Korean community’s collective giving adds up to support hundreds of students

Legendary figures in Calgary’s Korean community, Dr. Chang Young Kim and his wife, Sun Bok Kim, always made a point of helping fellow immigrants who often did not speak English or have anywhere to live when they arrived.

Kim, PhD, as a physics professor at the University of Calgary for 27 years, knew one of the most effective pathways to success for first-generation immigrants and their children was education. He was not shy about promoting this approach.

And the message was not lost on his own family, according to son Isaac Kim, BSc’82, whose father passed in 2017. Three of Isaac’s sisters are UCalgary-educated engineers or scientists. Four nieces have also chosen the post-secondary route.

So Isaac knows well the value of school, meaning he appreciates the mission of the Calgary Korean Scholarship Foundation (CKSF), which, since being established in 2008, has helped nearly 500 students across multiple Calgary schools with financial and moral support through its awards. 

In addition to this, the CKSF has created a scholarship at UCalgary for Korean and non-Korean students, available to undergraduate students in five faculties — Arts, Kinesiology, Nursing, Science and Social Work.

The foundation’s generosity is far-reaching — positive impact ripples beyond the recipients themselves.

When one immigrant gains a post-secondary education, especially if they are the first in their family to graduate from university, “you have this chain reaction,” explains Isaac, whose family has established three scholarships — two at the CKSF and one recently at UCalgary. “Their kids and grandkids end up going to college,” he says. “They all have better jobs and, thus, better lives. It’s a win-win everywhere. These people, they struggle when they come here. They’d love to get their kids into college, but, a lot of the time, they just can’t afford it.

“So, if you can help, it just makes life better for everybody.”

Which is the aim of the CKSF. People across the Korean community have stepped up to make contributions in their own ways — by volunteering on the board, by signing up for fundraising shifts at casinos and by pledging whatever they can afford.

“Every dollar counts,” says Abbie Park, BA’16, who received CKSF scholarships as a student and now serves on the board as its youngest director. “We have people donating (smaller gifts) — that’s how it started. It’s definitely become one of the pillars of the Korean community.”

The power of collective giving 

Recently, there had been reason for celebration. The CKSF endowment reached its target of $1 million, an impressive milestone for a community fund.

“Collective giving makes a big difference,” says Andrea Morris, UCalgary’s vice-president of Development and Alumni. “When a community comes together, working towards a common goal, great things happen. The Calgary Korean Scholarship Foundation is proof of that, helping hundreds of students achieve their post-secondary dreams.” 

And it goes beyond the financial support, adds Morris. “To have an entire community backing you as a student, that’s really validating.”

Naomi Hewa Wellappulige, whose family immigrated from Sri Lanka in the 1990s, was one of those students. 

Hewa Wellappulige heard that her grandmother, as a young woman, wanted to become a nurse. Unforeseen circumstances prevented that, but the story resonated. And, thanks to a scholarship, Hewa Wellappulige was able to complete her degree — focusing on studies without relying on part-time work — and become a paediatric nurse at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

“It’s something I was really grateful for,” Hewa Wellappulige, BN’24, says of receiving the CKSF’s financial boost in 2022. 

“They really helped me. They’re a reminder of why community is so important, not only in nursing, but culturally and familially.”

She also applauds the welcoming nature of the CKSF board of directors. “They support all types of students from many different backgrounds. I thought that was really thoughtful of them,” she says.

Indeed, Park notes the foundation hopes to increase its endowment on scholarships for non-Korean students. “We are actively trying to extend our reach as a way of giving back to the community and the country that appreciates the value of immigrants,” she says. “We’re hoping that Canadians of Korean heritage can be proud of who they are.”

The philanthropy of Isaac and his family, as Koreans and as immigrants, reflects that pride.

After a CKSF award was created in his father’s memory — the Dr. Chang Young Kim Scholarship — Isaac established a tribute to his mom and his aunt. The Sun Bok Kim and Kwang Hee Yang Korean Women’s Immigrant Scholarship is for students who are the first-in-family to attend university, as well as first- or second-generation immigrants. Financial need is also considered.

Outside of the CKSF, the Kim family introduced the Dr. Chang Young and Sun Bok Kim Award for Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) at UCalgary for those identifying as first-generation post-secondary students in Canada.

“The people who run the (CKSF), they understand the importance of an education on somebody’s well-being,” says Isaac, whose optical transport company, Ciena, matches his CKSF annual donations, up to $5,000. 

“My family and I have obviously been very lucky to get a good education, and, because of that, a good job and a good life. Our family wants to share this life experience with many others.”