2020 proved to be an interesting year for seniors around the world. Typically, the second half of a senior year is spent looking forward to Prom, school traditions, Cap and Gown walk and finally Graduation. Seniors are dreaming about the next steps beyond graduation and what their lives will look like in the next phase.

To say Seoul Foreign School’s class of 2020 is resilient is an understatement. Our seniors in the second half of their senior year had to tap into the IB learner profile attribute of being principled as they shifted from learning in a classroom with their peers to virtual learning through Zoom and various platforms.

We celebrate the Class of 2020 and all of their successes as they embark on their next journey in life. In a class of 117 students, SFS seniors had 459 college acceptances from 179 universities, with more than $4,850,000 USD offered in scholarships. We had the highest matriculation to Ivy League Schools in 20 years and are proud our students will be attending university in 11 countries around the world, enhancing the diverse landscape of the many places they are headed this fall.

Sanghyuk Geo Yoo says “as a prospective Economics and Political Science major, I am forever grateful to SFS and its amazing faculty for fueling my intellectual curiosity in these fields is what led me to dream a future of studying economics at the University of Chicago, which was the very birthplace of this world-renowned economic theory and home to 13 Nobel Laureates in the field. I still cannot believe that this dream will become a reality in a few months.” SFS academic excellence is not just about getting good grades, but also about making a difference in our local and global communities, thus Geo believes “I am also interested in Political Science because of my involvement in student leadership at SFS; this community has provided me with so many opportunities to lead and serve.”

We are grateful to the Class of 2020 for teaching us perseverance in a time of uncertainty and wish them a successful and impactful future.

By Dawn M. Stark

Dawn M. Stark is Assistant Head of School-External Relations at Seoul Foreign School. -- Ed.