Chweh Jiwon from Korea

I had a strong tie to Canada - especially to Abbotsford - since I was young. When I was seven years old, I came to Canada for the first time with my mom and my older brother in order to study new language and culture. As a young Asian girl who did not have many experiences with foreigners, Canada was a place that made me feel like a stranger. However ,as I stayed, I got used to the new environment and to the people. It had been a long time ago, but I still remember it to be one of the best experiences I had. In about a year and a half, I returned to South Korea and forgot about Canada. When I was told that I am coming back to Canada in grade 10, I felt more anxious than excited. It had been nearly 10 years since I stayed in an English speaking country, and I had to leave everything behind, including my family and friends. When I came back to Canada, my biggest concern was if I will be able to adapt and make new friends. On my orientation day, my legs were trembling as I advanced forward to the class. Despite my worries, I was able to adapt very quickly - infact, I didn’t just adapt but was excited to go to school every day - and made new friends instantly. My biggest worry - the English class - became my favourite subject as I loved reading books and writing essays about it. I also had the opportunity to enjoy unique activities such as working at the Artistry Cafe in school. In Robert Bateman Secondary School, there is a Cafe inside the learning commons where students can buy drinks and food. As a voluntary activity, I worked at the Cafe, and this granted me the opportunity tolearn more daily conversation and meet new people every day. There were also many more diverse opportunities to volunteer at school such as the Key Club or Peer tutoring. I got to help people in need at the key club and help the peers who need help in academics in peer tutoring. These experiences not just gave me volunteer hours, but influenced me as I chose to proceed with a teaching career in the future. Exposing myself to an entirely different culture was a difficult decision. However, I do not and will not regret it as it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. Canada became my second home, and even if I have to return to Korea, I will never forget how happy I was in Canada.

Activities

Activities Concert band (Feb 2019 - current) Artistry Cafe (Mar 2019 - Mar 2020) - selling coffees & treats in Artistry Cafe (RBSS) Key Club (Sept 2018 - June 2020) - volunteering club Gleaners - 3 times, cutting vegetables to make soup for people in need (Food Bank) (October 6,November 8 2018, October 12, 2019) Year End Celebration Student Volunteer at Rick Hansen- May 2019 Peer tutoring (Sept 2019 - Jan 2020) - Science 9 Debate club (October 2018 -December 2018) Extra curricular activities BC Forensic League (Aug 2018 - Sept 2019) -private debating organization Model UN (August, 2019) Mock Trials (April 13th, 2019) - won: 2019 BC Provincial Mock Trial Competition “Best Lawyer”

Post-Secondary Plans

I applied for University of British Columbia (faculty of arts), University of Toronto - St.George(Faculty of Arts and Science), Scarborough (Co-op Psychological and Health Sciences),Mississauga (Studies in Forensic Science) - Western University and Queen's University in faculty of Arts and Science. I got admitted to all of them, and was also offered scholarships from them. From the University of Toronto, I got offered $7,000 (Scarborough), $3,000(Mississauga), from Queen’s University, I got offered $1,500, and from Western University, I got $2,000 offered. I am planning to enter University of Toronto, St. George campus, in order to study life sciences and in particular, psychology if possible. I have no idea of my career path in the current moment, but I am hoping to have diverse experiences and opportunities in my post-secondary education as possible.