At a very young age, I witnessed my parents’ struggles and hardships in order to provide for our daily necessities. I have seen them toil hard every day and I wished that things were different. But like what someone whom I look up to once told me, “only thinking about what you want is nothing more than daydreaming”. Simply wishing that things were different will not change anything. So, at a tender age, I learned that if you want to achieve things in life then you have to work hard for it. And that’s what I did, work hard incessantly until I achieved the person who I am today. I have toiled, sacrificed, persevered and now I reap the fruits of my labor. I firmly believed that “Nothing is impossible to a person who knows how to persevere and endure.”
But success for me was never a one-man show. I believed that behind every successful man or woman are people who never stop believing in them. People who will push them to face all the hardships and struggles in life and at the end of the day will always be there to give comfort and words of encouragement. People who will be cheering for them through it all and will become their strength in overcoming whatever life has in store for them. And for me, that’s what the Chain of Hope-Korea Foundation is. It is them who helped me endure the things I had gone through. Dr. Yoon and Dr. Park are the embodiment of selfless service and sincere kindness to others, most especially to the youth.
I will never forget how you became the shimmer of hope in my journey towards my dream. The unwavering support and earnest effort you gave, made my tiresome and sleepless night as a student bearable. Your words of encouragement became a constant reminder to never give up on my aspirations. When things got hard, you became my motivation to continue. Every ounce of sacrifice and energy you shed became my inspiration to endure and persevere. You have transformed not only my life but also the lives of every youth you have touched and have given hope. The difference you made to each one of us, your scholars, will be forever etched in our hearts. I am proud to say that I only made it this far because I have the CHK Foundation behind my back, who never fails to support and cheer for me. It is hard to believe that there are still people who will be willing to give up so much for the sake of others. The kind of people who will never hesitate to give up their own comfort in life willingly in order to make the lives of other people better. But the Chain of Hope-Korea Foundation had proven that these kinds of people do still exist. People who we can consider as precious gems among the stones. People who are truly one of a kind.
Dr. Yoon once shared with me, “I believe you’ll do your best always and we have no doubt that you’re going to overcome all difficulties”. These words meant so much to me. Your confidence in me has always been my guide in never losing sight of the things I worked hard and toiled for. Not only that but in one of Dr. Park’s message to me she also expressed, “We don’t want you to feel that you should be grateful to have this opportunity as our scholar but instead we are grateful to have you”. I felt so blessed to have met both of you. You have treated me like your own daughter. You have provided my needs unconditionally and gave me warmth. Especially in this time of the pandemic, you have never forgotten me but continued to provide my needs and made sure that I am doing well. I may be far away from my family but I never felt alone because you have assured me that you will be always there for me. And that I will always have your back, no matter what happens. And for that, I will always be grateful. There may be a thousand words in the English dictionary but not one can express how grateful I am to you Dr. Yoon and Dr. Park and the Chain of Hope-Korea Foundation. Whatever it is that I achieved now, I have you to thank for. My success is not entirely my own but it is also the success of all those people, especially you who never stop believing in me.
To Dr. Yoon and Dr. Park, I am forever grateful to both of you!
Indeed, the Chain of Hope-Korea Foundation has become the beacon of hope that guided me to a better future. The bridge that allowed me to cross the river that separates me from my dream. And the wind beneath my wings that made me soar higher.
But this is not the end of my journey, I will continue to persevere more and aim for graduate school. I am planning to take my masters once I passed the board exam and I am also considering attending law school and become a lawyer. I know this might not be easy but I also believed that this is not impossible. You thought me not to give up chasing my dreams and that is what I’ll do. I will bear the difficulties life will throw at me and continue reaching for my goal. Thank you so much Dr. Yoon and Dr. Park for always believing in me.
Sincerely,
Jenelyn S. Cordero
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