Chanel – Rescue Teams
Hi, I’m Chanel. I’m from Paramus, New Jersey. Well, I was born in the Bronx, but I’ve been in New Jersey for most of my life. I love New Jersey—no shame! I go to school at Carnegie Mellon and I’m an engineering major.
Why did you decide to intern at LiNK?
I didn’t really know what LiNK was, but the Northeast Nomads came to my school and they were really inspiring. You know how the nomads have to sleep somewhere at night? The guys stayed at my friend’s dorm and I was talking with them until 2am. Even though they were only 1-2 years older than me, they seemed so knowledgeable and inspiring, it felt like they were 10 years wiser than me. They next day, in class, all I did was research LiNK. So I told my friend, “This summer, I’m going to be an intern at LiNK!” I also told my boyfriend and he was like, “You can do it!” And here I am now!
What is the best part of your internship?
I love how you learn so much about North Korea, and I love living with all the other interns. It’s a big family, and everyone here is so open minded and so politically aware of what’s going on around them. I really don’t get to be surrounded with a lot of people like that. Here, I get to meet a lot of people who are so passionate about this topic.
If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be and why?
Wow, this is hard. If I could be anybody in the world, I would be… Jennifer Lawrence. Just hear me out—she has such a real personality! She is super relatable, she won’t starve herself for a role. If I was her, I would be able to bring light to an issue. She’s just cool. I love her.
If you had to listen to one song on repeat for an entire day, what would it be?
‘Dare You to Move’ by Switchfoot. Probably because I just watched ‘A Walk to Remember.’ It’s so good.
Who inspires you?
I’d probably say my mom. She is the smartest person ever. She immigrated to America by herself. She went to UCLA and majored in Spanish, got a degree in accounting, then got a real estate licence. When I was little, she went to school in NYC to get an interior design and architecture degree. And now she builds houses. She can do anything!
Where would you like to settle down?
I would love to settle in Los Angeles because I’m here, I love it, I love the weather, and I love the style. But I also love New Jersey. It’s where I’m from, that’s what I know. And, we actually have snow in the winter. Honestly, I’d like to do both! For my youth, stay in L.A. Family time, New Jersey. I think if I send my kids to school in L.A., they would just play. I wouldn’t be able to study here! I mean, Jersey is fun. Just not that kind of fun, haha.
Darola – Rescue Teams
Wassup y’all! My name is Darola and I am from Atlanta, Georgia, but I was born in Boston. I go to to Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, and I am a political science major with a concentration in foreign policy and human rights.
Why did you decide to intern at LiNK?
Well, I found out about LiNK during my freshman year. I was taking Korean classes at the time and I went to an event. A year later, I volunteered to restart the Rescue Team at my school. I watched the Danny documentary and it redirected what I wanted to do in life. As stereotypical as this sounds, it really gave me a change of heart. It made me realize that this is something that is possible for someone like me to do, to help someone no matter how small the impact. So coming to LiNK Headquarters, I see it as my way of taking the first step when it comes to my future career choices.
What is the best part of your internship?
Being in California. Three years ago, I was thinking it would be amazing to just go to California. Then yesterday, when we went to Redondo Beach, I thought, This is crazy! I’m 2200 miles away from my home. I said I was going to do something, and here I am. The reality of being here is awesome. Aside from that, meeting new people. Our house is a really good group of people. We have good chemistry, which I’m kind of surprised about.
Who would you be if you could be anybody?
I’ve come to accept myself, so for me to want to become someone else is counter-productive. But I want to be someone who is independent, who is level headed, someone who is great at networking (because that’s important) and who has a good work-ethic… Yeah, someone like that—someone who is driven, so when people look at me they’re like, “She’s living life the way someone should live life.”
If you had to listen to one song on repeat for an entire day, what would it be?
I listen to so many types of music. It’s all based on my environment, how I feel. Can I say an album? This last year I’ve gone through some social issues, and for some reason, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ has kept me driven. It speaks so much about struggle. There’s this song ‘Alright’…when I sing with it, my heart wells up, and I’m like, I’m gonna be alright! I guess that will be the song, but the album just speaks to me. Kendrick Lamar is such a good lyricist; so politically charged but at the same time relatable. I think it speaks to the majority of minorities.
Who inspires you?
My cousin, who’s in Boston. I basically lived at her and her brother’s house. She’s grown into such an amazing woman, an individual that I would love to follow in the footsteps of. She has a strong mindset when it comes to the things that she believes in and she doesn’t let her emotions get the best of her. She’s cultured, she’s ‘woke.’ She’s beautiful inside and out. Every time I think of someone who has it together, I think of her. She’s so humble, too. I always think back to her when I think about what I want to achieve in terms of personal goals.
Where would you like to settle down?
Most people assume I want to settle in South Korea, because I know about the culture, I work here [at LiNK], and I’m learning Korean. But I would feel very homesick. I do like California so far, and I like Boston and Canada, so maybe one of those places.
Ji – Rescue Teams
My name is Ji and I’m from Chino Hills, California. I go to school at Syracuse University.
Why did you decide to intern at LiNK?
I actually wanted to intern last year but I kinda missed the deadline so we won’t talk about that… But I really wanted to intern here at HQ specifically because I just wanted to get closer to the organization and I’m really passionate about this issue. I wanted to get more actively involved and I felt like being in a Rescue Team definitely helped to fundraise and help change the narrative, but being able to see the people here at HQ do their work and hear more insights about the issue—I knew that I was going to grow tremendously and learn a lot more.
What is the best part of your internship?
I would say that the working environment here is very relaxed and casual, and I think that kind of shows how friendly these people are and how focused on work they are, but it’s not always a deep, hard issue either. They’re focused on the positives and they want to make change and they’re thinking on the bright side. I think that’s really good and it’s reflected in the environment. And then I think the intern class is great because I’m learning a lot just from being with them. It’s not often that you get to be in a room every day with 13 other people that are just as passionate as you about a certain issue, so I think that’s really cool, too.
If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be and why?
I would like to be Oprah, for sure. She’s got some great insight and I know she’s one of those people that failed multiple times to pursue her own dreams and career but she never gave up and look where she is now, with her own network and everything.
If you had to listen to one song on repeat for an entire day, what would it be?
If it were today, I would listen to Child’s Play by Drake. That might change tomorrow.. But for today, Child’s Play by Drake.
Who inspires you?
Both of my parents, actually. They obviously have their own shortcomings, but I think my mom, just for her wisdom and strength. She’s gone through a lot in her life but she’s somehow managed to still be a really great mother and inspiration. She’s also really, really smart. She never did anything with her college education but she went to college in South Korea, and during her time that wasn’t too common. And even with her parents saying no, she was able to go to college and learn French at that time, which is even rarer. All my looks and language interest come from her. And my dad, I’m just like him even though we’ve spent so much time apart. And he’s very determined and hard working and career oriented so I respect him for that and he inspires me to be the best person that I can be.
Paige – Rescue Teams
My name is Paige and I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Penn State this past spring.
Why did you decide to intern at LiNK?
I’ve known about LiNK since 2013 when I read Shin Dong Hyuk’s book, and I remember reading about the internships at the end—they were talking about LiNK in general—and I was so excited. I was obsessed with it, but I was 18 at the time. So, I started a Rescue Team instead during my junior year at Penn State, and then ran it as president for two years. This summer, I didn’t really have anything lined up as a full-time job yet, so I figured this is the perfect chance to do this.
What is the best part of your internship?
I think seeing the day-to-day workings of the organization, and to also see the insides of a nonprofit because I’ve always been curious and have wanted to work for one. The HQ is exactly what I imagined it to be, the people are exactly how I thought they’d be… It’s really cool to be around like-minded individuals who are all passionate about the same thing that I am. I really like that.
If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be and why?
Well, my favorite author is Khaled Hosseini. He’s written ‘Kite Runner’ and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns.’ He does some work with refugees and he has so much influence, and I just think his writing is the best and he’s a very awesome human being, so I would love to step into his shoes for like a day and see… I don’t know. I don’t even know what goes on in his life, but he’s my favorite person.
Who inspires you?
I used to work a part time job at a movie theater and I had a manager there when I was in my second year. He was the coolest person ever. He was only a few years older than me, but he came into work with a huge smile and you knew if you were working with him you were going to have the best day ever. I think he just helped change my mindset and realize that no matter where you’re going or who you’re interacting with, you can have a really big impact. He was the best.
Where would you like to settle down?
For a long time I never thought about that and was just like, I can go anywhere! But I think that as I’ve started to get older and more realistic, I’d like to stay on the East Coast because my family is all there. When I’ve traveled in the past, it’s always like I was coming home, but I think if I were to relocate somewhere permanently I’d really miss them.
