In this blog post, I will summarize the academic efforts I made during high school, my participation in school activities, examples of my consideration and cooperation, and my academic and career plans after entering college.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
In high school, I paid close attention to maintaining a high rank in my class. My motivation was that receiving a scholarship would help support my family financially, so I felt compelled to maintain my rank—both school-wide and within my class—above a certain level. While I could have reduced my workload by focusing only on subjects directly relevant to college admissions, I recognized that my overall grade point average was calculated based on a diverse range of subjects. Therefore, I made sure not to neglect any subjects, including those beyond the core curriculum.
As I prepared for all my subjects evenly, I realized that it was difficult to maintain a high school-wide ranking based solely on midterm and final exam scores. What was more important was maintaining a proper attitude in class and meticulously preparing for the performance assessments and practical exercises conducted every month. I learned from experience that this daily diligence accumulates over time and ultimately translates into higher rankings and better grades.
In particular, I received high marks in Home Economics for both my classroom attitude and performance assessments. Although Home Economics classes were held at most twice a week, I developed the habit of making sure I had all my supplies ready before class and thoroughly reviewing the theory before cooking practice sessions. This preparation was a great help in minimizing mistakes during practice and achieving good results on assessments.
During cooking labs, we focused on traditional Korean dishes such as injeolmi, gyeongdan, and sujeonggwa. I memorized the recipes before class and mentally simulated each step, which helped me minimize the mistakes that commonly occur during practical sessions. I also paid close attention to hygiene by always wearing an apron and disposable gloves and thoroughly sanitizing my hands.
As a result of consistently maintaining this level of preparation and attitude, I received high scores on my performance assessments and was recognized as a model student, bringing me one step closer to my goal of becoming a scholarship recipient. I learned that an attitude of preparing for all subjects evenly—rather than selectively studying only the required ones—is crucial for academic success.
Description of Major School Activities and Reflections
Although our school had a strong focus on the humanities, the culinary research club was very active. I joined the club and participated in various activities, including on-campus cooking camps, school-wide cooking competitions, and off-campus culinary field trips. Through these club activities, I learned firsthand the importance of cooperation while developing menus and preparing for competitions alongside my peers.
My most meaningful achievement was winning the Grand Prize at the National Sunchang Gochujang Cooking Competition. This competition was an external event we prepared for over a long period, building on our success in the school-wide cooking competition. With the principal’s permission, our participation served as an opportunity to have our skills recognized. During the preparation process, we researched the flavors of fermented sauces and repeatedly practiced creating dishes using only gochujang, doenjang, and ganjang—without any chemical seasonings.
With as many as 30 high school teams competing, the pressure was intense, but by brainstorming menus together beforehand and conducting dozens of trials, we discovered how to bring out the true flavor of the fermented sauces. Aiming to create fusion dishes that would introduce the traditional flavors of Korean fermented sauces to the world, we developed a gochujang stew and fried chicken.
We designed the stew to balance the richness of the meat broth with the spicy kick of gochujang, adding a spicy depth to the dish. For the fried chicken, we improved the recipe by using chicken skin instead of the commonly used flour coating. While a seasoned flour coating tends to burn easily during frying and requires a lot of oil, wrapping the meat in dried chicken skin—which had been dehydrated to remove moisture—resulted in a crispy texture that was less greasy and full of flavor.
Although this method was labor-intensive and required a great deal of care, it ultimately resulted in a high-quality and relatively healthy fried dish. Frying it in an air fryer reduced the oil odor and produced a thin, even coating, which earned high praise from the judges. The judges’ comments particularly commended the excellent harmony between the fried chicken and the stew.
Through this experience, I deeply realized the value of consistent preparation and repeated practice. Although the preparation process was grueling and required patience, the skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities I gained along the way led to our success on the day of the competition, making me truly feel that my patience had paid off.
Writing About Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
During our culinary research club activities, we participated as staff at a traditional tea expo to help run a booth. We secured this opportunity through connections with judges we had met at a previous competition, but since our expertise in traditional tea was limited, we were assigned the role of assisting with the operation of an existing booth.
The student staff wore name tags and divided up the tasks to run the booth. The booth we were in charge of mainly featured green tea products, and through exposure to a variety of items—such as green tea tea bags, green tea ice cream, green tea cookies, and even pizza dough infused with green tea—we were able to broaden our perspective on food.
I was responsible for offering samples to visitors and restocking the trays when they ran out. When a customer showed interest in purchasing after a tasting, another club member would explain the product and handle the transaction, and once the purchase was confirmed, yet another member would take charge of packaging and handing it over—we worked together by dividing these roles in this way.
As the event continued throughout the day, we took turns switching positions to look out for one another when fatigue set in, and it was an opportunity to see firsthand how every small role, when combined, allowed the entire process to run smoothly. After the booth operation ended, the green tea products given as gifts by the organizers were helpful for our club activities, and as a result, the scope of our research and practical training expanded.
Through this activity, I learned the importance of cooperation and the fact that consideration builds trust between people. I felt that the experience of faithfully performing our respective roles, helping one another, and finding solutions together would be a great asset not only for club activities but also for my future professional life.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
My goal is to become a multidisciplinary professional equipped with foundational knowledge across various fields. Rather than focusing solely on one area, I believe that building a foundation in multiple fields of interest—such as culinary arts, food nutrition, menu development, food and health, and weight management—will lead to a more solid expertise. Since high school, I have consistently maintained an interest in these fields and have combined practical training with research.
On a personal level, having experienced weight management firsthand, I deeply understand the importance of nutritional balance. At one point, I struggled with a weight that was double my ideal body weight, but I successfully managed my weight through nutritional management and improvements to my cooking methods. This experience motivated me to study diet management and the role of food more closely.
When developing culinary menus, I always prioritize nutritional balance and cooking methods that minimize nutrient loss. I believe food has a significant impact on people’s health, which is why I aim to study systematically in the Department of Food and Nutrition and grow into a professional in this field.
After entering college, I plan to lay the groundwork for working at a community health promotion center. In particular, I aspire to become a practitioner at an obesity clinic, responsible for weight management assessments and dietary counseling. To this end, I intend to take courses offered by relevant organizations and gain experience through practice-oriented internships.
In the long term, I want to apply my knowledge of food and nutrition to improve the health of local residents and make a tangible difference in their lives. Since this aligns well with my natural inclination to help others, I believe I will find it deeply rewarding. Through various practical training opportunities and research, I aim to grow into a highly skilled obesity clinic specialist.
