Transcript

I grew up in Minnesota. I was adopted from Seoul, South Korea when I was a baby. I moved to New York after college because I was following a dream to become a professional dancer. It was my life, my livelihood, my joy, my pain. It was my passion, my biggest passion. I got injured. And then that changed my trajectory. They were like, "You can't pursue a professional dance career anymore." To hear that my injury was preventing me from my dreams. It felt like a failure. I wasn't sleeping. I was paranoid that people were out to get me, that everyone was out to get me, even at jobs, strangers, family members, friends. I thought they were watching me.

It was very scary and confusing. My dance career was over and then I got diagnosed with a mental illness, severe mental illness. I felt like life wasn't worth living. My main goal and drive was independence because I wanted to live on my own again and take care of myself.
I wanted what everyone wants to live life. My healing journey was really getting psychoeducation about it. I realized that I wanted to give back like I saw other social workers giving back to me.

So I decided to go to social work school. I just graduated from a master's of social work program and I achieved my LMSW license. So my next goal is to get a full -time salary social worker job.

"I just graduated from a master's of social work program and I achieved my LMSW license. So my next goal is to get a full -time salary social worker job."

It hurts to leave behind a dream still. Some days are worse than others, but overall I think everything that is meant to be will happen and maybe...
maybe dance wasn't the career meant for me and maybe because of my testimony and my story I can help people more in this career that I could have as a dancer or choreographer teacher.

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