In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts, club activities, and volunteer work during high school, as well as how those experiences influenced my decision to apply to Handong Global University’s mechanical engineering program and my career plans.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
My high school had a tradition rooted in its origins as a mechanical engineering vocational school, so even though it was a general high school, it was well-equipped with mechanical-related clubs and specialized educational programs. The school was designated as a Bizcool Leading School, providing the environment to systematically complete entrepreneurship courses. I decided to actively take advantage of this opportunity, participating in Bizcool projects and being active in the entrepreneurship club for two years. Our club operated on a small scale, and we consistently received at least one hour of entrepreneurship education per week.
The entrepreneurship curriculum covered a wide range of topics, from the basics to more specialized subjects. Initially, I drew inspiration from the testimonials, projects, and portfolios of seniors who had completed the Bizcool program. Later, I was exposed to industrial and economic education through lectures led by external entrepreneurship instructors. It was particularly helpful to hear vivid, real-world experiences from instructors who were actively working in the industry. Through the economic education, I gained practical knowledge about trends in the industrial and design sectors, as well as industry trends in the mechanical field.
After building a foundation of basic knowledge, I gained experience writing business plans myself and presenting them in front of my peers through a business plan writing class. I naturally learned presentation techniques during the process, and after studying the overall process of starting and closing a business, I was able to develop practical skills by participating in a simulated startup experience. During the vacation period, I gained hands-on experience by preparing for startup competitions, refining ideas, and going through the commercialization process, including operating a booth at a startup camp and running a startup market. By encountering various success and failure stories, I was able to determine in which field and in what direction I should focus my efforts.
Major School Activities and Reflections
In parallel with my startup activities, I applied to the Technical Gifted Class to systematically learn information technology. After being accepted, I received specialized IT education. Although my school was a general high school, thanks to the curriculum linked with Bizcool, I was able to access mechanical and information technology at the level of a Meister High School. I believed that learning skills suited to the information age would be of great long-term benefit. After being selected based on my academic grades and study plan, I studied various IT fields, including computer system operations.
In the gifted class, I participated in small-group, hands-on classes with twenty peers who shared similar interests. We primarily used the multi-purpose lab for practice-oriented learning. While working on assignments, we exchanged information and collaborated to build relationships. Through recommendations from my classmates, I took on leadership roles, serving as class president and contributing to class management by guiding assignments and collecting work. Through my role as class president, I developed a sense of leadership and responsibility.
The main assignments in the gifted class involved using document processing, databases, spreadsheets, and presentations to produce results based on given processing conditions. Even when aiming for the same result, we sometimes had to make adjustments due to differing conditions, or we would redo the assignment when the conditions were the same but the results differed. Through this iterative improvement process, we enhanced the quality of our work. Upon completing each assignment, we preserved all generated data and conducted peer evaluations; when problems arose, we exchanged advice and engaged in collaborative learning.
Specifically, in document processing, we learned how to create business documents and merge data. Through Java programming, we also implemented data input/output and multi-threading for parallel processing. In spreadsheet work, we learned how to create formulas, apply formatting, build charts, generate and apply templates, and work with menus and controls. For the presentation assignment, we developed professional presentation materials by creating web-compatible files. While much of the early work involved adapting to existing templates, we later found it rewarding to produce results that incorporated creative ideas and integrated various programs.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
During my first year of the Bizcool project, I connected with a local elementary school teacher who invited me to volunteer for classes using LEGO blocks. The teacher implemented STEAM education through LEGO, and I was so impressed by this educational philosophy that I decided, along with my team members, to volunteer regularly at the elementary school. We learned the process of LEGO assembly classes and took on the role of helping elementary students develop their creativity.
When preparing lessons for younger students, we set a theme for each class and collected related visual materials to stimulate their imagination. We showed them the materials and encouraged them to complete their LEGO creations. After completion, we guided them to present the concept of their work in front of their classmates, helping them develop storytelling skills with a clear beginning, middle, and end, as well as presentation skills. Through this process, the children were able to cultivate creative thinking and systematic expression skills.
Among the upper-grade students, there were some who had reached a high level of proficiency, understanding and utilizing LEGO in a mechanical manner. For these students, I taught advanced courses such as programming and robotics to help them prepare for robot competitions, and I prepared lessons through team teaching with the assigned teacher. During the lessons, I carefully addressed the areas where students struggled, and as a result, I helped them successfully complete the assigned missions at the robot competitions. Through this volunteer experience, I witnessed firsthand how cooperation and consideration lead to tangible results.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans
During high school, I was so interested in smartphones and IT devices that I was known among my peers as an “iPhone enthusiast.” My hobbies included exploring the various features of the iPhone firsthand and searching for information online, and I became fascinated by management and innovation in the IT industry after reading Steve Jobs’ biography. The advice in the biography—“Do what you love”—resonated deeply with me and influenced my career choice.
My academic plan in college is to thoroughly master the core courses in the mechanical engineering major. Although I was limited by attending a general high school, I built a foundation in information technology and basic engineering through various school activities and classes in the gifted program for technical subjects. Building on this experience, I plan to study mechanical engineering and semiconductor-related subjects in depth at university. I also intend to form teams with peers who share my interests to participate in startup workshops and IT industry projects.
Furthermore, drawing on the experience I gained from Bizcool projects and startup camps in high school, I plan to consistently pursue startup initiatives in college as well. By combining startup education with practical experience, I aim to develop my research capabilities. After graduation, I intend to leverage my expertise as a researcher to prepare for entrepreneurship and drive innovation in the semiconductor and smartphone industries.
