Keynote Colloquium
Biographical Sketch: Dr. Kim earned a Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Virginia. She is a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts and a national certified counselor. As a bilingual and bicultural Korean-American faculty member in the Risk and Prevention program at Harvard Graduate School of Education, she has been the keynote speaker at numerous parent, teacher, and youth conferences in Korea and in the U.S. Her areas of expertise include individual, group, and family counseling, multiculturalism, Korean American mental health issues, and career development education.
Description: As Koreans, we are taught to focus most of our energy and efforts on performing well in school. While academic achievement is important, other aspects of who we are also deserve equal amounts of attention. Many people know how to read and write well, but they're lost when it comes to building relationships with people. Some can memorize chapters of books, but when it comes to handling anger and stress, they don't know how to cope well. This keynote colloquium will address: 1) what it means to be a healthy, whole person; 2) facets of the Korean culture that places youth at risk for various emotional difficulties; 3) consequences of neglecting important areas of development; and 4) methods that help to promote balanced growth in all six areas of development.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Track I: College Adjustment
Biographical Sketch: Irene Pak was born in Incheon, Korea, and her family immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts when she was an infant. She graduated from Bowdoin College in 2003 with a major in government and legal studies and a minor in East Asian studies. She has significant professional experience and interest in working with students of color, in particular Latino and Asian American youth, both within the context of higher education and grassroots non-profit organizations. Currently, she is simulataneously working at the Harvard Graduate School of Education while working towards a masters degree in human development and psychology. Her research interest is in Asian American adult identity formation within the college years and multicultural program development.
Description: Your undergraduate years in college will not only be one of the best fours years of your life but also one of the most challenging. Navigating college can be a daunting task, especially after leaving a close network of support from family and friends at home. In this colloquium, we will review various administrative, academic, and social resources that are available to you at American universities so that you can enhance your college experience and finally leave "Lost" Vegas.
Biographical Sketch: Although, Christine was born in the United States, she spent about ten years of her childhood in Korea. She is bilingual in Korean and English and is an avid learner of other languages such as Spanish, French, and Mandarin. She obtained both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in applied mathematics with a focus on epidemiology and theoretical biology. Currently, she is at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in hopes of promoting the importance of mathematics education at the secondary and postsecondary level. She enjoys music, yoga, and travel.
Description: This colloquium is designed to help future college applicants construct a powerful application that will increase their chances of being admitted. It will include a brief presentation of the various aspects of the application and helpful guidelines to strengthen each component. In addition, the presentation will focus on strengthening the essay portion of the application, so that the final product may "glow." The speaker will facilitate a group discussion at the end.
Biographical Sketch: Lizzy Kim grew up in America and in Korea. She was born in Korea and immigrated to America when she was three years old. She lived in the U.S. until the age of eleven; then, she spent her adolescent years in Korea fighting against the Korean culture and struggling to understand social, educational, and familial conflicts. Cultural stress is what she identifies her past with - growing up amidst two vastly different ways of thinking and being. She earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. In June 2008, she graduates with a master's degree in Learning and Teaching from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Description: This colloquium will provide an opportunity to explore our cultural identities and identify patterns of stress in a larger context. Aside from nationality, are we more Korean or are we more American? Are we Korean American or are we American Korean? It's easy to assume that just because one looks Korean, speaks some Korean, or lives in Korea, he or she identifies with the Korean culture; yet, this may not be the case for many Koreans who are exposed to more than one culture. Cultural stress that is prevalent in adolescence will be explored by discussing conflicts that affect Korean Americans. We will break down and investigate the complexity of cultural shock into several external and internal influences to deepen our awareness of the various sources that contribute to cultural stress. This seminar will examine specific features of the Korean culture that are in conflict with American culture and identify issues of feeling "stuck" between two cultures. This colloquium will be a hybrid of a lecture, activity, and discussion.
Speaker: Grace Min, B.A.
Biographical Sketches: Curie Park is the director of the Yonsei Center for Psychological Health. She is a clinical psychologist by training and received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. She finds her job rewarding, and she is excited to go to work everyday because she gets to do the three things she loves to do in her "work" life - teach students, provide therapy, and conduct research.
Grace Min was born in the United States but at age thirteen, she moved to Korea and attended Seoul Foreign School. After graduating from SFS, she went to Wellesley College where she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. She currently works as a research assistant to Dr. Curie Park, the principal investigator of the Global Migration and Adaptation Study Team (GMAST) at Yonsei University. Grace will pursue graduate studies in counseling at Harvard Graduate School of Education and aspires to eventually work with international school students in Korea.
Description: The Global Migration Adaptation Team at Yonsei University conducted a qualitative study on the migration process and adaptation process of Korean returnees who had stayed abroad for more than six years. The results show that we need to broaden our understanding of the process of constructing a multicultural identity in a world where previous static categories of self and identity may no longer be sufficient.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Track II: Career Development
Biographical Sketch: Narae came to the U.S. when she was eight years old and has lived in NYC ever since. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Human Biology, Health, and Society. After contemplating medical school for a while, she decided to further pursue the study of human development through a master's degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Currently, she is interested in the mental and spiritual issues of minorities, especially in the Korean and Korean-American populations.
Description: For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function... since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly" (Romans 12:4-6 NASB).
So then, how can we effectively use the gifts that God so graciously gave to each and every one of us? The answer: we first must have a clear understanding of who we are as the gift-bearers. In this colloquium, attendees will take the Myers-Briggs type Inventory (MBTI) to determine their personality type as a first step towards self-discovery. The MBTI will give insight into their sources of energy and styles of information gathering, decision making, and personal preferences or orientation. With the use of the MBTI, this seminar will provide perspective on the kinds of occupations that are more likely to be a match or mismatch.
Biographical Sketch: Mee Kyoung Kim graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Education with an Ed. M. in Human Development and Psychology. There, she grew her passion to further study religious identity development and Christian education. Throughout her international life, she has benefited from the good works done by other Christians and became strongly motivated to introduce Korean children and adolescents to God and life's deeper meaning, as they grow to become future leaders. She finds it deeply rewarding to help young learners discover their individual relationship with God, their God-given potential, and the deep happiness arising from companionship with Jesus Christ.
Description: God has placed each of us in the body of Christ with special abilities, functions, spiritual gifts, and personality traits. We need each other to realize our individual potential in Christ, and together, we can accomplish far more than what we can do alone. God has made us like separate pieces of a puzzle, in our different sizes and shapes, He wants us to come together for the glory of Jesus Christ. He exhorts us to "be perfectly joined together in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10, NKJV).
During this colloquium, you'll learn new insights about yourself and those close to you, and you will discover the unique assets you bring to every relationship. You'll learn about your own God-given strengths and talents. The insights you'll gain will reveal more about yourself than you've ever learned before. Gain a greater understanding and appreciation of your own personal style and others' temperaments. You'll see how these are illustrated in the lives of Paul, Peter, Abraham, and Moses in the Bible. You'll gain a clearer understanding of the basic personality types and how each is motivated most effectively. You'll discover why those closest to you react the way they do. You'll add to the knowledge you already have about the people in your life and discover how to help all your relationships grow and flourish.
Biographical Sketch: Hyun Joo was born in the United Kingdom and raised in Korea during her childhood; however, her adolescence was spent in the U.K. After completing college in Korea, she came to the United States for her graduate studies. Her experience from different cultural settings gave her a heart and willingness to understand culture and human development in depth. Her B.A. in English Language and Literature is from Korea University, and she received her Ed. M. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also earned a M.A. in English and American Literature from Boston University. Since childhood, she has been an avid reader of books and literature, especially on human emotion and history. What has fascinated her in literature has been the pursuit of human values, which she believes is most pertinent in the studies of Human Development and Education. She is currently involved in researching educational mentoring and is planning to study further in order to contribute to the field of human development and education.
Description: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge..." Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
According to Dr. Howard Gardner and his theory on Multiple Intelligences, there are broader realms of intelligences other than what is often emphasized in schools or in the cultural settings in the forms of linguistic or logical/mathematical intelligences. He identified different kinds of intelligences in the following categories:
1. Bodily-Kinesthetic
2. Interpersonal
3. Verbal-Linguistic
4. Logical-Mathematical
5. Naturalistic
6. Intrapersonal
7. Spatial
8. Musical
9. Other intelligences
There seems to be a widely acknowledged consensus by most Koreans and bi-cultural Koreans that our culture focuses too much attention on a certain type of book-learned intelligence. Perhaps now is the time for us to evaluate rote-learning and challenge the ways of labeling individual intrinsic values according to a single measure.
This colloquium will begin by introducing the conceptual frameworks of Multiple Intelligences and will proceed to interactive discussions and activities discovering different kinds of intelligence each of us possesses to varying degrees. It is an important first step to remind ourselves that no individual is intrinsically better or superior in the eyes of the Lord, and by discovering where our strength lies, we may make "optimal use of our type of highly developed intelligence." The frameworks of Multiple Intelligences may be useful in pursuing our future career goals and in serving one another.
Biographical Sketch: Esther Tan graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Education with a Master's of Education in Risk and Prevention, concentrating in school guidance counseling. Esther was a high school chemistry teacher for six years and is currently a guidance specialist in the Ministry of Education of Singapore. Her passion is in teaching, counseling, and coaching, with special interests in the areas of personality theories, training of life skills, and career counseling. She finds fulfillment in helping young adults explore themselves to achieve their career and life goals. She aspires to integrate her professional training with Christian faith and values in helping people do what they want to do in life and become who they want to be.
Description: Many young adults struggle with the choices of selecting college majors and career paths. Often times, family influences and significant relationships impact our choices in more ways than we think. The Career and Values Genokeygram (Genokey) is a newly developed tool which helps one re-discover the career-life goals through exploring the impact of significant relationships on one's career decisions. This is an activity-based colloquium, whereby participants will be engaged in the drawing of the Genokey, followed by a series of facilitated reflection exercises. The careers and values of key people in our lives, including both family and non-familial significant others, will be explored to help participants uncover underlying influences in one's choices. The Genokey aims to bring one through the process of exploring one's past, present and future so as to uncover hidden road blocks, clarify implicit values, strengthen self-awareness and be empowered to make changes in the pursuit of career-life goals. During the colloquium, case studies will be shared as examples to enhance the understanding and self-exploration process. The session involves engaging in the activity, introspection and sharing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Track III: Mental Health
Biographical Sketch: At an early age, Catherine Hwang developed a passion for teaching. As a Golden Apple Scholar of Illinois, she learned from award-winning educators the importance of positively impacting the lives of disadvantaged children and their families. With a strong conviction for working with inner city youngsters, Catherine worked as a third grade classroom teacher in a struggling school in North Chicago. Stemming from a deep commitment and love for youth, she served as the youth group leader/counselor and as the director of the Sunday school program at her church. During this time, she developed a heart for Korean-American young women and youth who struggle with their identity and body image issues. Currently, she is studying International Education Policy at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She hopes to expand educational opportunities to children around the world.
Description: Psalm 139:13-14 states "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well."
As women, it is difficult to accept who we are and what we look like. So many times, we choose to believe in the definition of beauty that the world chooses to portray instead of the truths that are clearly illustrated in the Bible. Therefore, we seek fads, diets, exercise routines, and unhealthy eating habits that ultimately hurt our bodies and degrade God's handiwork in order to conform to the world's views on beauty. This colloquium focuses on understanding our identity as God's dearly loved daughters. In addition, we will discuss what it means to "know fully well" how wonderfully and intricately God shaped our bodies, despite the way we may think and feel about ourselves. Finally, we will spend time discussing how the way we perceive ourselves affects the way we perceive the world and our purpose in it.
Biographical Sketch: Sophie comes from an international background. She was born in Korea, raised in the Czech Republic, but then educated in the U.S. since high school. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College in 2006 and will complete an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2008. Having restored her relationship with God through His people while attending Wellesley, she is committed to working with youth and young adults in their wholesome pursuit of God and life. Sophie finds deep joy in learning, continually growing, and serving God at her home church in Boston, the Berkland Baptist Church. Stemming from a deep concern and love for the Korean people, she hopes to make an impact in school counseling back in her country, Korea, someday.
Description: Trauma comes from the Greek word "wound." Whether from natural disasters, physical accidents, acts of violence or abuse, loss of a loved one, or experience of failure, traumatic blows from the past still haunt the present lives of many individuals. So what do you do when your world turns completely up-side-down? How can we make sense of suffering, and more importantly, how do we grow from it? How can we help those who are suffering around us? This colloquium will seek to prepare and equip the college-bound youth with the knowledge and skills to deal with past and/or future traumatic experiences by: 1) addressing the stated questions; 2) offering concrete ways to cope with such "wounds"; and 3) holding panel discussions with trauma survivors from the Virgina Tech massacre and other traumas. It is hoped that this opportunity will help us share our lives and experiences as young Christians and ultimately heal and grow from trauma.
Biographical Sketch: After spending several years in different countries through student exchange and study abroad programs, Jieun Yang began to understand what it means to be Korean and how cultural diversity can enrich our lives. She has a passion for teaching and hopes to help improve the quality of education around the world. She studied English and French literature at Sogang University (B.A). In addition, she earned a master's degree in American history, with a concentration in Korean-American immigration from Universite Paris Diderot, Paris 7 (maitrise and DEA). She is currently an Ed. M. candidate in the International Education Policy Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Description: "They were separated as if there was a wall between them, but Christ broke down that wall of hate by giving His own body." Ephesians 2:14b (NCV)
OK. Let's face it. As children, we are convinced that our parents love us, but there are times when we see a great wall between our parents and us that makes us think, "Wait. Do they really love me?" We get frustrated; we feel like we can never get rid of that wall; and that it will be there forever. Yes, you are right but only partially right. We can't break down the wall, but God can. If God did not give us the right to choose our parents, then there is a "good" reason that He, our Creator, brought us together as a family. As bicultural children, we may face more challenges at home, but let's remember that being bicultural is a blessing. God wants to bless us through our families. Then, how can we invite God into our families to bless us? Most of the times, we want our parents to change, but God may have a different plan! Would you like to discover God's "better" plan for our families? Come and join me!
(Males only)
Biographical Sketch: JK Park graduated from Grove City College with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology. He is currently finishing his M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Boston College in pursuit of becoming a high school counselor. His experiences working with adolescents across diverse contexts have valuably enhanced his education and significantly contributed to instilling the passion for equipping, enabling, and encouraging today's youth to grow and mature physically, emotionally, mentally, as well as spiritually. Growing up in a missionary family and volunteering with mission organizations such as YWAM and Ambassadors in Sport have also provided invaluable opportunities for him to interact and develop relationships with people from various racial, ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds.
Description: Many have heard the old adage "know thyself," but few really know the meaning behind these words. As you begin this journey, acquiring knowledge of oneself is essential to gaining a comprehensive understanding of who you are in relation to others. In this diverse world, filled with people who look, think, feel, and behave differently, discovering one's self can often feel like traversing down a complicated beaten path. Even more, a society that places high expectations on what it means to be successful often forces an individual to start comparing oneself to another. Unfortunately, this leads many, especially young competitive men, to look for differences in others in order to move ahead on the "ladder of opportunities" instead of lending a helping hand to "climb the ladder" together. We will discuss topics related to racism, discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudices and how these issues significantly influence the college life experience of all students, regardless of their racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. With the knowledge gained, we hope that your experiences in college will include breaking down walls of misunderstanding, bias, and fear, to building up bridges of sympathy, affirmation, and curiosity. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that the path to understanding the self is significantly enhanced by the help and encouragement of those who may be very different from you.
