Je Won Hong
Hometown: Sungnam, South Korea
University: University of Illinois
Major: Aerospace Engineering
BIOGRAPHY
Hi! My name is Je Won Hong. My current institution is U.Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying Aerospace Engineering. My great grandfather was baptized in prison during the imprisonment for fighting against Japanese Occupation in Korea back in early 1900's. Since then, my family's moto has been 'Serving others and mother nation by saving family values'. My father has been an electrical engineer for 35 years. My Mother is a full-time house keeper. I have one sister, attending college in Korea with Philosophy major. She loves the animation drawing, and is full of great ideas. As of August 10th, 2013, I have been married to my wife, Haeley "Haedeun Park". She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life. Haeley graduated with International Relations Degree and Study of East Asia as a minor. Her true passion is the art history. She has the prettiest smile, inspires my passion as student, son and husband. The reason why I chose Aerospace Engineering as my major is the movie 'October Sky' I watched during my exchange student program in Cincinnati. Then my physics teacher in high school made that goal crystal clear. Ultimately my goal is to become the first person to land on Mars, or to become one who sends the first person to land on Mars. I will tell you the story during one of my journals for 2013 I4K!
PERSONAL STATEMENT
My mother was a skin cancer survivor as my aunt is the breast cancer survivor. My mother's family side has a high potential of genetic cancer development, and I was once diagnosed with fat liver after high school graduation that could be developed into the liver cancer if proper diet cannot be maintained and work out regularly. My wife's aunt also passed away due to a brain tumor. Even though currently there is no immediate relatives suffering from cancer, there is a wake-up call constantly to my consciousness about cancer related diseases because of my family history. It is my best interest to fight before it happens, and support people in the middle of the long battle.