Cherishing Every Dream by Sierra

Cherishing Every Dream by Sierra - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

Unlike other times when I have clutched a book and cried, Sungju Lee’s Every Falling Star has stayed with me even years after. Lee’s true story of his escape from North Korea had a lasting impact on me. After I went into lockdown, I started to read and listen to more true stories. Anything from horror stories to memoirs were my tool to ward off both boredom and nerves about transitioning to high school. When I read Every Falling Star, I not only had an interesting read, but I also took two lessons from it: never take anything for granted and never stop dreaming.
When the pandemic started, not being able to see my school friends, understand my school work and virtual classes, or go to gymnastics made it easy for me to only see the bad side of my situation. However, Lee’s story made me realize how much your life can change in the blink of an eye. I felt more grateful for the memories I already had and the opportunity to spend more time with my mom and grandma. Not having to juggle in-person learning and gymnastics allowed me to spend more time with people I love. I use his story as a reminder to cherish everyday and everyone.
No matter what happened throughout the book, Sungju never stopped looking for or hoping to find his parents. He pursued his dream of reuniting his family, which has inspired me to never give up on my own dreams. I have always held onto my dream of graduating from college as an engineer so tightly because in the words of Sungju Lee, “When we stop dreaming, we’re as good as dead.” When I think of my dreams and aspirations for the future, I hope to honor Lee’s journey by using my knowledge as an engineer to build a better world.