become an individual more like her, she has not only shaped me as a Korean American, but the principles and motivations that drive me every morning when I wake up. Having had the opportunity to learn about Susan Ahn Cuddy shorty after my freshman year, I have attempted to shape my accomplishments and aspirations during my high schools to deeds within the same context (but to an evidently smaller scale) of Susan Ahn Cuddy’s community efforts.
From determining the budget of a high school where over 50% of the students are considered “low-income”, to assisting senior citizens diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease, to serving meals to the homeless in Downtown Los Angeles through the Union Rescue Mission, to volunteering for the Korean American Coalition and interning at the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership, I am proud to say that I have been able to complete tasks with the same genuine intentions as Susan Ahn Cuddy. When the time came to prepare for my college applications, I had so much to showcase as I had a head start when it came to community involvement, not for the sake of becoming more competitive in the college application pool, but for the same reason Susan Ahn Cuddy did so much of her community work: the genuine reason to improve and better her community.
As I aspire to obtain my teaching credentials and become a high school math/science teacher for several years before becoming a patent attorney or possibly even pursuing my passion for acting, I have a gut feeling that every reasonable aspiration that I invent is within arm’s reach. This very mentality and confidence originates from learning about Susan’s revolutionary accomplishments. Aside from my personal success, I hope to return to Los Angeles as I want to stay near Koreatown and give back to the community I was raised in. From the influences of Susan Ahn Cuddy, I have developed an expectation for myself to help others to the best of my extent.
As I met Susan Ahn Cuddy more recently at her 100th Korean Birthday Celebration at the Bonaventure Hotel this past January, I discovered that her deeds have not only influenced me, a mere high school senior, but countless others including, local politicians, community leaders, doctors from local hospitals, and even Grey’s Anatomy actress, Sandra Oh. From Susan Ahn Cuddy’s universal influence, I have constantly reminded myself of the need use my time and youth for others. As I will leave Koreatown to attend Dartmouth University in Hanover this coming fall, I leave as a proud Korean American, but will return as a more equipped individual that will continue to make even larger and more meaningful impacts toward my community in hopes of shaping a legacy that can one day be compared to that of Susan Ahn Cuddy.
Though Susan’s plethora of amazing achievements include becoming the first female Navy gunnery officer and becoming a member for the National Security Agency during a time where Asian Americans were not easily welcomed to covert government agencies, her legacy is one without ethnic bounds. Over a span of 99 years to date, Susan Ahn Cuddy leaves a trailblazing legacy serving as a reminder that the world that the most arduous dreams that are often met with intense resistance from society are indeed possible. Susan Ahn Cuddy’s legacy is a classic example of what everyone strives to attain, knocking brick wall after brick wall and leaving behind a trail where others like her can follow and attain similar goals with much more ease and serenity.
With my deep and inseparable connection to the Koreatown Community, Susan Ahn Cuddy has become an obvious source of pride and unprecedented source of inspiration. From writing about her in my college application essays and striving to become an individual more like her, she has not only shaped me as a Korean American, but the principles and motivations that drive me every morning when I wake up. Having had the opportunity to learn about Susan Ahn Cuddy shorty after my freshman year, I have attempted to shape my accomplishments and aspirations during my high schools to deeds within the same context (but to an evidently smaller scale) of Susan Ahn Cuddy’s community efforts.
From determining the budget of a high school where over 50% of the students are considered “low-income”, to assisting senior citizens diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease, to serving meals to the homeless in Downtown Los Angeles through the Union Rescue Mission, to volunteering for the Korean American Coalition and interning at the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership, I am proud to say that I have been able to complete tasks with the same genuine intentions as Susan Ahn Cuddy. When the time came to prepare for my college applications, I had so much to showcase as I had a head start when it came to community involvement, not for the sake of becoming more competitive in the college application pool, but for the same reason Susan Ahn Cuddy did so much of her community work: the genuine reason to improve and better her community.
As I aspire to obtain my teaching credentials and become a high school math/science teacher for several years before becoming a patent attorney or possibly even pursuing my passion for acting, I have a gut feeling that every reasonable aspiration that I invent is within arm’s reach. This very mentality and confidence originates from learning about Susan’s revolutionary accomplishments. Aside from my personal success, I hope to return to Los Angeles as I want to stay near Koreatown and give back to the community I was raised in. From the influences of Susan Ahn Cuddy, I have developed an expectation for myself to help others to the best of my extent.
As I met Susan Ahn Cuddy more recently at her 100th Korean Birthday Celebration at the Bonaventure Hotel this past January, I discovered that her deeds have not only influenced me, a mere high school senior, but countless others including, local politicians, community leaders, doctors from local hospitals, and even Grey’s Anatomy actress, Sandra Oh. From Susan Ahn Cuddy’s universal influence, I have constantly reminded myself of the need use my time and youth for others. As I will leave Koreatown to attend Dartmouth University in Hanover this coming fall, I leave as a proud Korean American, but will return as a more equipped individual that will continue to make even larger and more meaningful impacts toward my community in hopes of shaping a legacy that can one day be compared to that of Susan Ahn Cuddy.
Throughout his life, Young-Oak Kim was blessed with much military success. He fought in both World War II and the Korean War, effectively establishing himself to be a leader in the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. For his military triumphs he was awarded over 15 medals including the decorated Distinguished Service Cross, a nationally acclaimed award that is second only to the Medal of Honor. Once he retired from combat, he continually served his nation faithfully as a U.S. military advisor in Korea.
Despite this staggering set of military accomplishments, I believe that it is Kim’s social work that truly manifests his legacy. Upon his retirement from the military in 1972, Kim spent the remaining 33 years of his life actively promoting the Asian-American culture in the United States and more specifically, Los Angeles. When he noticed a need for education in his community, he helped found the Korean Health, Education, Information, and Research Center. To address the civic concerns, civil rights, and community affairs of the Korean-American community, he helped establish the Korean American Coalition. To spread awareness on the history and culture of the Japanese people, he partook in the establishing of the Japanese American National Museum. The list of organizations he became involved with is endless, but they all share one thing in common: he noticed a social need and worked to alleviate that need.
To me, Kim’s story is powerful not because of his military exploits, but because of how he used his newfound influence that he gained through these experiences, for the good of his community. He directly utilized all his abilities and resources for the betterment of not only Korean-Americans, but minority groups in general. Having grown up in a time where racial discrimination towards minorities was prominent (he was even rejected by the U.S. Army at first for being Korean-American), Kim knew firsthand of the struggles that minority groups had to face. Then, by working hard to address these issues, he made lasting changes that benefitted not only those around him, but the generations to come.
Being a second-generation Korean-American and having grown up in Los Angeles, I was blessed with the effects of the changes that people like Kim have placed in the past. That said, though the severity has dwindled, racism still exists. Leaders such as Kim have made an example of themselves for the future generations. They have tackled social issues, but have not conquered them completely. I believe that it is the duty of the current youth and future leaders to do so.
So how does Kim’s legacy apply to my own? My life’s dream is to become a special agent for the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, more commonly referred to as the FBI. I believe that one of the areas where Korean-Americans lack the most influence is on the national level. We have done a good job establishing ourselves on a micro level through establishments such as ‘Koreatown’, but I feel that Korean-Americans still lack a presence nationwide. To provide a statistic, the FBI special agent force is currently comprised of 4.2% Asians. That amounts to about 600 Asians nationwide. Of those 600, more than half are Chinese. That means that there are less than 300 Korean-American agents in the entire nation.
Like Kim, I want to establish myself and the Asian-American people through a powerful branch of the United States. Just as Kim attained influence through the U.S. Army, I want to parallel him and his work through the FBI. I believe that by taking on leadership roles on a national level, I can better elevate the Asian-American minority groups, bring light to the social injustices faced by these groups, and promote social change in my surrounding communities.
As Kim has done before me, I want to serve my country with my life, but at the same time, I want to serve the community around me. I have been placed in the Korean-American community and throughout my life, I have come to notice the lack of influence within these communities. I want to bring empowerment through learning and leadership in the FBI.
Kim’s legacy is one of helping those around him. He served his country loyally and then dedicated his life to serving his direct communities. Once age takes me and I reflect on my life tens of years from now, to be able to confidently say that I shared a legacy similar to Kim’s would truly be an honor of the highest level; one that surpasses even the Medal of Honor.
Despite this staggering set of military accomplishments, I believe that it is Kim’s social work that truly manifests his legacy. Upon his retirement from the military in 1972, Kim spent the remaining 33 years of his life actively promoting the Asian-American culture in the United States and more specifically, Los Angeles. When he noticed a need for education in his community, he helped found the Korean Health, Education, Information, and Research Center. To address the civic concerns, civil rights, and community affairs of the Korean-American community, he helped establish the Korean American Coalition. To spread awareness on the history and culture of the Japanese people, he partook in the establishing of the Japanese American National Museum. The list of organizations he became involved with is endless, but they all share one thing in common: he noticed a social need and worked to alleviate that need.
To me, Kim’s story is powerful not because of his military exploits, but because of how he used his newfound influence that he gained through these experiences, for the good of his community. He directly utilized all his abilities and resources for the betterment of not only Korean-Americans, but minority groups in general. Having grown up in a time where racial discrimination towards minorities was prominent (he was even rejected by the U.S. Army at first for being Korean-American), Kim knew firsthand of the struggles that minority groups had to face. Then, by working hard to address these issues, he made lasting changes that benefitted not only those around him, but the generations to come.
Being a second-generation Korean-American and having grown up in Los Angeles, I was blessed with the effects of the changes that people like Kim have placed in the past. That said, though the severity has dwindled, racism still exists. Leaders such as Kim have made an example of themselves for the future generations. They have tackled social issues, but have not conquered them completely. I believe that it is the duty of the current youth and future leaders to do so.
So how does Kim’s legacy apply to my own? My life’s dream is to become a special agent for the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, more commonly referred to as the FBI. I believe that one of the areas where Korean-Americans lack the most influence is on the national level. We have done a good job establishing ourselves on a micro level through establishments such as ‘Koreatown’, but I feel that Korean-Americans still lack a presence nationwide. To provide a statistic, the FBI special agent force is currently comprised of 4.2% Asians. That amounts to about 600 Asians nationwide. Of those 600, more than half are Chinese. That means that there are less than 300 Korean-American agents in the entire nation.
Like Kim, I want to establish myself and the Asian-American people through a powerful branch of the United States. Just as Kim attained influence through the U.S. Army, I want to parallel him and his work through the FBI. I believe that by taking on leadership roles on a national level, I can better elevate the Asian-American minority groups, bring light to the social injustices faced by these groups, and promote social change in my surrounding communities.
As Kim has done before me, I want to serve my country with my life, but at the same time, I want to serve the community around me. I have been placed in the Korean-American community and throughout my life, I have come to notice the lack of influence within these communities. I want to bring empowerment through learning and leadership in the FBI.
Kim’s legacy is one of helping those around him. He served his country loyally and then dedicated his life to serving his direct communities. Once age takes me and I reflect on my life tens of years from now, to be able to confidently say that I shared a legacy similar to Kim’s would truly be an honor of the highest level; one that surpasses even the Medal of Honor.