Truth! I was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in a Korean-American household, but was taught English growing up. In middle school, I picked up Spanish, and from there, Portuguese. I started learning Mandarin in my freshman year. More than anything, learning languages became a way to meet people where they were, to listen better, and to see from the inside out rather than just looking in.

Truth. I was in a choir for two years in middle school, where I met a wonderfully supportive and kind choir teacher who helped me find my voice—both literally and figuratively. Initially, I chose choir because I thought it would be an easy elective, but it turned out to be a surprisingly pivotal decision. Despite choir being somewhat taboo among boys at my school—there were only five of us in the entire tenor/bass choir—I embraced the experience. I sang solos in concerts, participated in UIL competitions, and earned second chair in the all-region choir. Although I didn't continue with choir in high school, those two years taught me a lot about projecting my voice with confidence and finding the courage to express myself.

Truth. I experienced selective mutism since I was 6, which made it incredibly difficult for me to speak in new environments or around unfamiliar people. My family moved frequently, which made it challenging to overcome. However, when we settled in Frisco in 2020, I started pushing myself to speak up in small ways: answering a question in class, ordering food on my own, even just saying “hi” to someone new. It wasn't easy, but over time, those tiny acts added up. I joined clubs, presented group projects, and eventually willingly did things that required me to speak in front of dozens (sometimes even hundreds) of people.