We are very excited to announce the ENoK Scholarship, which will support one selected North Korean defector’s university education at a time.
The ENoK scholarship is a closed scholarship, available only to those who meet the following requirements.
Eligibility
- Being a North Korean escapee;
- Participation in the Empower House program as a full-time resident student for at least three months;
- Admission into a bachelor’s degree program at a university in the United States; and
- Prior consultation with ENoK staff and volunteers regarding attending an American university.
In other words, the ENoK Scholarship is a closed scholarship intended to provide continuing support to those who have successfully completed our Empower House program.
Further consideration for scholarship allocations are based on these additional criteria:
- Demonstrated work ethic;
- Exemplary attitude toward learning;
- Continued growth in personal and professional development;
- A longer-term commitment to lifting up others as they make personal progress.
The ENoK Scholarship will be used to cover living expenses for our NK friend during their university studies.
First Recipient
Our first recipient first joined Empower House as a full-time participant in early 2020. She had to return to South Korea in May 2020 due to the global pandemic that also affected ENoK’s in-person programming. Between the summers of 2020 and 2021, she continued to work with our volunteers online to improve her English. She expressed her interest in continuing her tertiary education in the United States and took the initiative to apply for admission into a community college near Empower House. She was admitted, and after working with ENoK to apply for her student visa, she returned to Empower House beginning in August 2021.
During the past two years, in addition to further improving her English, our NK friend obtained college credits in preparation for applying for admission into a bachelor’s degree program in the United States. In 2022, she began to work with ENoK’s staff and volunteers to put together a strong transfer application, and in 2023, she was accepted into an Ivy league university!
Due to the high living costs at the major city where our friend’s university is located, during her first year, ENoK hopes to cover most of her living expenses with $1,250 per month, which amount will be reviewed at the end of the first academic year to determine her needs. This will mean one fewer worry for our friend who, in addition to trying to stay on top of her classes, must make sure to obtain financial aid to cover her tuition and student fees each semester from other sources. Join us in helping our NK defector friend’s dreams come true and be part of our NK defector friend’s academic journey!