While many, if not all, of my friends would ever dare to go back to high school, I look back at those four years of my life proudly and would love to do it all over again. I was an extremely involved student that loved to be out and about. I loved learning, my family, my friends, and all of clubs I was involved in. I had a passion for volunteering and giving back my time and effort to the community.
I graduated from my high school in spring 2010 with high honors. I was also an AP student and received the National AP Scholar Award my last two years in high school. I graduated with a Bronze Outstanding Scholar medal and wore it at graduation. I had the lucky opportunity to be a part of the ROP Hospitality Program at the Disneyland Resort. The Regional Occupational Program was a class offered at my high school, where we attended class on Disney property and was given a hands-on experience in the business. Outside of my high school, I took courses and attended the local community college to get a head start on my college career.
Outside of my academics and time studying, I was mostly found busy in club meetings or events. I dedicated all four years of service to American Red Cross and Future Business Leaders of America. My freshmen year, I was awarded with the Most Dedicated award in the American Red Cross club. I was chosen to represent my high school at the Red Cross Leadership Development Camp. Last but not least, my senior year I was chosen to be the Chapter Liaison and updated my high school’s club with the events of the Orange County Red Cross Chapter. In FBLA, I was the community service chair and in charge of finding service events for club members. I attended four section conference competitions, three state, and one national. I won Fourth Place in Parliamentary Procedures, Third and Second other years, Fourth in Future Business Leader, and Second in FBLA Principles and Procedures. I received the Business Achievement Award, also known as the BA Squared Award, on the State (Leaders) and National (America) level.
Key Club was one of my favorite clubs. I had close to 350 hours of community service logged through the club. I was the Vice President and the Divisional Assistant/Committee Chair of Division 30 North. I attended the California-Nevada-Hawaii District Convention in 2009and 2010. My last year, I performed in the Talent Show and sang in front of thousands of fellow Key Clubbers. I won first place in the Prepared Oratory Contest at the convention and received a $1,000 Scholarship from the Cal-Nev-Ha Kiwanis Foundation. That same fateful night, I was invited to the stage for the third time and was recognized as an Outstanding Vice President and was given another medal to wear at graduation.
Two more clubs that I was passionate about was Support Our Soldiers club, of which I was the webmaster for two years and secretary for the last year. I was also the communications manager in Amnesty International, in which I was active for two years. I also spent two years in Chinese Club, the second year in which I was the secretary. In the California Scholarship Federation, I was a volunteer assistant. Another club that I truly enjoyed, in which I volunteered in an Alzheimer’s nursing home every Saturday morning, was the Alzheimer’s Association. I was a Contact Executive for one year.
My freshmen year, I was a member of Future Farmers of America. I received my FFA Greenhand Degree and participated in the school and Sectional Creed Contest, Sectional Opening and Closing Ceremonies Contest, and won Fourth Place in the Best Informed Greenhand Contest. I entered the Ag Field Day Science Fair at Cal Poly/Mt. Sac and placed Third in Biochemistry/Microbiology/Food Science.
One of my favorite hobbies in high school that I wish I could have taken classes for was dance. I performed hip hop pieces with the PCN Filipino Club and a lyrical goddess dance with the Drama department in the Homecoming Assembly. Instead of dance classes, I was in the cross-country and track teams all four years in high school. When I was not in practice or working out, I was helping out with our team’s fundraisers and car washes.
At my local library, I contributed over a thousand hours of community service. I was selected to be a Children’s Reference Summer Intern three years in a row when I was in high school. I was a Young Adult Summer Intern, the first summer the position was opened. In addition, due to my past excellent record with my volunteering efforts at the library, I was elected and served two terms as President to the Teen Advisory Group, also known as TAG, during my last two years in high school. I wrote often on the library’s teen blog about music, movies, books, and more. In sixth grade, I was recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer by the city, only to be recognized again later as a senior of high school.
At church, I also served two terms as President and lead Bible Studies, worships, and Sunday school, after I was the General Secretary. I taught Kindergarten and second grade levels of Korean at church. My junior year of high school, I became the teacher’s aide to a fifth grade class at the Saturday Korean School at my high school.
I have and had a passion for all the arts. After all, I lived with my very own piano teacher, my loving mother, who raised me surrounded by the sounds of Debussy, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Horowitz. I played piano under her instruction during high school and began learning violin my junior year of high school. I sang in junior high and performed at church.
I took every opportunity I could in high school happily and lived everyday as productively as possible. I tried to be the most positive role model to my peers and my community.
