TCIS Merit Scholarship Award

Angela    

Angela has clear passions related to UNICEF, BioMed Club, STEAM, and tennis; this student is a good steward in looking at future universities outside the USA.

The committee appreciates how this candidate links her experience, here in Korea, to her past experiences in Vietnam. This candidate is rooted in her history and wants to blend her experiences in both communities by organizing care packages for children in Vietnamese orphanages who were displaced due to new bridge construction in her previous home community. 

Elina    

In her essay, Elina wrote about her experience this past year in Switzerland and adjusting to the new school culture where many nationalities and perspectives were represented and using the resilience, confidence, and leadership she developed at TCIS to become a member of the STUCO Events Committee, a peer counselor to younger students, and the Student League of Nations. The committee appreciates this candidate’s tenacity and love of serving and helping others, as well as her ability to release her fear when encountering the unknown.

Hyonsan    

The Committee values Hyonsan’s leadership style, which focuses on supporting others and letting them shine rather than seeking attention. Her genuine care is evident in her dedication to the cross-country team, tutoring Pakistani students in English, and promoting understanding in the community. 

In her interview, she shared unique insights into the connections between Art, Biology, and Creative Writing, noting how cellular structures mirror the outside world and inspire visual arts, fantasy games, and comics. This recipient is a lifelong learner who genuinely inquires further into areas of interest in her courses not simply for a good grade, but to extend her understanding of the world beyond her experiences in Korea, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.

Jaeyoon    

The committee appreciates Jaeyoon's STUCO Co-president’s dedication to changing the TCIS atmosphere for the better by raising awareness and increasing care for others through her numerous activities through her years at TCIS - STUCO and NHS, KAIST Outreach, P2P Tutoring, Girl Up Club, and various TCIS ambassador roles. 

Jaeyoon wrote in one of her application essays, “I had the chance to collaborate and develop bonds with other students, contributing to our school’s close-knit community. Through TCIS’ international connections, I engaged in service programs, local congresses, and international competitions. I had diverse experiences interacting with peers from multicultural backgrounds through arts and athletics. By involving myself in various student clubs and organizations, electives, and athletics within our school, I was able to explore and expand my interests.” 

Juna    

Juna showed her outstanding communication skills, further honed as a committed member of Forensics last year, to share her passion for service and the variety of ways she wants to serve, through a proposed HOSA chapter for further health professionals at TCIS, among other ideas. 

The committee appreciates this candidate’s continued learning about bioethics, as connected to her Personal Project about selective breeding of animals. She submitted a systematic review of her personal project topic - the procedures and ethical implications, - to an international conference in Tokyo. She was selected as one of the six ambassadors for the World Leadership Congress over the summer. 

Nayeon    

Nayeon is a member of Forensics, NHS, and a STUCO grade 11 representative.  This recipient impressed the committee with her compassion for others as seen through her summer volunteer work with hospital patients, during which she saw their struggles and stresses, thereby building empathy for patients. This student desires a career in medicine, not for prestige or fortune, but so she can help others by providing free surgery for sufferers of cleft palate or other disfigurements. She hopes that now and in the future, “my small influential actions might encourage others to work for the world, too.”

Shin Ju    

The committee appreciates this recipient’s dedication and commitment from the start of the Robotics Club a few years ago, along with his efforts for the club to thrive now and into the future after he graduates. His leadership and contributions to STEAM, Math Club, Forensics, NHS, and STUCO are commendable. In his essay, this recipient wrote about overextending himself during his first year of DP and recognizing the importance of “regulating [his] energy to the things [he] loves the most.” He is a valued presence in our community, and we trust he can share this lesson with younger students.

Yunha    

The committee appreciates the ways Yunha is using her programming skills and passion to positively impact others. She is in the 3rd round of a software competition to develop software to benefit society; her project is using AI in connection with traffic lights to recognize when a slower or elderly person is crossing the street and automatically extend the time of the traffic light. She continues to problem-solve as a result of the feedback she has received. She desires to work with middle school students on their coding skills so that Coding Club continues beyond her years at TCIS. She wants to emphasize collaborative projects that will meet real-life needs.