Every three years, the Milken Scholars Program brings together Alumni from around the world to discuss personal and professional experiences and strengthen ties within the Scholar community.
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With the support of the Milken Institute and Milken Family Foundation, I was able to spend my winter break in Jan 2023 traveling in Asia and conducting research and interviews about private school admissions and students’ desire to study abroad in the US. My trip lasted 3 weeks, with time evenly split between Japan and Thailand, and over the course of this trip I was able to meet with education consultants, US private school graduates, and summer program/educational leaders who prepare students to become stronger English speakers. I wanted to better understand these students and families’ motivations for applying, how they learn about US schools, and what domestic education looks like in these two countries.
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I spent the first portion of my semester off in London. The primary purpose of my visit was for social work related to my nonprofit Efforts in Youth Development of Bangladesh (EYDB). I had grown up in Bangladesh until the age of 10. Throughout my life, I have seen the tremendous potential of many youth around me go to waste. A lot of kids that I was friends with in my childhood are now victims of child marriage and abuse. I have also seen the tremendous potential Bengali children possess and have been impressed by their drive to learn and adapt to situations. If these kids were given the kind of education that I am receiving, I cannot even fathom where they would be.
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Thank you to all high schools and students that participated in our Class of 2023 nomination and application process.
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An oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert. An island with a rich history floating in the Mediterranean Sea. A bustling city with hectic traffic and a sprawling bazaar - flowing garments, bags, shoes, scents. An ancient city founded in the 9th century BCE - ruins wondrously displayed as if it were suddenly possible to walk through a history textbook. The sounds of the call to prayer - melodious, beautiful, a reminder to all to make their way to their Lord. People filling the streets, hailing taxis. Shopkeepers calling your attention to come take a look. Cats roaming the streets - their home.
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I became attracted to the idea of learning more about temple food when I saw Jeong Kwan Sunim’s special on Netflix’s Chef ’s Table. I was attracted to her poise, grace, and humility though she has become Asia’s most revered chef. And the way her admirers, namely other revered chefs, described her food. Delicious, bursting with flavor, incredible texture profiles, and…vegan. They said that what she is able to do with such simple ingredients blew their mind. And in that moment, sitting on my little loveseat in Pfoho, I knew I had to meet her.
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Let’s begin with a hypothetical scenario, which will help set the scene. Imagine that you are a farmer, growing crops to feed your family and to sell or trade at local farmers’ markets. Now, imagine that one day, you leave for a few hours. Upon return, you find that a group of people has come and destroyed your crops. They took bites out of fruits and vegetables before throwing the scraps on the ground and running away. How would you feel? Furious? Disappointed? What would you do, in response? Put up a fence? Seek legal action? Revenge?
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Over dinner one day in Los Angeles, my mom told me a story about my great-grandparents. They lived in the countryside of South Korea as farmers and fishers, waking up at dawn to begin their work. Their daily lives differed quite a bit from my life in the states, and this contrast made me curious about what changes my parents had experienced in immigrating to the states. I also wondered what lessons their journey held in the larger context of the American dream. To explore my questions, I flew to South Korea with the support of the Milken scholars travel fund and documented my learnings.
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Scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The four values of Milken Scholars continue to be exemplified by Alumni well beyond their college years. This Fall, Alumni volunteered alongside current Scholars to help high school seniors in New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., prepare for college.
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My trip to Korea provided me with invaluable experiences to continue my MPH thesis research for publication. This research uses interdisciplinary health intervention model creation to explore how BTS, their parent company HYBE, and their fandom known as ARMY have developed one of the largest digitally-delivered health interventions to mitigate mental health outcomes induced by the early COVID-19 pandemic.
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Two years ago, I returned to Boston in a leap of faith to embark on a culinary exploration, where I worked as a line cook in restaurants, produced food events in Harvard’s Pforzheimer House, and completed a culinary certificate program at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Working in the food and hospitality industry made me increasingly sensitive to operational inefficiencies, sustainability issues, food insecurity and waste, the effects of monoculture, and just how broken our food system is.
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