 |
For Chapin, a prize becomes a gift
by Jessica Kang, Class 10
 It means a lot to Chapin when alumnae, parents, grandparents and others contribute to the school. Not only does their generosity ensure that we can continue to provide a great education for young women, but it also shows that people recognize, remember and are grateful for the quality of the Chapin experience.
It is not common for the school to receive a contribution from a current student, but that happened this spring, when Jessica Kang, Class 10, approached the development office about making a donation. Below is her story in her own words, which we hope will inspire other students, young alumnae and anyone who has supported Chapin’s fund-raising initiatives. It is clear from Jessica’s words that our donors’ contributions have an effect, and that they are role models for the next generation.
Last year, I participated in an essay contest sponsored by the Korean American League for Civic Action. The question I had to answer was: Why is it important for Asian Americans to be a part of the political process? I wrote about the scarcity of Asian American politicians, looking at the reasons why there aren’t as many and how we can increase the number. By writing this essay, I learned not only a bit more about politics but also about the many cultures, Asian Americans included, that are presently not well represented in the government. My essay ended up winning an award, which came with a cash prize.
When I got the prize money, two things popped into my head: To either go shopping, as many people would do, or to donate it to a charity. Then, I thought, why not donate it to Chapin and put it toward a good cause? So I decided to donate the prize money to school. The development office gave me the option to donate it to a few different Chapin funds, and I chose to contribute to the school’s effort to increase its endowment. My donation will be put into an interest-earning account, and Chapin can then draw five percent of the money each year while the rest continues to grow. The reason I chose this fund is because each year the amount will increase, and in the future, my donation will become 30 times the original amount.
Learning that my donation can become such a large amount made me think about Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Yunus started a microcredit system that has made a big impact on his home country of Bangladesh. My hope is that one day, the money that I donated to Chapin will make as big as an impact as Yunus’ money did to his country. Throughout this process, I realized that making a better future has to start with each individual, whether it is by doing something big or small.
|
 |
