In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of compassion, sharing, and collaboration, and my plans for my future in college.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
While in high school, I voluntarily participated in a Saturday enrichment program run by my school to extend my study time. As a model school for environmental education, my school frequently offered programs on environmental topics every Saturday, and I used these opportunities to engage in a variety of ecological learning experiences. These activities primarily combined field surveys with hands-on learning, through which I learned how to observe and record data directly in the field.
My fieldwork often involved walking along the streams near the school to survey the habitats of aquatic life, such as ducks and frogs, and recording the types and characteristics of plants growing along the banks. Experiences such as finding and treating an injured duck I stumbled upon in the field, or properly managing the height of growing plants to maintain hygiene around the stream, went beyond simple observation and led to responsible actions.
We also participated in off-campus field trips, such as birdwatching at Pungamjeong Pavilion on Gwangju Lake and geological surveys on Mount Mudeung. For activities requiring travel to distant locations, we traveled as a group with friends on the school bus, and I felt a sense of pride in personally surveying and managing tourist sites frequented by large crowds. In particular, along the stretch from the upper reaches of the Yeongsan River to Dongcheon-dong, we explored for rare bird species; after spending a long time searching for birds classified as endangered, we were able to confirm the presence of several species firsthand and document them with photographs.
Alongside these exploration activities, we also actively engaged in hands-on learning. For example, through a natural dyeing process using soja, gardenia, onions, and indigo that we grew ourselves, we dyed white T-shirts, wrapping cloths, and handkerchiefs to create everyday items. The process of creating something from materials obtained from nature allowed me to learn the significance of environmental topics firsthand and made me deeply appreciate the importance of utilizing natural materials.
Writing about Major School Activities and Reflections
The school activity in which I was most actively involved was the school’s three-stage environmental education program. Designed by the school to emphasize environmental education, this experiential curriculum is divided into stages by grade level, allowing students to systematically engage with environmental issues. By dedicating at least two hours each week to classes and hands-on activities related to the environment and nature, I gained practical, hands-on learning experiences.
In my first year, as part of Stage 1, I learned how to make and use natural detergent. The core method involved fermenting rice washing water using EM (Effective Microorganisms), with the goal of creating detergent by recycling resources such as rice washing water from the cafeteria and waste cooking oil from households. The preparation process involved mixing rice washing water with EM concentrate, sugar, sea salt, and molasses to create a fermented solution. The finished detergent was used in a variety of ways—for washing dishes, cleaning, watering plants, and even doing laundry.
I felt a great sense of fulfillment when I personally made the fermented solution, bottled it, and placed it throughout the school. At first, I approached it as if I were participating in a science experiment, but as time went on, seeing other students actually use the detergent and benefit from it in their daily lives heightened my awareness of nature and resource recycling. Consequently, I took pride in knowing that I had, even if only slightly, improved the quality of life for the school community.
We also continued our activities making natural soap from used cooking oil. In the soap-making workshop, we used used cooking oil, sodium hydroxide, purified water, and sodium percarbonate to produce hand-washing soap, which we then placed in school restrooms and various other areas or distributed to students to take home. In my second year, as part of a two-stage educational program, we visited a landfill, a dyeing workshop, and a wastewater treatment plant.
Through a field trip to the Sanman-ri Landfill in Damyang, we saw firsthand how the trash we discard is processed and deeply realized the necessity of recycling and waste reduction.
During the dyeing workshop, we tried our hand at traditional hand-dyeing, learning to appreciate the value of handmade items and the beauty of natural materials. The tour of the wastewater treatment plant helped us understand the process by which household waste is returned to nature. Furthermore, field-based off-campus experiences, such as the Damyang Wetlands tour, provided an opportunity to connect the theories learned in the classroom with real-world environments, enabling us to think about environmental issues in a more multidimensional way.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and Reflections
The Phase 3 education was a group project-based activity conducted from the end of 2nd grade through the beginning of 3rd grade, and it was a process where teamwork and communication were crucial. We formed a team to plan and execute an environmental campaign, with the goal of publicizing and promoting eco-friendly products made right here at our school. Students took full responsibility for all preparatory work, including setting up booths, designing posters and signs, creating promotional materials, and packaging the products.
My team was in charge of making soap. We divided the products into three types—facial soap, liquid cleaning soap, and laundry soap—and assigned production tasks to small groups. We improved the products through repeated experiments, such as adding functional oils and fragrances or enhancing their cleaning power. After completing the products, we handled the packaging and booth setup ourselves; we collected leftover fabric to make a canopy, erected poles, and set up the booth.
On the day of the campaign, we explained the production process and the significance of the products to people using posters, and donated the profits—generated by selling the products at the lowest possible price—to organizations dedicated to environmental restoration. Through this process, I deeply realized the importance of dividing roles, managing time, and coordinating opinions; when conflicts arose, I learned to listen to each other’s perspectives, mediate, and find common ground. Through this group activity, I directly experienced the value of cooperation, and the experience of achieving results together was the greatest reward.
Furthermore, my understanding of the meaning of consideration and sharing deepened during the preparation and execution of the campaign. While making the products, we acknowledged each other’s efforts, and by distributing the finished items to our school and families, we truly felt the impact that even small acts of sharing can have on the community. This experience has laid the foundation for my future approach to collaboration within organizations—respecting others’ roles and acting toward a common goal.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
In college, I plan to major in Construction and Environmental Engineering and minore in Statistics to build expertise in the environmental field. The diverse environmental experiences I had in high school gave me a clear motivation to work on solving environmental problems in a practical capacity, and based on this, I have decided to grow into a professional working at a public institution related to the environment.
Specifically, I plan to focus on my studies in college while simultaneously improving my English proficiency and gaining practical experience. In addition to diligently completing the required courses in my undergraduate program, I intend to gain hands-on experience through internships or part-time jobs with the goal of securing employment at a public institution. If necessary, I am prepared to take a leave of absence to gain long-term practical experience.
After graduation, I hope to work in the Project Planning or Management Planning teams at an environmental public institution, such as the Korea Forest Service, where I can engage in policy planning and project review. My ultimate goal is to become a professional who possesses both expertise in environmental engineering and planning capabilities by supplementing any gaps in my knowledge through external vocational training and engaging in continuous self-development.
Ultimately, I aspire to contribute to the nation’s environmental initiatives and help build a better society. To this end, I plan to build specialized knowledge through my university studies and practical experience, and steadily develop the practical skills required in the field through various external experiences.
