2022-2023 WAFL Program

Graduation | June 10, 2023

On June 10, the WAFL held its final session for the 2022-2023 school year. During the graduation, KAYF President Phillip Hong and Board Chair Chris Lee extended their well wishes to the graduating class. This year’s recipients of scholarship awards and the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards were announced, and the graduating seniors shared what their plans were after high school.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023!

Senior Awards $1,000

Alyssa Choi
Derrick Kang
Eugene Park
Joon Kwon
JooWon Yoon
Joshua Chong
Joshua Kim
Marie Kim
Olivia Lee
Rebekah Yun
Yumi Minose

Asian American Excellence Award $500

Danielle Yoon
David Hu
Heewon Moon
Lina Kim
Matthew Ji

Leading By Example Award $300

Chloe Koo
Eunice Jeon
Grace Kim
Hannah Kim
Lonnie Moon
Matthew Wooton

Go-Getter Award $200

Ally Lee
Lauren Kim (9th Grade)
Jonah Kim
Yang Wu

Presidential Volunteer Service Award Recipients

GOLD

Alyssa Choi
Andrew Kang
Chrissy Jung
David Hu
Derrick Kang
Edward Gunwoo Park
Grace Kim
Heewon Moon
Ian Lim
Justin Moon
Marie Kim
Matthew Wooton
Olivia Lee

SILVER

Eugene Park
Matthew Ji

BRONZE

Andrew Na
Chloe Koo
Danielle Yoon
Grace Na
Janice Lee
Jonah Kim

Career Forum | May 13, 2023

On May 13, the Korean American Youth Foundation held the annual Career Forum.

The Career Forum, a staple of the WAFL Program, is an annual event for our students to meet with Asian Americans working in various professional sectors, and to gain insight on potential careers they’d like to pursue after high school. This year, KAYF invited 9 panelists representing an array of professions, including STEM, business, and content creation. After introductions, the WAFL students were split into smaller groups for individual Q&As with each speaker.

2023 Career Forum Panelists

Student Testimonies

“I love how everyone came from a different background and did different things to end up where they are now. They inspired me to do what I actually want to do and what I am good at rather than chasing someone else’s dream. I learned how with every opportunity comes a chance to be what you were destined to be.” - Heewon, 11th Grade

“I am so grateful for all the panelists for coming and sharing their experiences in life in general, college and how they chose their career. I definitely learned a lot! I think being part of KAYF for all four years of high school I was able to see and learn what the previous upperclassman asked and what they were to take away from this meeting which helped me so much in learning about what could be a possible future of mine.” - Alyssa, 12th Grade

“I loved the new views I have on life. I learned that the changing times should be seen more as an advantage that can be used like fire and to advance society with it. BE HUMAN!” - Lonnie, 10th Grade

“I truly enjoyed the career forum. It's one of my favorite sessions of the entire year, and offers advice that I will take with me into college and into professional life. It's a special opportunity to be able to interact and build connections with people of a diverse range of career fields. Each panelist comes with insightful wisdom that is relevant to every student. It opens my eyes to the infinite possibilities that lie ahead in my professional path, and makes me excited for what is to come.” - Danielle, 11th Grade

Speech Competition | April 15 & 29, 2023

On April 15 and 29, the Korean American Youth Foundation held its annual Speech Competition for the WAFL Program.

The Speech Competition is an opportunity for the students to not only practice their public speaking skills, but to share their opinions and experiences on a topic of their choosing. Topics this year included Korean American identity, the need for young people’s political engagement, education reform, and social justice. Over the course of a few weeks, the students wrote their speeches to compete for a first place prize of $1,000.

2023 Speech Competition Winners

First Place $1,000
Danielle Yoon, 11th Grade, Texas

On Rising Above the Model Minority Myth

Second Place $500
Janice Lee, 10th Grade, California

On the Importance of Asian Representation in US History

Third Place $300
Edward Gunwoo Park, 11th Grade, California

On Finding Happiness in the Joy of Others

Fourth Place $200
Ellen Ko, 11th Grade, Connecticut

On Storytelling, Preserving Culture, and Relaying History

Fifth Place $100
Marie Kim, 12th Grade, New Jersey

In Defense of Girls in Video Games

Sixth Place $100
Matthew Wooton, 10th Grade, Texas

On Gerrymandering & Ranked Choice Voting

Popular Award $100 Amazon Gift Card
Andrew Na, 10th Grade, New York

On Gun Violence

Student Presentations | April 1, 2023

On April 1, the WAFL Program held its annual Student Presentations. Over the past few months, the WAFL students were tasked with conducting research and collaborating on a topic of their choice. The topics, all related to Asian and/or Asian American issues, ranged from media/culture, history, to contemporary social issues. Check out the topics below!

How the Hays Code Led to Yellowface in Hollywood
Presented by Chloe Koo and Amy Kim

Racist Memes: The Normalization of Racism via Internet Memes
Presented by Jayden Lee, Andrew Na, David Hu, and Matthew Ji

Asian-Americans: The Perfect Application, The Imperfect Outcome
Presented by Heewon Moon, Lonnie Moon, Justin Moon, and Ally Lee

Japanese Colonialism: The Story of the Korean Comfort Women
Presented by Eugene Park, Eric Lee, Marie Kim, Grace Kim, and Andrew Kang

Making Waves: Asian Figures Throughout History to Today
Presented by Danielle Yoon, Lina Kim, Hannah Kim, and Olivia Lee

Our Dark History: On Asian American Discrimination
Presented by Yang Wu, Johanna Kim, Matthew Wooton, Haley Park, Eugene Seo, and Wen Wu

The Wrongful History of Asian Americans & Immigrants
Presented by Rebekah Yun, Yumi Minose, Ethan Lee, and Alyssa Choi

Bravery, Brains, and Beauty: Influential Asian Women of the Past & Present
Presented by Eunice Jeon, Eva Choi, Hailey Won, Ian Lim, Eddy Kang, and Jonah Kim

Film Screening: Chosen | March 18, 2023

On March 18, the WAFL Program hosted a film screening of Chosen, the latest documentary by Korean American filmmaker Joseph Juhn.

Chosen follows the five Korean Americans who ran for Congress in 2020 (Andy Kim, Marilyn Strickland, Michelle Steel, Young Kim, and David Kim), their diverse political views and backgrounds, and the historic results of this election.

As they watched the film, the students gave live commentary on the WAFL Discord server. After the screening, the students were joined by the director Joseph Juhn for a Q&A and discussed topics ranging from the film-making process to their shared experiences as young Asian Americans.

Student Testimonies

“I couldn’t believe that the director of Chosen spoke to us at WAFL – we could ask all our questions directly and hear about his perspective. It made the experience with the movie feel even more real to have been able to talk to the director, let alone with fellow students at WAFL.” - Olivia, 12th Grade

“Through [the Q&A], my general understanding of my identity within American society formed. I was able to see that there are other people like me, connected together by our experiences. It was a surreal moment seeing my peers talk about Asian American representation in America.” - Yang, 10th Grade

“My favorite part of the session was listening to everyone's personal connections and perspectives on the film. It was fascinating to see how the film resonated with each of my peers in a similar way, and I feel like I gained a furthered understanding of our Korean American community throughout the session. Furthermore, hearing about the film from the director's side was extremely insightful. I enjoyed hearing about behind-the-scenes details that we would not have known without Joseph Juhn's input, and I was able to have a comprehensive experience of understanding the film.” - Danielle, 11th Grade

Public Speaking Workshop | February 4, 2023

On February 4, the WAFL Program held a Public Speaking seminar with New York Speech Coaching.

The students were joined by Courtney Armstrong, an instructor from NYSC. The session began with student introductions and sharing what they specifically wanted to gain from the workshop. Ms. Armstrong then guided the students through various exercises to encourage better articulation, consistent pacing, and voice projection. The session concluded with mini exercises for students to practice their public speaking on a variety of topics assigned by the instructor.

The Public Speaking Workshop is a precursor for group projects, wherein the WAFL students will conduct research and prepare a presentation on a topic of their choice pertaining to Asian America.

Student testimonies

“I liked all the tips and tricks that Ms. Armstrong gave us such as pausing in between sentences for slower pacing and breathing exercises.” - Andrew, 10th Grade

“I enjoyed the interactive activities that Ms. Armstrong had planned for us as they were fun and everything made a lot of sense. I thought that the breathing exercises were a great way to reduce anxiety and they would definitely be able to help me and everyone else in the future when we have to do public speaking.” - Lina, 11th Grade

“The speaking class was helpful and I hope that during the [student] presentations, I will be able to implement some of the strategies that the guest speaker taught me!” - David, 10th Grade

Visibility Matters: LA Riots of 1992 & Gook Film Screening | January 21, 2023

On January 21, the WAFL Program had a film screening of Gook, a story about two Korean American brothers and their experiences on the first night of the Los Angeles Riots.

The session opened with a presentation by Program Coordinator Eri Kim on the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 and the impact it had on the Korean American community. The Riots, which have been referred to as sa-i-gu (4.29 or April 29), have often been discussed as a watershed event in Korean American history, and in other cases described as the catalyst for the birth of a Korean American identity as we know it today.

During the film screening, the students shared their live commentary on the WAFL Discord server and discussed the film. The screening was followed by a group discussion where they shared their thoughts and reflections on not only the film but the importance of media representation of Asian Americans.

Student Testimonies

“My favorite part of the session was watching the movie Gook which highlighted the high tensions between the African-American and Korean communities at the time. I also like the part where we discussed the movie afterward as it showed me ideas and meanings that I hadn’t thought of when watching the movie.” - Andrew Kang, 10th Grade

“I really liked listening to all of the insightful commentaries at the end. It was really helpful to hear different perspectives that my peers were able to find from the same source of inspiration.” - Janice Lee, 10th Grade

“I loved discussing the movie and reading everyone’s comments while watching the movie. I felt so connected to our WAFL community and it felt nice to watch a movie with all. The movie, Gook, was so meaningful and heartbreaking. I was able to understand the importance of the separation and stereotypes between different races during the LA riots as well as the consequences. Overall, it was an amazing movie with excellent cinematography (note: the grayscale filter/filming) and emotion-inducing actors.” - Lina Kim, 11th Grade

NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY with JACKIE LHO & SOPHIA YOO FROM: NAVER ZEPETO | DECEMBER 10, 2022

On December 10,  WAFL Program held a Next Generation Technology Workshop with Jackie Lho & Sophia Yoo from Naver Zepeto. Zepeto is an avatar-centric social universe where users can connect and create beyond the boundaries of the physical world. Since 2018, over 340 million global users have relied on Zepeto to explore new forms of entertainment, expression, and experience alongside the world’s most popular brands, IPs, and celebrities.

The workshop focused on explaining trust and safety protocols within Zepeto. Jackie and Sophia further gave detailed information through their presentation about their team. They explained how they run their job of developing and enforcing principles and policies that define acceptable behavior and content for their users. Our students also got to use the Zepeto apps themselves with Jackie and Sophia. WAFL students learned about the importance of policy, communications, product and engineering, data analysis, and customer service in our growing technology industry.

STUDENT TESTIMONIES

“My favorite part of the session was when they integrated live polls for the students to participate in. This was a very engaging way to allow the students to feel like they are truly a part of the presentation, and for them to get a hands-on experience of the uses and benefits that technology can bring.” - Danielle Yoon, 11th Grade

“I really liked using Zepeto. I had seen ads about Zepeto before, but I never re-downloaded it. I’m super grateful to have tried it in this session since it’s enjoyable, like the characterizations and different worlds, and including the social media format on here. It’s just really diverse and I like how this session allowed me to explore this app.” - Hannah Kim, 9th Grade

“Jackie and Sophia were incredibly detailed and the answer to my question answered multiple questions I had in my head.” - Eugene Park, 12th Grade

“I thought Jackie and Sophia were really helpful with explaining which parts are taken into consideration in-app privacy and reporting.” - Alyssa Choi, 12th Grade

Social Issues Awareness: #StopAsianHate with Attorney Joseb Gim | November 12, 2022

On November 12, the WAFL Program invited ADA Joseb Gim to talk about the #StopAsianHate movement and how local law enforcement in New York is addressing anti-Asian hate crimes.

Chief Joseb Gim is the leader of the Hate Crimes Unit at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, giving him special insight into the rise of hate incidents targeting the Asian American community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The session opened with student introductions and opportunities for the WAFL students to share their own experiences with discrimination and anxiety. Chief Gim then delivered a presentation on the history of anti-Asian racism and how members of law enforcement are working to address this very pressing social issue. The session then concluded with a Q&A session where the students were able to ask Chief Gim about the in-and-outs of law enforcement, his career trajectory, and what they can do when they are faced with discrimination.

Student Testimonies

“I liked how the speaker covered both recent and historical events (ex. cases during his work vs Vincent Chin/Matthew of earlier years) of Hate Crimes, so we could see its chronological growth over time.” - Janice Lee, 10th Grade

“I thought that Joe's presentation style was super engaging and the material he covered was interesting as well so it is hard to pick a favorite part.” - Ellen Ko, 11th Grade

“My favorite part was when we talked about our own experiences with Asian hate, especially because of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. It seemed like I wasn't the only person who had an experience with racism, and I felt welcomed.” - David Hu, 10th Grade

“I really liked the part where he talked about the law and how to act when we encounter a situation where we have to or should take action in the future. I am also really happy that he mentioned Vincent Chin, and I hope more people can keep talking about him as the years go by to help remember our history and his case.” - Alyssa Choi, 12th Grade

College Essay Writing Workshop with C2 Education | October 22, 2022

On October 22, the WAFL Program held a College Essay Writing Workshop with C2 Education.

The session began with a general seminar led by Ed Kim, the District Manager of C2 Education’s Chicago branch. Ed Kim discussed what students can do to amp up their applications and what college admissions officers look for. The students also had the opportunity to ask questions they about the admissions process, and how they can set themselves apart from other applicants.

The students then were separated into three different breakout rooms depending on their needs. The WAFL underclassmen met with C2 instructor Jesus Espitia who led a creative writing workshop and shared how students can effectively demonstrate who they are in their writing. WAFL seniors, who are now applying to colleges, met with C2 instructor Dena Read and Director Ed Kim in small groups to receive closer attention and specific feedback on their college essay drafts.

Student Testimonies

“I loved how willing Ed was to answer ALL of our questions and was fully committed to making us feel prepared for the College App. He was very detailed in his explanations and truly allowed me to learn things I had never known before! I found it especially admirable how Ed used the break time to chat with students.” - Chrissy, 11th Grade

“My favorite part of the Workshop was how we talked about standardized testing. I won’t take it until a few years, but I liked learning more about what to expect.” - Hannah, 9th Grade

“This session was extremely helpful and relevant for arguably all of the students of WAFL, as college is at the forefront of many of our minds, our even just around the corner as applications are due soon. As always, I'm looking forward to the next WAFL session!” - Danielle, 11th-grade

WAFL orientation | October 8, 2022

On October 8, the Korean American Youth Foundation had its orientation for the 2022-2023 WAFL Program.

During the orientation, Program Coordinator Eri Kim discussed the program overview, student conduct policy, and how students can apply for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. This was then followed by student introductions and an icebreaker for the new WAFL class to get to know each other.

Since 2020, the WAFL Program has been conducted online and is open to Korean American teens nationwide. This year, 64 students are enrolled in the WAFL Program representing 12 states across the country.