Hi, I'm Catherine Park, from Seoul, South Korea.

I want to introduce myself as a Korean American woman, living in Seoul, South Korea. I was born in Santa Monica, CA but moved to South Korea with my family at age 8. After attending Korean elementary school until 4th grade, I lived with my uncle’s family in Fullerton, CA to re-gain my English proficiency skills. In 6th grade, I moved back to South Korea and started attending Seoul International School, an English-speaking middle and high-school. I graduated Seoul International School in 2003. When I turned 19, I was accepted into an Ivy League University called University of Pennsylvania. I left home to move to Philadelphia, hoping that I will live the happy and fruitful life I dreamed of. On the contrary, this is when the real struggles of my life began. My parents couldn’t agree to divorce so they ended up going to court, fighting over custody of my two younger sisters among other things. My sisters constantly called me on the phone, distracting me from my studies. I was so worried about their crying spells that I couldn’t focus on my school. On top of that, I became a small fish in a big pond. I was so used to being on top of my class through my middle and high school years that it came as a huge shock for me when I received my first D in one of my classes. I fell into a deep turmoil and depression up to the point that I couldn’t function in my daily life. I had to take a leave of absence and be hospitalized because my physical and mental health deteriorated so badly. After I left the hospital in South Korea, I sought God more intently than ever. I think this process helped me to be re-born as a Christian. I went to early morning prayers and attended church regularly.

After talking to my mother, she mentioned that one of my strengths was being considerate to those around me. She said that when mother was sick, I offered to buy her food and medicine. I also offered to take her to the hospital. Therefore, one of my other strengths is that I care for those around me especially when they are in need. I value helping in social relationships. I like to offer help and receive help when needed. I think I value reciprocal relationships when help is given and taken. I am also thankful that the obstacles I faced led me to becoming a more considerate person toward others. I became less selfish and more attuned to the needs of others. I am thankful to God for helping me shape my character this way.

Another strength I possess is the need to be responsible, especially in situations where I need to be punctual. When I have an appointment with my personal trainer or with friends, I try to keep it and not cancel last minute. I especially try to keep appointments when money is involved. I remember how I kept my appointment with my customer even on the day I got my wisdom tooth extracted when I was working. This strength could also be a vice. Because I keep giving myself pressure to be responsible, I could stress myself out. I have the need to always be on time, which is not always possible in certain circumstances like traffic jam. My perfectionist quality does stress me out, so I need to try to be moderate in my pursuit of being responsible.

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