- Mi-Yeon Park, by Jaryd Frankel 2015
Congratulations to sophomore International Studies (I.S.) major and W.I.L.L. student, Mi-Yeon Park, who has received an invitation to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) in March 2015 at the University of Coral Global in Miami, Florida.
According to our I.S. chair, Dr. Matthew Bender, “CGI U is a community of 1000+ student leaders from around the world who are dedicated to their Commitments to Action: new, specific, and measurable initiatives that address specific challenges locally, nationally, or globally.” Here Mi-Yeon shares with us just what she has proposed to do with this prestigious platform:
Jack: Where or from whom did you get the idea for the project you’ll be completing in Seoul this summer? What exactly will you be doing?
Mi-Yeon: I had a solid idea of what I was interested in since my Freshman year, especially after being a part of TCNJ’s Liberty in North Korea Rescue Team and WILL. While researching North Korea, I not only learned that there are widespread human rights abuses in North Korea such as no freedom of expression but also learned that North Korean female refugees in China are highly vulnerable to sex trafficking. About 70% of North Korean refugees in China are women, and they experience forced marriages and abortions in order to avoid repatriation; if sent back to North Korea, they will be executed, tortured, and/or imprisoned in one of the several political prison camps. … Since North Korean refugees did not have access to good education in their home country, they face discrimination in South Korea, a country that takes pride in its education system, and therefore, feel hopeless for success.
After meeting North Korean human rights activists … I felt inspired to create a project called ‘Remember Her Name,’ which focuses on empowering North Korean female refugees with education.
It is the first project I created and so networking with fellow student participants, professionals, celebrities, and CGI U alumni is a chance for me to gain partnerships and even advice on carrying out a successful project. More so, it is always inspiring and exciting to attend an event where I’ll be surrounded by change-makers and leaders.
This Summer, I will be travelling to Seoul, South Korea to conduct workshops on interview skills, public speaking, and résumé writing, tutoring sessions on the English language, and career nights for networking opportunities with professionals; in order to successfully carry out my project, volunteers from ‘Teach North Korean Refugees,’ a Seoul-based NGO that focuses on tutoring North Korean refugees on their English skills, will help me. My ultimate goal is to help North Korean female refugees gain those skills, which are integral to getting employed in South Korea and elsewhere.
Jack: So, how will attending the CGIU help your project?
Mi-Yeon: I think that CGI U is not only a place for me to gain new friends but also an opportunity for me to grow as a leader.
Jack: What have you learned as an I.S. major at TCNJ that has put you on the path to success?
Mi-Yeon: I took several Political Science courses and an International Studies course, and they introduced me to the importance of championing the underdogs and the powerless in authoritarian countries such as North Korea. Before college, I did not know a lot about what was happening in such countries, but after taking those courses, I felt inspired to make a difference in people’s lives through creating my project for example.
Furthermore, although there aren’t specific courses on North Korea at TCNJ, I try my best to take as many opportunities as possible at TCNJ by working with professors such as Professor Weinstein. Her expertise on China complement my interest in North Korea because of the countries’ alliance. I recently took her Japanese Imperialism course, and even though North Korea wasn’t focused on, I made a connection between the countries and eventually wrote a research paper on Japanese-North Korean relations.
I believe that when people have a passion for making a positive difference in the world, they will face countless opportunities.
Story and Interview by Jack Meyers