Students, families, teachers, volunteers, and tutors...
Thank you all for inviting me here tonight to celebrate your accomplishments and share my story with you.
But, first I would like to congratulate all of the students for the important progress you have made in your educational journey. I know how difficult it can be to juggle your job, family, and education. The fact that you are here tonight demonstrates your ability to juggle these competing demands of life while still achieving your goal of literacy. I hope your achievement being celebrated tonight also gives you the confidence to further your educational goals. It may be hard to imagine how dramatically your life will change because of this milestone in your life. I am a testament to what this single step can do for someone in the United States.
To the family of students, I thank you for the sacrifices you have made for the students to successfully complete this program. Any important goals in life require a supportive spouse and family. The precious family time you have sacrificed for this program allowed the students to successfully complete this very important program. I am pretty sure there are long "honey-do-lists" awaiting our students at home.
To teachers, volunteers, and tutors, I thank you on behalf of the students here tonight, but also for the students you have taught before, and the students you will teach in the future. You may not get to see how their lives will change because of your efforts. But I can assure you, you have forever improved their lives. I am but a single example. A single example of the American dream made possible, thanks to those that helped me when I may have looked almost helpless. Your colleagues that came before you did not give up on me; they helped me become literate and launched me down the path of success.
I am the Founder and President of KIHOMAC. We provide aerospace engineering services for military aircraft. We reverse engineer and manufacture aircraft structures for Air Force fighters, bombers, and transports. We have over 100 professional engineers and technicians working in over ten states in the service of US aerospace capabilities. We are designing and building aircraft structures comparable to those being built by large defense companies. My wife, Madelline, has been a wonderful supporter of my efforts which made all this possible. She has stood by my side as I took on the challenge of starting and running a business. She has had to endure, for far too long, the ever growing "honey-do-list". And our friends John and Nancy Odenwelder helped me take the leap of faith on the path to business ownership. For that, I am eternally grateful.
But you could not possibly have imagined, nor could I have possibly imagined, my life today if you had seen me when I first arrived in the United States.
My family came to the United States on August 25, 1978 from Seoul, Korea. I still remember the day, almost 33 years later. I am the youngest of four siblings. I was 12 years old but entered 5th grade upon arrival in the United States due to my inability to read, write, or speak English. The extent of my English in the fall of 1978 was "Yes" and "No." Everything that came out of my mouth at the time was a "Yes" or a "No." And I am pretty sure only about 1/10 of my responses should have been a "yes". Another 1/10 probably should have been a "no." And I am pretty certain now that the remaining responses should have been something to the effect of "next class is down the hallway."
I still remember sitting in a class for six months, without understanding what was happening around me. I managed to somehow get by with body gestures and by following others. But I did not really understand what was being said or asked of me. So I can empathize with students in this program about what it is like not to understand what is written and what is said.
But my teachers did not give up on me. They were patient and persistent in me becoming literate. I was given the opportunity to attend an ESL program in addition to my regular classes. I wish I could go back and thank them today for all the patience and help they afforded me. They have set me down the path of success.
It took about six months for me to develop a general understanding of what was being said to me, let alone reading. It took me about a year to effectively communicate. So finally, 90% of my "yes" answers were perhaps now appropriate to the questions asked of me. But it has taken over ten years for my verbal skills to improve to the current state, and even longer for my writing to improve. I still struggle with my grammar at times, even now. I continue to work at my reading, writing, and speaking skills. I double and triple check my grammar and ask for help whenever I can. The learning never stops. As you can all testify, English is a very difficult language and will take time to master. But through it all, my teachers, friends, and mentors continued to help me improve my English skills. Asking for help is never an admission of a shortcoming – but a testament to your character and an acknowledgement that learning and getting it right is what matters.
My teachers were immensely supportive of my academic growth throughout my elementary, junior, and senior high school years. It did not matter to them that I looked and sounded different than them. What mattered to them was my hunger to learn. Many of them left indelible marks on my life. Many of whom I stay in touch with over twenty-five years later. I will forever be grateful for the knowledge they imparted on me and the energy they poured into my learning. Teaching is truly a noble profession by my account.
I can also testify that the lives of students here are not easy, which makes tonight even more special. Many here hold jobs that require an exhausting number of hours and have family demands that require much time and effort. The fact that the students and volunteers come to the literacy program to achieve the goals you have tonight is extraordinary.
I also found myself in such a situation. Nobody ever promised that life in the US was going to be easy. The spirit of United States promises you opportunities—not results. You have to work and study hard to attain the results you want. As an immigrant family, with my parents lacking English skills, a retail business was the most accessible job for us as they are for many of today's immigrants. Helping my parents running the store was not an option – but a necessity for our family's well being. When my friends were going to the beach, playing sports, hanging out at the mall, I had to help my parents run our business. From 9th grade until I entered college, I worked every weekend during the school year and six days a week during my summer vacation. These are twelve hour day jobs, physically and mentally exhausting tasks. But the learning never stopped.
By the time I graduated from high school, my verbal skills were good enough to be accepted into Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest engineering school in the country. I was naturalized as a US citizen prior to my freshman year. Along with it, I received an Air Force ROTC scholarship, which funded my undergraduate education. Upon graduation, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. I felt immensely privileged as an immigrant to be given an opportunity to command as a military officer. I think I can safely state that this is a rare privilege normally not bestowed upon a foreign born person in any other country, but only in United States. I stayed on active duty for 11 years and achieved the rank of Major. I then entered the Air Force Reserve and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2005. I retired from the service in 2010.
I learned early in my career that writing well is critical. The first position paper I had prepared for my commander came back with so many red markups that the paper appeared to be bleeding. It was a little embarrassing for me. Even after learning English for 10 years and completing my college education, my writing was that bad…. After some short reflection, I put much more emphasis in my writing and found whomever would be willing to help me edit my papers. My writing did improve quickly after that. There is nothing like a Colonel's scorns to focus one's energy.
I have learned immensely during my military service as an active duty and reserve officer. One of the important things I learned about being an American is that America only asks for your abilities and your willingness to serve. America does not ask what caste you belong to. Nor does it ask whether you are a duke or a duchess. It does not ask whether you belong to a political party. Nor does it hold you responsible for the sins of your extended family or clan. Despite what you may hear in the news, and some negative examples notwithstanding, America embraces her immigrants with open arms.
I have been given responsibilities that are unimaginable to most people. I have held positions of great responsibility over programs of critical importance to this nation. I have had the privilege of briefing top military and civilian leaders in matters involving major technology programs. I have held a position of trust in the military, a privilege only given to select few. However, I am not unique. You will find many examples in the military and the rest of the society.
Being in the Military has helped me to rapidly integrate into American society. The Air Force taught me how to take responsibilities, how to solve problems, and how to sustain aircraft. This last lesson became the foundation of my business today. During my service in the Air Force, I had learned the skills necessary to understand the problems being faced by the military and how I could contribute to solving those problems.
I could not have achieved this without the help I received from my teachers, friends, and mentors along the way. I cannot thank my ESL teachers enough—they enabled me to achieve the all important literacy, which made the rest of my education possible.
I am a firm believer in the American Dream.
We came here, hoping for a better life -- political stability, economic well-being, educational opportunities -- or perhaps even for the pursuit of happiness. We are all here, because you or your parents believed your life in this strange new land was much more preferable to the familiar life you had before. Sure there are challenges in this country today. But I am a firm believer of the fact that there are better days ahead for all of us. The American Dream is not a political party … it is us! It is those of you who volunteer your time in a pure selfless act to improve the lives of your fellow citizens and newcomers. It is those of you who stay up late to study to achieve your goal of literacy after a full day of work. It is the immense efforts we are all willing to expend to improve ourselves, our family, our community, and our country.
I am here as an example of what is possible in America.
I am here to thank the teachers, volunteers, and tutors who may not get to see the fruits of their labor for 10, 20, or 30 years and say that I am the product of what others like you have done for me. I can assure you that your efforts improved, and will continue to improve, the lives of your students.
I am here to encourage the students who have completed this important step of literacy to further your education. There will be many difficult bumps in the road ahead of you. But with faith, hard work, and sacrifice, you will achieve the American Dream. Your example will inspire your children to go even further. Of this, I have no doubt.
Thank you again for the privilege of speaking tonight. Congratulations on your accomplishments!
