Grace Kim, 2012 Hye-Ryeong Kim Memorial Foundation Scholarship Winner
Grace was selected for her incredible community service involvement, impressive academic record and overall character.
In particular, Grace volunteered for four years with Kaiser, has organized and led outreach to underprivileged children and the homeless through Korean Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, and was singled out for outstanding performance as a special education mentor. Her direct leaders at all of her community service activities praised her and universally declared her one of the best volunteers they have ever had; in one instance, she even took a scared special education student who was afraid of the water into the pool, something no one had ever done before.
Grace recently graduated from Prospect High in Saratoga, CA, with a 3.8 GPA and an SAT score over 2000, and she is headed to the University of San Francisco to study Nursing in the fall. Her long-term plan is to serve the nursing needs of low income communities around the world.
We are very proud to award Grace this scholarship, as she truly embodies the legacy Hye-Ryeong hoped to leave.
Update - March 1, 2013
Grace is enjoying her studies at UCSF and is well on her way to achieving her nursing dreams.
In addition, she has continued her volunteering efforts. Every Monday, she gives homeless women in the Tenderloin (one of the roughest parts of San Francisco) much-needed manicures and prayers. She also continues to work with special education students through the on-campus Best Buddies program. To top it off, she serves inpatients at the pediatric floors of UCSF.
We are so proud of Grace and honored to have her as the first recipient of the Hye-Ryeong Kim Memorial scholarship.
Update - July 18, 2013
Grace has been awarded the prestigious Nurse Corps scholarship through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through this scholarship (which covers tuition, fees, and other expenses), Grace will work at a facility that is experiencing a critical nursing shortage once she graduates and is licensed. Congratulations, Grace!