Attending: The Hotchkiss School
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Some of Luke’s most important lessons at Rumsey began with a simple direction from his math teacher: close the textbook and listen. For Luke, that approach changed how he understood the subject.
“He made math less about memorizing formulas and more about understanding the reasoning behind them,” Luke said. “That helped me learn better.”
Luke found the same emphasis on active learning in science. At his previous school, students often watched videos of experiments or analyzed work completed by others. At Rumsey, Luke conducted the experiments himself, completed dissections, and wrote lab reports based on his own observations. The experience gave him a clearer understanding of scientific concepts and greater confidence in his ability to investigate questions for himself.
That independence developed outside the classroom as well. Luke arrived as a Fifth Form boarding student and had to adjust to living away from his parents. Over three years, he learned to manage his schedule and take responsibility for the many small decisions that shape daily life. “I didn’t realize how much support I was getting from my parents,” he said. “Learning to manage my own life was really important.”
Luke also played soccer, basketball, and crew, and joined clubs that introduced him to new interests. After learning to play chess at Rumsey, he continued playing on his own. In Finance Club, a simulated stock market competition sparked his interest in investing. Most recently, he and two friends founded the Green Club, creating a composting program with plans to support the Lower School garden or other local gardens.
The project introduced Luke to environmental studies, a subject he now hopes to pursue at The Hotchkiss School. He arrives there with the academic foundation to take on more advanced work and the independence to manage the responsibilities that come with it.
