One of the things I regard as most important in my life is trying new things, and for this, I am willing to take things a step further than most people would. So, when confronted with an opportunity, I seriously contemplate the possibilities, and then follow through with my decision, regardless of the inconveniences the decision may cause.

In middle school, I was attending Korea’s most competitive magnate art school, and continued on this short of education track into high school. I felt that I was living my dream. Then, when the opportunity came to study in America, I gave up everything I had in Korea. I knew I had to start anew, for the new country would bring more than a new language. All my accomplishments in Korea would be neutralized, and I would have to accumulate an entirely new set of bricks to build myself again, but it also promised many opportunities that I couldn’t overlook.

I lived most of my life with my butt glued to a stool, always sketching or painting. Then, last year, a teacher persuaded me to take her dance class. The first class was improvisational dance, and I tried to ‘move’ to the beats, but I felt very embarrassed. After class, the teacher called me up, and I readied myself to be humiliated. Shockingly, however, the teacher recognized my hidden talent and eventually put me in a competitive dance group. Her encouragement opened up a whole new world for me to explore as an artist.

This summer, I was reviewing my art portfolio and started to brainstorm about using my talent for more than self-satisfaction. I decided to embark on a venture and started selling fashion t-shirts and other merchandise depicting my artwork. So far, I raised $ 2,720, most of which has been donated to my school and various charity organizations. Due to my efforts, I was invited to the 2009 Entrepreneur Expose for Businesswomen, and became a top 10 finalist among thousands of professionals. I learned that art that reaches beyond aestheticism has unbelievable power.

I love challenging assumptions, especially my own; the pursuit always led my sphere of understanding to expand. Sure, it took some trial and error for me to learn when to act, and when to contemplate. Failure and success both taught me how to be a smart risk taker who understands that planning is just as important as implementing. I can list awards, scores, or some other numerical value to measure achievement or talent, but I prefer to claim the ability to take risks, for this quality continuously empowers my development.