Taking Action as a Double PK by Minju

Taking Action as a Double PK by Minju - August 2022 Scholarship Essay

I took a deep breath before my act at church.

I shielded my eyes as sunlight pierced through the prisms of the stained-glass windows, high above the sanctuary. I imagined how I would stand in the center of the altar, mirroring the many different shades of the stained glass.

But, the pastor was in no rush to leave the altar.

The longer he talked, the louder the kids became. Teachers shushed them, but one voice finally spoke up.

“Dad, I think you have talked a lot already. It is my turn to act now,” my 7-year-old self eagerly shouted as I raised my hand up.

Once a PK, always a PK (Pastor’s Kid).

This statement is true. However, I am a unique case. Since my parents are both pastors, I am what is called a “double PK.”

As a double PK, I had multiple roles growing up: messenger for the children, cellist for senior residents, and translator for immigrants. These roles have developed how I interact with my community and act for social justice.

When my Elementary School instructed me to leave due to my insufficient English skills, my spirit was bruised. However, I later stood in front of my school board and spoke about my right to an education. The school gave me an ultimatum where I had three months to prepare for the Illinois Standardized Test (IST). After I passed the English test, the school allowed me to stay, and the policy diversified through a language-focused program for immigrant students. This small accomplishment gave me the confidence I could tackle larger problems as a double PK.

My activism has not only been limited to words but also through graphics. I worked with various non-partisan political organizations and designed graphics for the Black Lives Matter Movement, Indigenous Heritage Day, AAPI Heritage Month, and the Stop AAPI Hate movement.

Like my graphics, I continued to create a community-wide agenda. During the worship service, I shared a message about children’s rights to an education. Inspired, Dr. Weng Chew, a professor at UIUC, took action for students in low-income families. While building up an online math and physics tutoring program together, I realized how many students long for mentors who sincerely care for their education and future.

As an activist, I am majoring in political science this upcoming school year at UC Irvine. My academic goal is to study the areas of politics, specifically related to race, gender, and sexuality. I want to delve into how people develop their political consciousness aligned with race, gender, and sexuality. Why do marginalized communities not have the opportunity for political networks? What silences them from being able to reach a political trajectory?

Not only do I plan to explore the in-depth study of political science, but I also plan to take part in research opportunities. In high school, I published my research for finding alternate solutions to hegemonic English. My scholarship aims to enhance self-esteem, social integration, and multicultural and multilingual programs for immigrant students. To tackle systemic inequalities of minority communities, I inquire about how laws and law-like systems of social norms affect public attitudes or corporate behavior. I hope to deepen this research with professors from the School of Social Sciences at UC Irvine.

My 7-year-old self is gone. Yet, every time the sun rises, sunlight pierces through the community around me. I am eagerly raising my hand up to fight against linguistic norms, racial injustice, and the children’s rights to an education.

It is my turn to act now as a double PK.