Ariana Kennedy - Studying Abroad Opportunity

Hello and thank you for your interest in learning more about my campaign. My name is Ariana Kennedy, the eldest daughter of Andrew and Lisa Kennedy.  I live in Chicago and am in my junior year of high school.  Living in Chicago I have been blessed by my exposure to cultures outside of my own.  I have attended schools where I have maintained honor roll status, my current GPA is 3.9, and I participate in service opportunities to assist children and adults in need.  While living in Chicago, I have learned about many cultures and faith traditions and for the past few years my interest has been in Korean music and culture.  I have taught myself how to read, speak and write in Korean and have learned everything I can locally about Korean Pop Culture.  Korean Pop Music or K-Pop is fascinating to me because the music, which has crossover from other genres, promotes a message of self-love and acceptance.  The artistry behind the lyrics has increased my interest in learning more.  I am a member of Asian American Club (AAC) at my high school and Colombia Dance through Columbia College in Chicago.  Here we learn  choreography that communicates messages of positive self-expression and emotional healing through lyrics and dance. Through these local experiences, it became my dream to visit South Korea.  While looking at colleges, I have kept studying abroad at the top of my college choice wish list.  This past fall, I attended a study abroad workshop at my high school with a visiting organization called CIEE (www.ciee.org) and was fortunate enough to be offered the chance to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea for three weeks during the summer of 2020!  While listening to the CIEE presentation at school, I was in awe that I could have the chance to experience such a unique learning opportunity in South Korea!  That day, I excitedly told my mom and dad about the trip. Both of my parents agreed to fund the trip and I was over the moon!  I applied to the Seoul, South Korea study abroad opportunity and was accepted, along with a friend of mine from grade school.  We have been excitedly planning and preparing for this three week study abroad opportunity since hearing of our acceptance.  My parents paid my non-refundable deposit for the trip in the fall, but unfortunately, due to strain during my parents’ recent divorce, my mom was left to cover the trip and she is unable to fund this opportunity alone.  While I have been devastated that this learning opportunity has become entangled in unsettled adult issues, which I can’t yet understand, I am doing everything I can to not lose this opportunity.  This experience would be a one of a kind opportunity to learn about a culture I have studied but have limited access to in Chicago.  During this study abroad opportunity we would learn Korean in classes with Korean students our age, and forge an understanding of how our generation accepts and understands others.   I want to do my part in building a global community of shared responsibilities.  Our classes would be at Yonsei University  where we would be immersed in language lessons, learn to cook Korean dishes with locals, and learn Korean traditions and mannerisms.  We would travel throughout the city and visit modern and historic sites from music videos, dramas, and other media about Korea.   I would even attend an Indie concert to experience music beyond K-pop. We’ll visit SMTOWN, the K-pop mecca dedicated to the music, technology, fashion, and fandom surrounding SM Entertainment. We will also hear from guest lecturers on the forefront of the movement such as music producers, songwriters, critics and choreographers. I am asking for your help to get me closer to my dream of going to Korea this summer and experiencing a three week studying abroad experience of a lifetime. I will bring the new experiences I have back to Chicago and continue to educate others on using language, music, dance, and food to bridge cultural divides or misunderstandings.  I look forward to inspiring others to step outside of their own cultures and be open to learning from a culture that is different from their own.  I am saving all my funds from babysitting but would greatly appreciate if you could help.  I appreciate you considering to assist me in this educational opportunity.

 

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

 

Ariana Kennedy