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| SuChin Pak is the uniquely ME! national spokesperson. Find out more information on SuChin and Change the Way the World Looks at Girls! |
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Changing the Way the World Looks at Girls
School's Where It Started for SuChin Pak
By Sabrina Lee Sanchez, Staff Writer
We asked SuChin Pak what it was like for her when she was in school and how the choices she made helped her decide what she wanted to do. Think she always thought she could appear in front of an audience or be recorded on camera? Read on to find out what the uniquely ME! spokesperson has to say about the importance of self-confidence self-esteem and how girls can gain it!
"I did not look forward to going to school every day. I just wanted to get through the day!"
SuChin Pak was born in Korea and moved to California when she was five years old. In order to learn English, she took ESL (English as a Second Language) classes throughout elementary school. "Starting school is difficult in general," she said. "Imagine starting school with a cultural and language barrier." SuChin was shy and not naturally sociable—it was difficult for her to communicate, and she did not make friends easily. When did her attitude change? In middle school. By that time she had learned how to speak English fluently and was attending a bigger school. She thought of her enrollment at the new school as a second chance, since everyone was starting over again.
"I was always shy as a kid; I was never the class president."
SuChin said that confidence was something she learned. How? English being her second language, SuChin doubted her ability to express herself well as a member of the debating team, but her teacher believed in her and urged her to try out. Even if she found out that debating wasn't something she wasn't good at, just getting over her fear of trying something new would be an accomplishment in itself, her teacher said. SuChin's confidence grew as she started to win competitions and tournaments. "I think joining this club definitely pushed me in the direction I went in for my career. My teacher knew I didn't want to try out for the team because I was scared, not because I didn't have the talent." SuChin still gets nervous in front of the camera and messes up lines. She knows she has to practice because confidence doesn't come to her naturally. "It's good to have positive people in your life – friends, aunts, and teachers – because they believe in you, and help you believe in yourself."
"What makes you unique is different from what makes me unique. What you want to accomplish is different from what I want to accomplish. But we all try to find the best in ourselves."
We're so excited to have SuChin as the spokesperson for the uniquely ME! program. But what's so special about this program? "uniquely ME! and its message are personal. What does this program mean to me? A different spokesperson might have a different answer. Self-esteem and confidence issues are going to change for girls depending on how old they are. This program is awesome because there's something for everyone." SuChin knows that confidence is something you have to work at. "The uniquely ME! program gives you the best set of tools to deal with this—school, family, relationships, friends—and to be successful. We can't talk enough about how important self-esteem and believing in yourself are—this should be a core class in every school!"
"Asking a question is more of an answer than having someone else answer for you."
SuChin got tired of all the media stories about young girls in the entertainment world and pop culture. "At the end of the day, they're just 16-year-old girls with the same struggles as any girl." She came up with the concept of redefining, or taking back what it means to be a girl, as an alternative to these media messages. She was fed up with otherpeople defining what it means to be young and female because the women in her life—friends and family—were not "like that". "Re-own what it means to be a girl. You can be mysterious, sophisticated, and smart—you can be all these things and not give up being beautiful and glamorous. My whole life I defined my beauty by how other people saw me—I still struggle with that, but I know that I have to define it for myself."
"I just wanted to get the uniquely ME! message out to everyone, but it's turned into something so much bigger!"
SuChin thought starting a Facebook page would be a great way to spread the uniquely ME! message. The site has turned into a forum where people can come together and show their support for women and the uniquely ME! campaign. "I'm amazed at the personal stories people are posting. People are looking to speak out about this topic and want to encourage each other." Visit this community of girls supporting each other in a trusting and shared environment and clicking on "Add SuChin on Facebook."
uniquely ME! THE GIRL SCOUT/DOVE SELF-ESTEEM PROGRAM was established in the fall of 2001 to boost self-esteem among girls ages 8 to 17. The uniquely ME! resources are available for all girls. For more information, visit the girlscouts.org uniquely ME! Web page.
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