A click on an email led me to a path that changed the world.

It was just a regular day of my busy third year in middle school. I checked my mailbox once in a while. My mailbox was full of unopened messages. What caught my attention was an announcement from VANK that invited applications for Koren Cultural Heritage Ambassadors. I jumped at the chance to make a difference in the world. At the time, I didn’t realize how much difficulty would lie ahead. For a shy but curious girl like me, promoting Korean cultural heritage to people around the world was an exciting opportunity. That was the beginning of my journey to change the world.

I noticed inaccurate information about Jikji on the History of Printing Timeline on the American Printing History Association (APHA) website. The website stated that Jikji was printed in 1403. I knew that Jikji was actually printed in 1377 from VANK’s education. By using VANK’s campaign letter about Jikji, I wrote my own message and sent it to the APHA. A few days later, I received a response, notifying that the information was corrected. I went to the website and saw that the year was indeed changed to 1377. It was very exciting because effort doesn’t always lead to a result.

I emailed three other websites about misinformation about Jikji or Korean history but never heard back. I felt ignored and upset because I spent a lot of effort to write those messages and those websites would continue to misinform people about Korea. However, I didn’t let it discourage me and focused on the success I made. The more I try, the more chances I will succeed. I encourage you not to give up when you don’t get a response. Keep trying. Then, at least one of them will appreciate your message.

Am I satisfied with the one success I made? Of course not. It made only a small footprint. Changing the world takes much more. However, through VANK activities, I have taken steps toward achieving my dream and gained confidence in making change. I have learned that true happiness comes from overcoming challenges. If I didn’t get involved in VANK’s Korea Cultural Heritage Ambassador activities, I would have had more free time and experienced less challenges. The sense of accomplishment and joy that I gained from working through the challenges made it all worth it. I know there is one thing all VANK members share. That is love for Korea and Korean cultural heritage. Don’t be overwhelmed by the big task of changing the world. Big change starts with small steps. Just take a small step every day!