By Christine Seo and Sara Shin
Providing 85 students with scholarships, SIS hosted the 19th Annual Seoul International Scholarship Foundation’s Awards Ceremony on Sept. 26 in the auditorium. The foundation, which was established in 1993 with private and independent donations, has provided funds for a total of 1,300 scholarly students experiencing financial difficulties.
Each year, the foundation’s Board of Directors selects a specific region in Korea to support. In order to maintain impartiality, the Board formally requests the area’s Provincial Ministry of Education to recommend local universities and schools based on financial need. From 2005 to 2009, the organization focused on Ulleung Island, which was designated as a national disaster site after being hit by a large typhoon. It funded the education fees of every middle and high school student living in the area for four consecutive years dur-ing the island’s recovery process.
“We started the organization because we wanted to contribute back to the community in which SIS first began,” said Hye-yong Min, Chief of Communications. “We benefited from Korean support over the years, so it only makes sense that we give back. Because we are a school, it is especially important that we help students receive an education themselves, as extra help now can be the road to greater things. Just as our students take part in clubs such as Habitat for Humanity and UNICEF, we are making the same kind of contribution to Korea.”
When choosing scholarship recipients, the Board of Directors requests presidents of universities and community centers to select hard-working and scholarly students in need of financial aid. Often, students who have to earn money for their entire family are chosen.
“As a student, I feel especially grateful that I was able to receive a scholarship from this organization,” said Soo-jung Kim, a recipient of the Gachon University scholarship. “Opportunities to receive aid from organizations outside our respective colleges are rare. Therefore, receiving a scholarship from another foundation makes me proud because I feel that my studies have been acknowledged.”
According to Chung Youl Lee, Director of the scholarship foundation, the personal donations of Dr. Kim Hyung Shik, Headmaster and Chairman of the foundation, contributed significantly to the organization’s past growth and allowed SIS to host the annual awards ceremony.