In this blog post, I will share my academic experiences during high school, meaningful extracurricular activities, examples of compassion, generosity, and collaboration, and my career preparation process.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
Upon entering high school, I began to reflect deeply on the importance of human rights. First, I reconsidered the nature of human rights as a student and the unique context of the school environment. I also expanded my perspective beyond my own circumstances to consider the diverse people and professions connected to society. By examining various facets of society from the perspective of socially vulnerable groups—such as workers, marginalized youth, women, the elderly, and foreign immigrants—I concluded that a deep understanding of human rights is essential. While diligently attending regular classes is important, I felt that developing my character through extracurricular activities was a priority.
I joined forces with like-minded friends to form a small group, and we organized a community called “Wi-um.” The name means “a small movement to move the world,” and our goal was to learn and discuss together through these small initiatives. At first, our activities were limited to reading books on human rights and discussing documentaries and videos, but we gradually began planning and carrying out external activities based on what we had learned.
Our activities focused on raising awareness and advocating for the human rights of workers, particularly those who struggle to become part of mainstream society, such as North Korean defectors and foreign workers. Before launching our campaign, we met with local North Korean defectors and families of foreign immigrants to conduct interviews, and we created promotional materials based on those interviews. We distributed these materials while conducting campaigns in high-traffic areas such as in front of the school and at subway stations, successfully raising awareness of our group’s activities. In particular, the fact that so many people cheered us on and offered words of encouragement gave me a great sense of fulfillment as a human rights activist.
Writing about major school activities and reflections
In my sophomore year of high school, I saw a school announcement recruiting members for an international volunteer group and participated in a construction volunteer project to build traditional houses in Ethiopia. This project involved participating in hands-on construction work—with room and board provided—to create a learning space for local students, and I decided to join with the intention of improving the educational environment for Ethiopian students. Since I had always been interested in the rights of children in developing countries and was considering a career in architecture at the time, this activity also served as an opportunity to test the waters for my future profession.
Upon arriving at the site, I met with architectural experts, local guides, and residents to introduce myself. There were about 40 of us in total, including a group of university students from Korea and a group of high school students. Our goal was to complete a 10-pyeong (approximately 33 square meters) traditional Korean house within two months at the latest. While a professional architect led the design, students were allowed to participate in meetings whenever discussions were needed. I learned a great deal by observing these meetings.
The construction process began with the foundation work. We covered the ground with soil slightly higher than the ground level, then dug out the interior to create space for the pillars. Taking the roof height into account, we firmly set eight large pillars and inserted intermediate pillars between them to ensure durability and define the space. Although the work was physically demanding—mainly involving moving rocks and digging soil—it was rewarding.
Before completing the walls and floor, we erected the roof and laid the tiles. Laying tiles on the high roof was a dangerous yet fascinating experience. We arranged large rocks on the floor to provide stability and began filling the walls with the most crucial material: yellow clay. Since the local clay differed in quality from that found in Korea and did not spread well, we mixed in other materials to complete the walls, and everyone worked together to finish the job.
After filling the walls, we installed doors to create double doors—one hinged and one sliding—and once the floor had dried, we finished it by applying multiple layers of hanji paper.
We installed light bulbs in moldings on the ceiling to blend traditional Hanok architecture with modern technology. The kitchen was completed with a hearth and chimney, and we connected a water tank to the toilet and sink to ensure a supply of drinking water. Although I fell ill and was bedridden at times from working physically every day for just under two months, it was an unforgettable experience to see so many people join forces and never give up until we completed a respectable Hanok.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
In my senior year of high school, I set a clear goal to become an architect and prepared with great dedication for the performance assessment in my technology class during the first semester of that year. The assignment at the time was to design a creative shared house. While many of my friends were in a mindset to rush through the project due to college entrance exams, I decided to use this opportunity to build my portfolio. Since the shared house design was a team project rather than an individual one, cooperation was essential.
Not everyone on our team was planning to major in architecture, so some members lacked enthusiasm for the project. As the team leader, I led the general meetings and the design process, steering the project. Since it was a shared house, we chose to design the common areas first and the private spaces second. We included a shower room, restroom, kitchen, lounge, and utility room as common facilities. To differentiate our project from others, we designed the kitchen with a spacious cooking area and optimized the utility room for maximum functionality.
For the private spaces, I aimed to ensure practicality through compact furniture arrangements, even if the spaces were relatively small. For example, I incorporated a fold-out bed and a folding desk into a space of about 16.5 square feet, added drawers to the small staircase landing to maximize storage, and used stools that could be stored away as seating. Based on this design, we created a model using Woodrack to represent it as a miniature. It took more time to design and produce the interior furniture than it did to divide the walls.
Nevertheless, my passion and effort inspired the team members to cooperate until the very end, and through the experience of working through the night to complete the project, I deeply appreciated the value of collaboration. As we adjusted our roles and filled in each other’s gaps, the final result felt like a collective achievement rather than an individual one.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans
My experiences in high school solidified my goal of becoming an architect and served as a crucial foundation for concretizing my career plans. Volunteering in Ethiopia allowed me to experience a field-oriented architectural process firsthand and gave me the opportunity to participate in design meetings as a student, offering a glimpse into the mindset of a designer. By leveling the ground and erecting columns on-site, I gained practical knowledge about the physical properties of materials—for example, I learned that local loam differs from domestic loam and requires specific mixing ratios.
Working alongside local experts, residents, and fellow volunteers, I also learned the importance of project management and collaboration. Furthermore, through the process of integrating modern technologies—such as installing light bulbs—into the traditional structure of a hanok, I developed an interest in designs that harmonize tradition and modernity. The experience of overcoming physical hardships and illness to see the project through to completion fostered my patience and sense of responsibility.
The shared house design project, conducted as part of my school’s performance assessment, was an attempt to create a tangible outcome that could be used in my portfolio. As the team leader, I led meetings and the design process, encouraged my teammates, and completed a model that demonstrates my design capabilities and team leadership. Building on these experiences, I intend to continue gaining practical experience and preparing to realize architecture that considers people and communities.
