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This year, Lee Hyun-woo (19), who entered the history department at Seoul National University, was diagnosed with stage 4 parotid gland cancer in January last year, when he was a high school senior. After his younger sibling was diagnosed with leukemia in 2021, he underwent tests out of concern and cancer was discovered. The hospital stated, “Even after surgery, the probability of not being able to use facial muscles is over 70 percent.” Lee said, “I took photos with different expressions – happy, sad, surprised – holding a camera, because I didn’t know what kind of face I will have in the future.” Although the surgery went well, he experienced side effects from radiation therapy. He constantly had nosebleeds and his skin became sensitive, causing discomfort even when swallowing. Instead of taking a leave of absence, he prepared for the college entrance exam and school evaluations using EBS study materials, shuttling between Seoul National University Hospital and Jeju Island. He had been using EBS lectures since his first year of high school. He said, “EBS study materials cover fundamental concepts the most thoroughly among many reference books,” adding, “Especially for English, the mock questions provided by EBS teachers were a great help.” He studied for 13 hours a day and graduated as the top student in the liberal arts department. Lee said, “Spending a long time in the hospital after surgery made me realize that there are many people who are suffering,” expressing his desire to become a historian who documents the stories of those in difficult situations.
On the 28th, Lee received the Excellence Award at the “EBS Dream Scholarship Student Awards” held at EBS headquarters in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. Since 2011, EBS and the Ministry of Education have been selecting scholarship students, and this year, they provided ￦33 million to 10 students (US$1=￦1320). These scholarship students play the role of “EBS mentors,” helping students across the country facing challenging environments.
During an interview on that day, Lee mentioned that the driving force that helped him overcome difficulties was his parents and homeroom teacher. When he felt anxious because of the side effects from radiation therapy, his homeroom teacher listened to his concerns every day and during night-time self-study hours, walked with Lee on the school field to encourage him. Lee’s father, a high school teacher, and his mother, a kindergarten teacher, both took leave of absence last year to care for Lee and his sibling who had leukemia. Lee said, “Seeing my sibling bravely undergo treatment gave me strength.” Fortunately, from this year onwards, his health improved to the point where he could stop radiation therapy. He also joined a scuba diving club and plans to apply for the school cheerleading team in the second semester. He also wants to become an exchange student abroad. Lee said, “When I acknowledged my (difficult) situation, I felt relieved, and I gained the strength to move forward.”
Yoon Ju-yeong (19), who entered the German Education Department at Seoul National University, has also become an EBS scholarship student. Hailing from Gochang, North Jeolla Province, he graduated from a primary and middle school with fewer than 50 students. Wanting to study with more friends and be stimulated, he chose Kunsan Jeonbuk Foreign Language High School with the opportunity of the “Rural Area College Admissions” system. At first, seeing his peers around him using private academies, private tutoring, and paid online courses as their foundation made him feel inferior. However, Yoon diligently prepared for college admissions for three years, relying solely on EBS lectures and school classes. He didn’t attend private academies. Even during the 3-hour journey home from the school dormitory every weekend, he would post questions on the EBS lecture board. Yoon said, “I want to let juniors know that good results can be achieved with EBS and public education alone.”
This year, the Grand Prize was awarded to Kwak Soo-hyun (19), who entered the Consumer Science Department at Ewha Womans University. Two years ago, Kwak’s father suffered a heart attack, making them eligible for basic living assistance. Initially, she considered dropping out of school and making money. However, Kwak thought, “My parents probably wouldn’t be happy with that money,” and believed that the best way to show filial piety was to enter her dream university and study there. Afterwards, she studied at school for 6 days a week and during self-study time, she repeatedly read EBS materials up to 10 times to prepare for college admissions. She downloaded EBS materials as PDF files and reviewed what she learned in her spare time, without any private academies or private question books. She passed the admissions test solely by the help of EBS and self-study. She now works at a fast-food restaurant to earn her living expenses. Kwak said, “I want to fulfill my dream of becoming an accountant.”
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