COVER STORY
Why do you think some classmates hated you? I guess I was very different in many ways. Different in what ways? I didn’t do things the way everybody else did. I remember when we were in grade school as soon as the class bell rang, everybody ran out of the classroom to play outside. But I would just take out my book and start reading. I was also too smart for my own good, so many of my friends didn’t like that, whereas my teachers loved me. So what kind of fun did you have growing up? A lot of fun times I had were either reading or spending time with my family. You can say outdoor activities were almost completely absent, unless when we had a family outing or family holiday. How is what you do today different or the same compared to your childhood years? I think there’s one thing that has always been very consistent: I’ve always had a very strong sense of obligation. It has always been very important that I do what people expect of me. And I hate letting people down. So I will drive myself to the edge, really, because I don’t want to let anybody down. And, I know sometimes in the process, I will be driving people around me hard as well. Sometimes, and quite often nowadays, I cannot do everything myself, and I have to rely on other people as well. So, I know sometimes I can be hard on them as I may end up pushing people too hard. Which is good for AIM, actually. Mr. Sycip once said to me he is very hopeful for AIM because of me. I was very pleased to hear that of course, but now I cannot stop thinking “What else can I and should I do for AIM?” Is that what’s keeping you going? Not just that. Of course, I get a lot of inner satisfaction, too, as I want to make a difference - a real difference. Who was stricter, your father or your mother? My dad, definitely! He was the disciplinarian in the family. Were you ever disciplined for anything? Not really. I was a very good girl. Hahaha! Although there was one occasion I remember. In Korea, we have Parents’ Day instead of Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. So I decided to buy a present for them, but I went shopping without telling them. And I couldn’t find anything I really liked, so I didn’t realize I’d spent hours going around looking for that perfect gift. And when I finally found one, I realized somebody had stolen my wallet. I’d been going
around for so many hours so focused on finding something really nice that I didn’t notice my wallet had been taken. How old were you then? I was about eight or nine, definitely not old enough to go shopping on my own. It was already dark, and I had no money. I didn’t know how to get home. So I had to go back to a couple of shops where I’d made stops and finally asked one sales lady if she could please call my mom so she could come and get me as I had no money for the bus fare to go home. Afterwards, my dad told me “Don’t you ever do that again!” and I was grounded for weeks. That was the only time I can remember being in big trouble. But, I might have conveniently forgotten the other troubles I got into. Hahaha! What is the greatest lesson you learned from your parents? My dad had two things that he always said to us and my mom was always in support of. The first was that education was the most important gift they could give to us. Second, it was always love and take care of your siblings. So we are very tight. My dad would always say, “I can close my eyes without any problem because as far as I know, you three will take care of each other.” How many siblings do you have? I have one younger brother and younger sister. I’m the oldest, the bossy one! So you boss them around? No. Actually, my sister bosses me and my brother around because she’s the only one with a child. So by the mere fact she’s a mother, she thinks she’s the boss, and my brother and I are often very happy to “obey” my sister’s instructions! next page, please
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