Message from Our Newest Bride
Hi! I am 000, and I first arrived here in the States two years ago. At first, I struggled very much because of the language barrier. A few months after arriving in the States, I was able to learn English at Empower House run by ENoK, and what I learned while I was there has proven tremendously helpful since I started working outside. The reason I am writing this message is to let you know that I recently got married! It was not the easiest process getting married so soon after only a few months of dating. I had no idea how to prepare for a proper wedding. However, on the wedding day, so many people came to help decorate the venue and celebrate the occasion with me. Especially, many staff members, volunteers, and other North Korean refugee students from ENoK came to congratulate me and my husband. It still…
Empower House Refugee Participant Interview VIII
Q. How did you decide to join Empower House? A. It’s been three years since I first arrived in the United States. However, I still cannot communicate in English. So when I learned of Empower House, I did not hesitate a moment to drop everything I was doing and move into Empower House. I first chose America as my destination because I wanted to study here in order to expand and realize my dreams. However, I realized after coming here that the reality was quite different. At first, I tried to both work and study, but as time passed, I had to sacrifice my studies in order to make a living. And now, after three years, I still struggle to communicate. Then, one day, a gleam of hope presented itself when I first heard about the existence of Empower House. I heard about it through a friend, and this opportunity…
Message from Aimee (Alias)
I felt many things while I was studying in Empower House. One of them was that the fact I was born in North Korea was not a curse as it has often seemed, but at times it rather strengthened me and helped me realize who I really was–discover my identity. There are of course times when it is hard having been born in North Korea, but I also know that it has invited more care and love from other people because I was born in North Korea. As one example, there are so many miracles that happen to me through people who have been like angels in my life. Even in North Korea, where I was born, opportunities for learning were limited, and it had been a while since the word, “study”, was erased from my vocabulary. Through Empower House, however, everything changed. For the past year and two months,…
Empower House Refugee Participant Interview VII
Questions and Answers with Ryan (Alias) Q1. What is your goal in participating in Empower House? I joined Empower House to prepare to take the GED and eventually prepare for college. Q2. What motivated you to participate in Empower House? I would like to start a new life in America. And one day, I would like to help people like me who are struggling and who are lost. Q3. What are some of the career paths that you would like to pursue? I will attend college after Empower House! Would like to support Ryan? Support NOW!
Introducing Our Summer Intern
I am JC, a rising senior at Williams College and a current intern at Empower House. As a concentrator of public health, I have a particularly fervent interest in education and health policies for the vulnerable groups of individuals, such as immigrants and refugees, in our society. Last summer, I had the privilege of working with North Korean defectors at a school in South Korea, which was an eye-opening experience that led me to decide to pursue a similar line of work this summer in the U.S. I believe that understanding immigrants and refugees and embracing their cultures are crucial for not only creating a harmonious society but also promoting the effectiveness of medicine and public health policies in a heterogeneous population like that in the U.S. I found my philosophy to align well with the founding principles of ENoK and its Empower House, so I chose to work here.…
Empower House 1st Graduate!
Hello, I am Sylvia (Alias), and I joined the Empower House program in Chicago as a student on September 27th, 2014. For the past eight months, I have gained some of the most memorable experiences through Empower House. After arriving in the U.S. in March 2008, I had to try very hard to obtain a high school diploma. During my four years in Northern Virginia, I worked full time while attending evening classes. However, it was not easy to handle both work and academics in my rather hectic life in America. After these four years, I had to prepare for the exam in hopes of receiving a diploma. Through God’s grace, I was able to complete everything but the English portion, which I found very challenging to pass. Thus, in order to pass the exam and receive a diploma, I joined the newly created Empower House program, directed by Andrew…
Empower House Refugee Participant Interview VI
Questions and Answers with Aimee (Alias) Q1. What is your goal in participating in Empower House? To improve my English. Q2. What motivated you to participate in Empower House? I was introduced to this program through wonderful people who encouraged me to study. Q3. What are some of the career paths that you would like to pursue? I would like to become a nurse, but that’s subject to change. Q4. Final words? I would like to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly for me and other students to be able to study here at Empower House. I will do my best to ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain. Thank you, again. Would like to support Aimee? Support NOW!
Empower House Refugee Participant Interview V
Questions and Answers with Ashley (Alias) Q1. What is your goal in participating in Empower House? I would like to improve my English. Q2. What motivated you to participate in Empower House? It has been very difficult living while I am unable to communicate in any way, which led me to decide to study English. Then, I heard about Empower House, at which point I wanted to join the program. Q3. What are some of the career paths that you would like to pursue? My biggest hope is that I will be able to speak and understand English at the end of this program. I would like to use the time and experience here to think about and determine what it is that I should do later. Q4. Final words? I will not forget what a blessing it is to me that I…
Empower House Refugee Participant Interview IV
First of all, I am grateful to God that ENoK’s program has been set up and running within God’s plan. And I am grateful that I can participate in ENoK’s program as a student. I lift up all my vision before God in the midst of all that happens and all that I do, and I pray that I will do my best here with the best of my given abilities. Also, this is an opportunity that I had not even imagined before in my life. Rather than trying to be the best above others, I would like to use this opportunity to learn and do the best I can and realize the small dream in my heart. I am hopeful that God will bless this program more and thus, ENoK will provide care for more souls that are searching for ways to learn. For this very reason, I will…
Paige’s First Writing Assignment at Empower House (10/10/14)
My First Week at Empower House My name is Paige (Alias), and one of the students from the Empower House. Empower House is a learning program. Currently, we have four students, Lily, Claire, Jonathan (Aliases) and me. We all came from different states…[personal information deleted to protect their privacy]…I came from [ ] on [ ], 2014. I drove to Chicago on a [ ]day night. I met with Brian, he is a program director. I also met Andrew Hong, known as the president of ENoK and the father of Empower House. We had a dinner together at an Asian restaurant. Meal was very good, and we were talking about the weekly schedule while we were eating. According to the schedule, my first lesson is going to start on October 6, 2014. The first week of Chicago was wonderful. And I love new environment, it was awesome! My daily…