Korean American Scholarship Foundation 1969~2009
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KASF YEARS 1969~2009 Korean American Scholarship Foundation KASF 40 Years Acknowledgment This was made possible by the Korean American Scholarship Foundation History published June 30, 1998 by Mr. Young Whan Park. Having witnessed from the inception to 1998, the book has detailed history of early years. It took more than two years of research and review of his personal notes to write the first 30 years of history. The book was written in Korean. The 40 Years of History has a translated version of 30 years, which includes the growth of Korean American Scholarship Foundation as a true national organization. We appreciate Mr. Young Whan Park for the support and the use of the Korean American Scholarship Foundation History. *Note: The Korean American Scholarship Foundation History was written in Korean. The actual title of the book in Korean is 한미 장 학재단 역사. ___________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2009 Korean American Scholarship Foundation www. kasf.org No part of` the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from th e copyright owner. Publisher: Korean American Scholarship Foundation Editor and designer: Eun-Hee Hwang Contents - Goals ...................................................................................................................... 4 - Scholarships .......................................................................................................... 4 - Qualification ......................................................................................................... 4 • Remarks: Walter Park (Founder) ........................................................................... 5 • Remarks: Khee Park (Chairperson of the National Board) .................................... 6 • Remarks: Keith Soon Kim (Chair of the Publication Committee) ........................... 7 - History 1. 20 years before the National Board formed (1969~1989) .............................. 9 2. National Board (1989~2009) ......................................................................... 35 3. Eastern Region (1969~2009) .......................................................................... 73 4. Western Region (1985~2009) ...................................................................... 141 5. Southern Region (1991~2009) ..................................................................... 203 6. Midwestern Region (1993~2009) ................................................................ 239 7. Northeastern Region (2001~2009) .............................................................. 277 8. Mideastern Region(2003~2009) .................................................................. 297 KASF 40 Years GOALS The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) seeks to: 1. Assist Korean American Students in their pursuit of academic and personal achievements, 2. Encourage community and civic service as an integral part of leadership development, and 3. Nurture the sense of pride and confidence in Korean cultural heritage and tradition. SCHOLARSHIPS CHAIR SCHOLARSHIPS Chair Scholarships are established through a one-time donation of $20,000 or more by individuals and corporations for a life-time scholarship. A donor can request a specific academic major or school for the scholarship. Each student receives $1,000. DESIGNATED SCHOLARSHIP Designated Scholarships have been established to reward students in specific fields. The contribution can be made as a one-time contribution or on a continual basis. Each student receives $1,000 or more. GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP General Scholarships are provided by the funds generated from various fund-raising activities and/or other donations. They are available to students in various academic fields and backgrounds and each student receives from $1,000 to $2,000. HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD High school juniors are eligible to apply for the High School Achievement Award. Selection is based on academic achievements including PSAT scores, community service, talent and leadership. Each student receives $200 or more. QUALIFICATION A student currently enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate program is qualified to apply for a KASF scholarship. The scholarship recipient is selected on the basis of financial need, academic achievement, school activities, essays, and community service. Each applicant must submit an application to his/her respective KASF region, depending on where his/her school is located. Remarks Walter K. Park <Founder > Since President Seung Man Rhee’s government controlled currency exchange rates after Korea’s liberation from Japan, many people in Korea who wanted to go to America for business or immigration were forced to give up their dreams. Students who yearned to study abroad got frustrated and those who had already came and studied had to work as laborers to earn their living expenses and tuition due to hardship with remittance from Korea. As a result, discussions about organizing a scholarship foundation started amongst students and a decision was made to raise funds through a year-end party and recital in Washington, D. C. in 1968. The concert was successful and raised about $300. However, it was impossible to establish a scholarship with that amount of money. They handed me that small amount of money and suggested that I, who was an advisor to the Korean Students Association in D.C. at the time, build a scholarship foundation with it. I was deeply moved by their desire to help other students and invited local supporters to establish a scholarship organization without any objections. It was called The Scholarship for Korean Students in America, and was changed to the Korean American Scholarship Foundation a few years later. It has not been easy to run this scholarship foundation for the past 25 years, but encouragement, advice, and support from fellow Korean-Americans made it possible for this organization to keep on. I am also grateful to the directors who have led this foundation with sincere dedication. I believe the publication of the history of their blood and sweat will be a book in which brotherly love and the spirit of services is concentrated. This will provide another chance to remind others of their passion for the future workers for our country. I hope that our organization receives more support and encouragement from concerned people. (This was written by Mr. Walter K. Park, the Founder, in the spring of 1995 before he passed away) KASF 40 Years Remarks Khee Park <Chair, the KASF National Board of Directors> It has been a great pleasure to see the Korean American Scholarship Foundation serving the Korean American community for the past 40 years. Without the commitment of the donors and supporters including volunteers, this community service based legacy would not exist. One of the biggest reasons for the success of the foundation is volunteerism. The KASF is operated and managed by all volunteers. These volunteers are comprised of a variety of professions and backgrounds. What unites them together at the KASF is desire to help others to achieve higher goals through education and serving others. Mr. Keith Kim, the third Chairman of National Board of Directors, has spent many hours to trace back some of the work that went on behind the scenes. He has painstakingly compiled some of the history of the KASF since the compilation of the first 25 years of the KASF by Mr. Young Whan Park of the Eastern Regional Chapter in 1994. Needless to say, countless previously undocumented efforts that would have been very difficult to trace have now been acknowledged by Mr. Kim. We, the entire family of the Korean American Scholarship Foundation, would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Keith Kim. Remarks Keith Soon Kim <The First President of KASF Western Region and Third National Board Chair> I am delighted to see this publication which is a compilation of the 40 years of history of Korean American Scholarship Foundation. In the process of collecting and organizing the past forty years of records and documents, I felt as if I was looking at a forty story high building that was built by so many dedicated board members, donors and volunteers. Many thoughts of appreciation and fulfillment crossed my mind. Despite their own hectic lives, many board members sacrificed themselves by putting their best efforts for the future generation and the history of KASF is the living proof of their hard works. KASF was first organized in Washington, DC(Eastern Region) in 1969 followed by Los Angeles (Western Region) in 1985, Atlanta (Southern Region) in 1991, Chicago (Midwestern Region) in 1993, New York (Northeastern Region) in 2003 and Detroit (Mideastern Region) in 2006. Over the years, KASF became the biggest Korean American national scholarship organization. We started with $300 initial scholarship fund, but forty years later, KASF Scholarship Fund has grown to more than $3,000,000 in investment (endowment) and awarded more than $5,000,000 of scholarships to 4,300 students. The amount of scholarships awarded and the number of students benefited are the true testimonials of what KASF has done for the community and this monumental achievement will be forever remembered in our Korean American history. The fundraising for the scholarship was challenging, however the board members maximized their efforts and hundreds and