WRITING_Admissions Essay (UT Austin)

Yun Woo Kim
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read

Having Korean parents, one would presume (wrongly) that I might describe the busy metropolis of Seoul or the exuberant crowd of its street markets. However, after being born in and having lived in Malaysia for seventeen years, this is the country that I call home. In the footsteps of my culturally assimilated sister, my parents sent me to the same school: Garden International School, in the hope of allowing me to learn and strive in foreign conditions. Sure enough, my parent’s intentions were right, I was exposed to the world of multicultural education, which initiated my personal learning experience.

I clearly recall the first sentence I told my mom as we walked through my new school gate : “Wow, so many people, all so different…”. I was uneased, nervous and ultimately scared out of my wits. I wanted to escape this cluster of people. But little did seven-year-old Yun Woo Kim know, that the Garden International School community was one that would eventually shape his future and mold him into the person he is today. As I got closer and closer to my new class, the more my knees started wobbling, I squeezed my mother’s hand so tightly she had to let go. It was intimidating. For once, I was the only Korean in my class. For the first time, I had classmates with blonde hair, freckles, and much more amazing characteristics. Everyone was friendly. Soon, timid and introverted Yun Woo Kim started smiling and laughing, playing and running with everyone else, it was truly a phenomenal experience.

I lived by my school’s motto, “Plus Est En Vous”: translating to “There is more within you”. The motto was devised to motivate, inspire and push one’s limits: it undoubtedly pushed me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I took opportunities to take part in disparate activities, these varied from playing the laborious position of a prop in the school’s rugby team, to academically competing with other delegates in Modern United Nations. Ultimately, it was my upbringing from the diverse cultural education and community that my school had to offer, which fueled my motivation to strive and venture towards success. Moreover, it was my ability to culturally assimilate and take on challenges which inevitably moulded me into the adventurous, curious and hardworking person I am today.

My extroverted, cheerful and patient nature has only surfaced due to the large impact my school community has had on me. I’ve come a long way from the shy and timid, seven-year-old Yun Woo Kim.

    Yun Woo Kim

    Written by

    18 / Korean / Malaysia born and raised