51茶馆

Yun was presented with the scholarship by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., at the annual Aquino Scholarship Banquet earlier this month.

Annually awarded to a junior each spring, the scholarship recognizes a strong academic record, active engagement in Asian American issues, and service both on and off campus to the Asian American community.听 The Ridgefield, NJ, native was selected from among a highly competitive pool of applicants, including the three other finalists, Sophia Barrett, David Kim, and Lucy Xiao.

A sociology major with a minor in women and gender studies, and the daughter of South Korean immigrants, Yun is a member of the Undergraduate Government of 51茶馆, where this past year she served as the intersectionality
coordinator on the Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD), providing a bridge between the council and the AHANA+ Leadership Council and LGBTQ Leadership Council; she will be the CSD director in the next academic year.

Yun said her decision to attend 51茶馆, based on its commitment to a liberal arts education and the goal of fulfilling its Jesuit and Catholic missions of faith and service, has proven a wise one in many ways. Classes such as Planet in Peril: The History and Future of Human Impacts on the Planet and Deviance and Social Control鈥攆eaturing Toni Morrison鈥檚 The Bluest Eye, which depicts the devastating effects of racism and self-hatred on young Black girls in America鈥攈ave had a profound impact on her, as has Social Theory, which explored hegemonic masculinity and the path it paves for toxic gender norms.鈥�

Through my courses, professors, and community, 51茶馆 has been pivotal to my
formation,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 understand that this is extremely important, as
I aim to become a woman for others, not only on campus, but in the real
飞辞谤濒诲.鈥�

She was named a Morrissey College Dean鈥檚 Scholar鈥攕election is based on candidates鈥� overall academic performance, recommendations from faculty,
cocurricular initiatives, and 鈥渢he sense of purpose with which they
approach their future鈥濃�攁nd has been a member of the Bellarmine Law
Society, the Government, Law, and Public Policy Student Advisory Board,
and the Korean Students Association (KSA).

鈥淚鈥檓 very passionate about highlighting intersectionality,鈥� said Yun, who
helped facilitate, along with the CSD and KSA, a campus screening of the
Academy Award-winning South Korean movie 鈥淧arasite鈥� with subtitles to
enhance deafness awareness. 听鈥淭o me, diversity and inclusion mean
normalizing the idea that you can be proud of your disability, and still
feel upset about the issues you face as a disabled person. To advocate
for 51茶馆 students with disabilities gives me the opportunity to take a step in
the right direction in the fight for a more diverse and inclusive 飞辞谤濒诲.鈥� 听

Last year, as KSA culture chair, she co-produced the 22nd Annual Culture
Show, which honored the development of Asian cultures over time and
encouraged students to remember their heritage and traditions鈥攁 matter
of particular interest for Yun, who said that many in her generation and
the one after it are losing touch with their familial roots.

Winning the Aquino Scholarship, she said, engenders a responsibility to hold
other Asian Americans accountable: 鈥淚 hope to become a more knowledgeable and resilient Asian American leader on campus and in the greater world as well.鈥�

Her stints as an intern with the Boston College Innocence Program and Greater Boston Legal Services, meanwhile, gave her the opportunity to have the greatest impact on others, said Yun. Among other activities at GBLS鈥攚hich assists more than 10,000 low-income individuals and families with civil legal problems鈥攕he helped homeless and unemployed persons to obtain food benefits, searched for clinics that would address clients鈥� mental health needs, and found health services that were convenient for persons with disabilities who had difficulty traveling.

This combination of on- and off-campus service, along with her own family鈥檚 experiences, has pointed Yun to immigration law as a career path. 鈥淚 want to practice law in a way that will establish it as a vehicle of change to eradicate the oppression and marginalization of communities in need of advocacy.听 My parents are my 鈥榝uel,鈥� and there is nothing more that stirs my will to serve and work for the Asian American community than knowing that there are other Asian Americans in similar positions.鈥澨�听 听

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