An Introduction

I picked up a VHS camera as a child and knew I would be a filmmaker. I integrated photography into my career path at thirteen. At 16, My artwork was displayed in Time Square while I received a Scholastic Art Award at Carneige Hall. By highschool graduation I was the president of many organizations, creating art, and a huge activist.

I knew what my plan was, become a photographer & filmmaker. That had been told to me since I can remember. Something felt missing in those plans early on. See, I am the type of girl that knows exactly how she feels and what she wants. So, I felt uncomfortable with the idea of something missing from my plan. The idea of working in New York or Los Angeles seemed to be the part that didn't fit. I couldn't imagine those cities as my home. It wasn't until early in high school that I stumbled onto 4minute's Volume Up.

I had stumbled onto this music genre called kpop. I was impressed, fascinated, and confused. I dug around on the internet feeding my kpop craving. The dancing, music videos, and songs impressed me. The artists were nothing like American pop artist (which I disliked). The girls and guys were so beautiful it was fascinating. Yet, my head and heart were confused (like most 1st time kpoppers). My head told me I couldn't listen to music that wasn't in English. Today, I know this is completely untrue and I believe it was a social stigma engrained upon me. My heart loved the music and the groups. So, with most things, I followed my heart.

It all sounds so melodramatic just for some music. Yet, I was stigmatized and bullied for liking the music. I was told I had an asian fetish- that I was a weeaboo/koreaboo. Those are terms you don't want to assosiate yourself with.

(Yet, I need to point out that weeaboos/koreaboos are a huge problem. They won't truly go away until asians are properly represented in the western world. People find asian pop culture, exotify it, worship it, exploit it, and try to become it.)

I will be honest, as a teen in a dark place, I became impressionable to it. I didn't have anyone to tell me how to aviod the label of Koreaboo. As I grew older, I became involved in my local Korean community and learned. I started to fall in love with the language and true culture (not just pop culture). The idea of Korea made me feel at home, it seemed natural. It was then that I collided my career plans with my passion for international cultures.

I study Cinematic Sciences (concentration in producing & editing) as well as Photography (concentration in fashion & commerical) at Columbia College Chicago. I am earning my degrees in only 3 years because it is a personal ambition of mine. I am set to graduate in the Spring of 2018! This means no summers off, clep exams, and 20 credit semesters. After graduation I want use my plans and passion to move to Korea and work in the enterntaiment industry as a number of things:

• Producer/Editor for Korean drama company

• Editoral Photographer for a magazine (Ceci, WKorea, Vogue)

• Editor at a music video post-house

• Documentary Producer/Editor

I know my goals may change or they may not be achieved but I want them to evolve as I grow older. Each nook and cranny of the world I explore my ambitions, my art, my activism, and my heart will evolve.

Thank you for joining me on my evolution.

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