Jessica Kwen
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Applying for the KAC summer internship program has been one of the best decisions I have ever made because of all the people I have encountered, the lessons I have learned, and the skills I have acquired. Starting from the KAC leadership conference, my life was changed after meeting phenomenal individuals from the Korean American community, such as the legendary Susan Ahn Cuddy and rising Hollywood actor Ki Hong Lee from the Maze Runner. They helped me understand my identity as a Korean American, gave tips on how to succeed as a leader, and empowered me to be the best that I can be. Also, the KAC interns had to meet every Monday to work on a voter registration campaign, and I always looked forward to our collaborative environment. It is beautiful how the interns bring different set of skills, such as coding, researching, and graphic design, to create a project that will raise awareness about the importance of civic engagement. In addition, I was placed at KoreAm Journal as a marketing intern and I absolutely loved the assignments because they gave me autonomy to experiment with my creativity and taught me a lot about the American entertainment industry. At KoreAm, I created over 20 T-shirt designs for their new merchandise line, managed social media accounts, drafted an interactive map idea to demonstrate the historical lineage of the Korean American celebrities and what they have accomplished, and helped report KCON 2015! I am also thankful that KAC invited all the interns to various events throughout Los Angeles such as the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony, Laugh Factory, and the Hollywood Bowl. This summer was filled with unforgettable and amazing experiences thanks to the Korean American Coalition and I greatly encourage other students to apply for this once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunity. You won’t regret it!
University of California, San Diego '17
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Kyo Hong Lee
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My 2015 Summer College Internship Program has been by far the most significant and the biggest turning point of my life. The internship program not only offered interns tangible skills within a given organization, but also, taught us how to become an advocate for the Korean American community. Looking back, the week of the 35th National College Leadership Conference has been a blessing. Meeting and interacting with leading professionals from different sectors including Susan Ahn Cuddy, PK (Paul Kim), and other distinguished speakers were priceless. In addition to informative discussions at the 35th National College Leadership Conference, being a KAC summer intern afforded opportunities to manage social media accounts, collaborate with other interns to create a voter empowerment website, and attend government sponsored events. Although, there were challenges, my summer experience has allowed me to think “outside of the box” and build a stronger foundation for my post-college career.
Arizona State University '16
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Gloria Seo
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Initially, I wasn’t entirely sure what the implications of being part of the summer internship program. However, after reflecting upon my summer, I am certain that my experience as a SCIP intern surpassed even my highest expectations. At Orange County Supervisor Steel’s office, I discovered how a political office operates and the importance of having a collaborative staff. This kind of insight was something that I never fully grasped through history and government textbooks. In addition, I was able to observe board meetings, maintain contacts, and media databases, draft letters and declarations on the Supervisor’s behalf, do legal and policy research, address district constituents, and support the Supervisor at various events. I gained much from my political internship at Supervisor Steel’s office, but there was more to my SCIP internship experience. At the Korean American Coalition, I was a part of a team that planned, organized, and executed a social media campaign encouraging people to register and vote. It was exhilarating to collaboratively create something that would eventually impact many people’s lives. If we could effectively encourage people to vote, then the world that we live in would change. Consequently, my life and other lives would also be affected. Working at KAC inspired me to give back to my community and rise up to be a leader. Looking back at my summer, I can truly say that being an SCIP intern taught me so much and altered the way that I will regard my future, practically, intellectually, and even personally.
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Pomona College '18
Ara An
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The 2015 summer internship experience has reminded me the importance of voting and promoting voter registration. Since the end of June, I interned at Little Tokyo Service Center through the Korean American Coalition's Summer College Internship Program. The SCIP began after the 35th National College Leadership Conference, which reflects the struggles of minority groups and challenges the next generation of leaders. At the onset of the summer program, KAC interns decided to create a website dedicated to increasing voter registration. Similarly, at the LTSC, I had the opportunity to work on voter registration when I interpreted for local residents to sign up to vote. In this instance, I realized that voting is pivotal for equal representation for the Asian American community. Also, perceived cultural barriers drew my concern on overlooked needs and voters who are non-English speakers. Such revelations sparked a desire to give back to my community and volunteer. Overall, I am very satisfied with the creation of "Promote Pro-Vote" website along with the slogan, "Remember the Past, Pave the Future”.
University of California, Riverside '15
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Isaac Hanbit Lee
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The KAC internship has solidified my understanding of my dual identity. Previously, my Korean heritage was little more than an abstract concept involving my ancestors. Now, with the knowledge gained from the KAC summer internship program, this is no longer the case. While I still have a long way to go to fully grasp my Korean American identity, I feel more equipped to understand my history. What impressed me the most about the KAC summer program was that the discussions were not only pertinent to my life story, but related to the overall Korean American experience. It’s one thing to read about the Battle of Myongyang, but its surreal to watch General Yi Sun Shin’s flagship alone on the front line firing cannons at the onrushing Japanese warships. It’s one thing to read about investment strategies from a textbook, but it’s quite exciting to get direct advice from a former executive at a Fortune 500 company. It’s one thing to admire leaders from a distance, but it’s incredibly informative to hear and speak to them in person. Overall, my summer experience has been a positive catalyst for my future career.
Azusa Pacific University '16
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Sophia Shin
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My experience at KAC is best described as a whirlwind. From the day I began working with the members and interns of KAC, the focus of my days shifted far from where it once was and found itself in completely different places. The people I met over the last month projected such warmth, passion, and dedication for their work that I soon felt imbued with a sense of purpose. Whether trying to figure out how layering works on map software, struggling to condense years of history into a few paragraphs for the website, or discovering the hundreds of Korean student groups around the US, I felt constantly energized rather than overwhelmed. Over the course of less than a month, my fellow interns shared laughter, stress, and indecipherably random conversations that fuelled me forward. Now, nearing the end of our time together, I see change in myself: I actively seek ways to effect change in my community instead of silently hoping that someone else will fix the problems I see. Thoughts about societal problems and civic irresponsibility have shifted from a place of hopelessness and apathy to a place of optimism and indomitable hope. Our Promote Pro-Vote campaign may be in its beginning stages, but it seems to me that this project has already helped at least one person in taking a step closer to civic engagement and one away from passive bystanderism.
Grinnell College '16
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Elissa Park
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As I entered the Korean American Coalition (KAC) office on the corner of 6th and Harvard, I had no idea what to expect. My mother signed me up for the 35th National College Leadership Conference while I was studying for finals at Soka University of America. As the saying goes, mother knows best! I spent a week with a group of college students, counselors, and industry professionals. Due to the intimate setting of the conference, everyone quickly made friends. I made new friendships that I will cherish for years to come and learned lessons from an array of accomplished individuals.
I continued to grow even after the NCLC by interning at the Korean American Coalition. Under hard-working and dedicated supervisors, I began to develop my professional skills, but also grew as an individual. The interns collaboratively created the voter registration campaign website and assisted Flip Cuddy with Susan Ahn Cuddy’s social media accounts. I was overwhelmed by the amount of time required to complete each project; however, I enjoyed the thrill of successfully completing each assignment. I am grateful for this opportunity and the lessons that I have learned on this journey. Soka University '18
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Isaac Minkyu Suh
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Before attending the 35th National College Leadership Conference, I was bothered by the idea of being Korean American. It was a constant struggle, as I have not considered myself of being Korean. I asked myself: “What am I?”
When I used to live in Korea, I considered myself as an outsider. I did not enjoy what my peers enjoyed, I did not talk like how they talked, and I did not follow the latest trends. Society branded me as an outsider and I was content on being different. Subsequently, I moved to the United States in the 8th grade and I realized that my quirkiness that was discouraged in South Korea could be accepted. Due to the diversity of America, I now earned the privilege of being different without being inconvenienced. I was excited! I quickly found friends that accepted my unique identity and culture. Soon enough, I prided myself under this newly earned title of Korean American. However, I became disheartened that most of my fellow Korean American peers emulated the South Korean stereotype: judgmental, segregated, and stubborn. For myself, being Korean American entailed a group of people who are out of place: a group of people that are closed off from the rest of the world because they are not welcomed by either American society or native South Korea. I began to dislike the Korean American community and wondered if I could ever keep my heritage without being alienated from my peers. While attending NCLC, I met prominent Korean Americans leaders from various industries. They were people of passion, innovation, and inspiration. They were not like the stereotyped Korean Americans. The speakers seemed open-minded, respectful, and proud of their Korean American heritage. All the speakers made me realize that what I have witnessed was a small sampling of the Korean American community and there was so much more to discover. Accordingly, I finally felt reconnected to my heritage and I am proud to announce my Korean American background. The internship program afforded me the opportunity to learn more about my post-college career and provided the tools to help support my community. I hope that my renewed passion and love towards my community will reignite my desire to seek a rewarding career while giving back to my roots. Brown University '18
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Jennifer Kim
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The letters NCLC better resonate with me as the Nation-wide Collaborating Life-long Colleagues because that’s exactly what I’ve earned through the unforgettable week spent at Paradise Springs. As a participant, I met amazing, successful pioneers in their respective fields who epitomized what I perceived as a “Role Model”. Not only the KA actor Ki-Hong Lee who persists everyday in an industry where Asians represent a slim 5% but also the legendary Susan Ahn Cuddy who truly embodies courage and integrity and revolutionized the role of women in the US military/army. I was able to acquire a better understanding of the current level of Asian American presence in politics, business, and philanthropy and realized these speakers were helping to lay down a foundation for young Korean Americans to make positive ripple effects in their own choice of careers. The Korean American Coalition really equipped me with the tools to be successful and make smart decisions through college and beyond. It gave me the opportunity to explore and immerse myself in an environment fueled by learning and passion and I can say this summer experience truly gave me the strength to keep dreaming and reach my potential once I start college.
University of California, Berkeley '19
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Vincent Ryu
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After a two year military service, I decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue various internship opportunities. Since moving to California, I have volunteered with multiple Asian and Pacific Islander (API) organizations to not only support their projects, but also, deepen my awareness of and connection with my community. I am proud to say that I was able to go above and beyond in reaching this goal by interning at the Korean American Coalition. Unlike the NCLC summer interns, my involvement with KAC was rather coincidental: I found out about KAC after speaking to a KAC representative in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Through this experience, I gradually learned that KAC has a deep-rooted history and insightful motifs. The mere thought of following in the footsteps of Korean American leaders motivated me to reevaluate my identity and recognize the importance of civil rights. From responsibility to friendship, every moment at KAC has been a valuable experience and preparation for my re-enrollment to Emory University for Fall 2015.
Emory University '17
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