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A Journey to
New
Challenge
Kristin
Champlain
2005
CPKA Scholarship Recipient
<> First off, I would like to
thank the CPKA
and all the members for the scholarship I received.
It was a great surprise and honor to have
been selected. I was adopted from South
Korea by a
wonderful
American family and arrived in the United
States when
I was about
eight months old. Unfortunately, the area where I grew up lacked
cultural diversity,
especially dealing with Asian cultures. It was difficult at times for
me
growing up because it seemed as though I was torn between the two
worlds, the
world that I grew up in a pre-dominantly Caucasian setting and that of
my
Korean background. However, I didnt really have the opportunity to
learn about
my Korean background until I came to college.
Once at Shippensburg University, I
became involved
with the Asian American Organization. The
other members I met were and still continue to
be a wonderful group
of diverse individuals that have impacted my life in a positive manner.
I was
able to meet other Korean American students and most importantly, begin
my
journey of learning more about my Korean heritage.
After becoming a member and later the Vice
President of the Asian American Organization, I became active in
spreading
awareness and advocating for issues of Asians and Asian Americans. Each
year,
the Asian American Organization holds the Asian Extravaganza. With the Extravaganza, it is open to the
entire campus and surrounding communities to showcase the
entertainment, food
and artifacts from a variety of Asian Cultures.
Sadly, many people do not take
pride in
their cultural heritage and others may not be aware of the rich
diversity that
exists within our schools and communities. The
things I have learned about the Korean culture
have been fascinating
and I continue to want to learn as much as possible. Currently, I'm the
co-founder and Vice President of the Korean Club at Shippensburg University, I
hope to set a
strong foundation for the organization and help it to grow before I
graduate. Currently, I am majoring in
Social Work with a minor in Gerontology and I just made Dean‘s List for
the
fall 2005 semester. Someday, I hope to
be able to advocate for and assist older adults with a variety of
needs,
especially dealing with health care policies. I
hope to one day be able to fluently speak in the
Korean language. I would also like to
travel to Korea one
day and be able
to immerse myself in the culture and language.
I sincerely encourage all Korean youth to learn as
much about their
heritage as possible, especially if they have family members that are
very
knowledgeable about the culture and language.
The Korean community is beginning
to grow
in strength around Shippensburg, which is very exciting to see. I hope that with the implementation of the
Korean Club and with the various activities the Asian American
Organization
holds through the semesters, the community at large will become more
aware of
the Korean culture. It's very important
for everyone, regardless of ethnicity to take pride in his or her
culture(s)
and to learn as much as possible. The
culture
will be able to continue on through the youth, and as we become older
and
become leaders within our communities, we must always remember to set
positive
examples for others and to keep our cultural pride alive.
And once more, thank you all for the
scholarship and I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous
New Year full
of blessings!
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