In this blog post, I will summarize my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of consideration and cooperation, and my efforts related to career preparation.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
After entering high school, the advice I heard most often from my father was, “Study economics.” He told me that people who understand economics through their corporate careers become more competitive professionals, and following that advice, I received a book as a gift and took my first steps into the world of economics.
The first book I encountered was ‘Economics in Pictures’, which offered a unique experience of interpreting works of art from an economic perspective. For instance, Millet’s ‘The Gleaners’ led me to reflect on the social debates of the time and Marx’s labor theory of value, while ‘The Wall Street Banquet’ by Rivera helped me learn about the causes of the Great Depression and the limitations of the New Deal. These experiences served as a catalyst for connecting art and economics.
Through books that wove these two seemingly disparate fields together, I developed an interest in economics. As my curiosity grew, I began actively seeking out and reading related books. One such book introduced the lives and achievements of Nobel Prize-winning economists, revealing how they viewed and sought to solve real-world problems.
Another book, ‘How Seoul Works’, provided a detailed explanation of the trends in our country’s cities and economy. Through this, I began to reflect on my position as a student in the city of Seoul and my future way of life. As I encountered concrete issues in the urban economy—such as the realities of starting a business and the structure of the job market—my ability to view my surroundings from an economic perspective grew significantly.
By repeatedly engaging with these stimulating popular books to spark my interest and then building my knowledge through books on more advanced topics, I solidified my resolve to study economics in greater depth. The vivid economic stories I discovered in everyday life cemented my decision to major in economics and had a significant influence on setting my academic direction thereafter.
Major Campus Activities and Reflections
During my sophomore year, complaints and allegations of corruption regarding the operation of the school canteen arose, leading to extensive discussions within the student council to resolve the issue. As doubts grew about the operational and selection processes, as well as the commercial nature of the products sold—even under the guise of open competition—an alternative model based on a cooperative involving students, parents, and teachers was proposed.
At the time, as a member of the student council and class president, I consistently participated in meetings and listened to diverse opinions. Given that the school store could not be closed immediately, I joined efforts to propose and implement a practical alternative: a small café and vending machine business. The plan involved opening a student-oriented café in a small space next to the school store to sell high-quality food and beverages, while frequently consumed snacks would be supplied via vending machines.
Students, parents, and teachers formed a cooperative together to raise funds and develop an operational plan. We reviewed available financial support options for establishing the cooperative and decided to rely on our personal networks and parent volunteers for interior design and staffing. Above all, we made an effort to reflect the needs of the users by having the students directly select the items to be sold in the café and vending machines.
The food items for the vending machines were carefully selected based on safety, ingredients, and the reliability of the manufacturers, and the café menu was designed to reflect both the students’ health needs and their preferences. Through promotional activities encouraging students to use the café, the student-run café and vending machines gained significant popularity. Consequently, sales at the existing school store declined, leading to its eventual closure.
Through this experience, I gained hands-on experience in collaborative problem-solving and practical management. By directly planning and executing a student-led self-sustaining community, I learned responsibility, practical skills, and the process of consulting with stakeholders, which fostered confidence in my subsequent decision-making and organizational management.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
The student lounge area on one side of the school playground consisted of a few gazebos, but due to poor maintenance, trash often accumulated and the environment was frequently damaged. When the school formed a cleanup team to address this issue, I volunteered to join.
Upon inspecting the site, I noticed there were not enough trash cans, so students often discarded food packaging waste anywhere they pleased. Additionally, the lack of an established recycling system reduced the efficiency of cleanup efforts. We divided into groups and consistently carried out cleanup activities during lunch, dinner, after school, and sometimes even in the morning.
During our activities, after discussing it with my teammates, we decided to build simple trash bins ourselves and install them next to the pavilion, attaching signs with usage guidelines to the pillars. It was a small measure, but the results were clear. As students saw us in action, their attitudes began to change, and using the trash bins became a natural habit. Some students even started asking how to separate food waste from packaging.
Through this activity, I learned that volunteering goes beyond simple cleaning to transform community norms. I deeply felt the value of responsibility and solidarity as I experienced firsthand how consistent action and communication drive change, and how small acts of consideration can alter the attitudes and culture of those around us.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
My previous reading experiences and school activities have provided me with a concrete direction for my career path. Books that connect art and economics, essays on the lives of economists, and texts explaining how cities function have fostered my interest in “cities and the economy,” which has served as a crucial foundation for setting my academic goals.
The experiences I gained from the school cooperative and beautification activities helped me bridge theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Running a student-led café required practical problem-solving skills in areas such as product selection, fundraising, promotion, and operational management, while the beautification volunteer work taught me the importance of communication and cooperation in the process of changing small systems and norms. I believe these practical experiences will serve as a foundation for developing the practical sense and collaborative skills necessary for my future studies in urban and real estate-related fields.
My career preparation involved a combination of reading and hands-on experience. While building a theoretical foundation through relevant literature, I gained firsthand experience in decision-making and operational processes through practical participation within the school. Moving forward, I intend to continue my academic exploration of urban and real estate studies in college and build expertise that can contribute to the local community and industry, based on my practical experience in the field.
