In this blog post, I will summarize what I learned and my career plans for after college, based on my academic efforts, school activities, and examples of compassion, generosity, and cooperation during my high school years.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

I spent most of my elementary and middle school years abroad. Living in various countries—including developing nations with limited economic resources and socialist-leaning nations like Russia and China—I had many opportunities to encounter different languages and cultures. While I faced challenges adapting to unfamiliar environments, my father’s dedication to serving others as a pastor served as a great source of comfort and an example for me.
From my father, I learned the joy that Christians experience, a life of sharing that joy with others, and an attitude of conveying love not just for a select few but for all humanity. These teachings gave me great strength in overcoming the difficulties of living abroad and naturally helped me develop a solid command of English.
After returning to Korea and starting high school, I didn’t face any major difficulties in English class. My friends would often ask me about the culture and way of life in other countries or seek advice on learning English. In particular, since several friends wanted to form an English study group with me, I took the lead in organizing it.
In the study group, we mainly used external English textbooks to practice listening and reading comprehension. As the group leader, I guided the sessions to ensure effective learning and helped correct pronunciation. When selecting materials, I chose one EBS textbook and recommended a theology textbook I had been studying myself, hoping to share the joy of reading together.
Since some club members were not Christians, I made a conscious effort to respect each other’s beliefs and feelings when discussing biblical content or matters of faith. As we read the theology textbook together and I explained the meanings of words and the nuances of sentences, even non-believers showed interest in the theological text, and some eventually came to faith, allowing us to share the same joy.

Major School Activities and Reflections

During high school, I placed great importance on my participation in the English Bible Club. My familiarity with foreign languages and the joy I gained from English study naturally drew me to the club, and I wanted to experience the nuance and depth of the English Bible text more directly.
In the club, I sought to learn “theological English” more systematically and read and understand the English Bible step by step. Building on the skills I gained through my studies, I decided to transcribe the entire English Bible together with my club members, and eventually, we succeeded in completing the full transcription as the “English Bible Transcription Club.”
The transcription work required far more time and patience than I had anticipated. It took over a year to finish the entire volume, and at times, I spent long hours sitting at my desk, even cutting back on time for eating and sleeping. During this long journey, there were times when reading the Bible itself felt like a burden, or when I felt discouraged about the club activities.
Nevertheless, the fact that we were able to see it through to the end was thanks to the friends who joined me. We started with about twenty members, and while not everyone finished, the achievement we accomplished together with those who did was a precious experience that could be called a miracle.
Personally, I found it difficult at first to adapt to transcribing long English sentences and paragraphs verbatim. My passion was strong, but there were days when my hands would shake and my eyelids would grow heavy. So, we chose to work together, encouraging one another, and once we even gathered at a café open until dawn to take turns transcribing for 24 hours straight.
In the early stages, I was so absorbed in the act of “writing” that the content of the Word didn’t resonate deeply with me. However, as I consistently studied theological English alongside the transcription, the meanings of words and the nuances of sentences began to reveal themselves, and paraphrasing and interpretation followed naturally. Above all, the greatest asset I gained through this club activity was the power of community and our shared spiritual journey.
In addition, the teacher in charge played a significant role in supporting us. As a devout believer who also served in pastoral ministry, he recommended appropriate English Bible resources and guided us with counsel and encouragement whenever we faced difficulties. Thanks to his continuous interest and guidance, the club was able to sustain itself for over a year.

Writing About Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections

While I was in high school, an incident occurred that brought great sorrow to our local community and school. After the incident, our club and friends gathered our hearts of consolation and decided to voluntarily plan and carry out a memorial and comfort event. Given the nature of our club, we felt a strong desire not to stop at simply learning the Word, but to go out into the community and put what we had learned into action.
At the time, no official memorial events involving yellow ribbons had yet been held in our community. We decided that club members and volunteers would come together to operate a memorial booth, hang yellow ribbons, and convey our condolences. With permission from the city, we selected a large tree in the village to hang yellow ribbons on and set up signs and a booth nearby to hold the memorial event in a high-traffic area.
At the booth, we provided blank spaces for citizens to write messages of comfort, and we also conducted a “10 Million Signatures” campaign and a charity fundraiser. We collected signature sheets for the “10 Million Signatures” campaign through relevant committees and acquaintances on campus, and for those concerned about the exposure of personal information, we explained the purpose of the campaign and our privacy policy in detail.
Regarding the charity fundraiser, some citizens expressed doubts about how the funds would be managed. Therefore, we made a point of clearly explaining that the funds would be delivered directly to the victims’ families and used for immediate needs on the ground, and we made every effort to ensure transparency regarding how the funds would be utilized.
Through this process, I learned firsthand the true meaning of cooperation and sharing. Going beyond simply offering words of comfort, meeting people face-to-face to explain our cause and build a sense of empathy required far more patience and consideration than I had anticipated. Although our efforts were small, we sincerely hoped they would bring at least a little comfort and hope to the victims and their families.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

The motto of the Department of General Bible Studies at Sanguk University—“A discipline that must be studied again even after one has learned everything”—remained deeply etched in my heart. This phrase sparked a strong desire to enroll in the School of Theology at Sanguk University rather than at other theological colleges, and the fact that the staff member at my church is a Sanguk University alumnus who shared his experiences with me also greatly influenced my decision to apply.
Once I enter college, I intend to focus on three main areas of study. First is the study of theological languages. Building on the theological English I have consistently studied since high school, I plan to master the original languages, such as Greek and Hebrew, to lay a foundation that will allow me to immediately understand the sentence structure and meaning of any biblical text I encounter.
Second is the systematic study of the New Testament and church history. I intend to deeply study the life of Jesus, the Epistles of Paul, the broader history of Christianity, and the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, preparing myself to deliver sermons and provide education grounded in historical and theological foundations in future pastoral or missionary settings.
Third, and most importantly, is gaining practical experience through practical theology. I intend to connect the theoretical knowledge I have acquired with actual worship leadership, preaching, evangelism, and missionary activities to grow into a deeply rooted pastor. I will take to heart the advice my father, church pastors, and teachers gave me during my college years—not to neglect the basics of language and the Bible—and use it as the foundation for my practice.
Specifically, during my undergraduate studies, I plan to thoroughly study advanced theological English while taking all required courses in basic Greek and Hebrew. I will diligently complete courses in New Testament studies and church history, and simultaneously build practical skills through volunteer work, mission field training, and hands-on church experience. Based on the knowledge and experience gained in this way, I hope to become a minister who will not be ashamed as a future missionary and evangelist.