Skip to main content

2017-02-25 Cherie Yang: That Woman, That Moment

Congratulations to Cherie Yang for winning TNKR's 5th English speech contest! The theme of the contest: "THAT Moment: My escape from North Korea." Cherie definitely got prepared to seize the moment.

* From January 26 to February 21, she had twelve 1:1 coaching sessions with TNKR volunteer speech coaches.
* Those sessions totaled 1,260 minutes (21 hours)
* The seven contestants had a total of 34 coaching sessions (based on the number of reports sent by TNKR speech coach mentors), meaning an average of 4.9 sessions per refugee. Cherie was the outlier with a total of 12 sessions. (Plus, I'm very sure that at least one of her coaches did not report an additional session).
* Of her 12 sessions, 11 were at the TNKR office. That means that she was able to practice in a quiet office in privacy, as compared to a coffee shop that many volunteers seem to prefer. Refugees tell us that the coaches and tutors are much more focused when they tutor and coach at our office, which is one reason we hope to expand to a larger office within a few years.
* Her average coaching session was 105 minutes, which far exceeds the minimum requirement of 60 minutes for speech coaching sessions.
* This was her third speech contest, so clearly she wasn't being handed her award.


Cherie Yang's fundraiser for TNKR


Cherie won this speech contest, but it took hard work. All seven contestants gave great speeches. Audience members were moved to tears but also laughed several times.

Here's the amount of time coaches volunteered to help Cherie get prepared for the speech contest.

* Hannah Nedrow, 5 sessions, 450 minutes
* Laura Nguyen, 3 sessions, 420 minutes
* Jennifer Bowman, 2 sessions, 210 minutes
* Janice Kim, 1 session, 90 minutes
* Paul Evans, 1 session, 90 minutes

In addition, Cherie continued studying English with her tutors in Track 1.

* Dave Fry, 3 sessions, 315 minutes
* Jackie Cole, 1 session, 90 minutes
Hannah and Cherie were so loud that I'm surprised neighbors didn't report them for having a house party. In add, they had 5 coaching sessions for a total of 450 minutes.
Hannah and Cherie doing their best to pretend I don't exist.
Janice Kim at her coaching session with Cherie.
Paul Evans was the first coach to meet with Cherie in preparation for the speech contest.
Laura Nguyen predicted several times that Cherie would win. I'm glad she didn't meet with rival coaches, she would have engaged in trash-talking! If Laura ever goes to Vegas, I hope she will have TNKR in mind as she receives her winnings.
Jennifer Bowman and Cherie were grumbling about me taking a photo. But once I was ready to take the photo? They were all smiles!
TNKR needs a real podium.


Cherie celebrating with TNKR's American co-director

***

And she continued studying English with her tutors!



January 14th Matching session.





Renaissance man Dave Fry is focused on improving Cherie's English writing skills. 
Jackie read the other tutor reports, then came prepared with a lesson plan based on reinforcing what Cherie had already studied, plus she taught her many other things.


***

Cherie Yang first joined TNKR in January 2015, she has been with us since then. In mid-2015, she became TNKR's second Special Ambassador. In the last year, we have really seen her blossom, taking a leadership role and giving us some stability. No matter what the co-directors learn or say, people won't believe us unless we have refugees willing to speak out on behalf of the organization. In her speeches, she often calls the TNKR co-founders her "angels."

Cherie first learned about TNKR in late 2014, and was surprised to learn that there was an American guy working along with Yeonmi Park, the North Korean refugee who gained worldwide attention. After we met and talked for the first time, she wanted to volunteer and study if there was a chance during her trip. When she decided to stay in South Korea, she became a leading figure in TNKR.

Media, audiences, and people reading online want titillating anecdotes from and about refugees, some get disappointed when they join TNKR and learn that refugee stories are not the main part of our activities.

January 2015, first meeting, back when TNKR was based out of my desk at the Freedom Factory office.


Cherie first wanted to join TNKR as a volunteer, then she became a student after that.
Karissa was one of Cherie's first tutors in TNKR. When Cherie was chosen to go on a mini-speaking tour to the USA, Karissa was one of her tutors/coaches.

Feb 2015, Cherie was still a bit hesitant on stage.


Ashling was one of Cherie's first tutors.

Until yesterday, I would guess that Cherie's best speaking experience was with the US military. She didn't know the US soldiers would be dressed in their uniforms as they spoke.

Tutors and coaches may come and go, but her "TNKR angels" will be with her.

Popular posts from this blog

Eunkoo Lee: TNKR's #1 Settler

If I could convince TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee that we needed to start executing volunteers, then she would quickly come up with a schedule with their names and execution times. She would do it fairly and orderly, accepting no exceptions or changes. If I suggested a change, then an argument would start about me being "Mr. Changeable" interrupting the schedule. That is how I have worked with Eunkoo Lee over the past seven years. She must be convinced, but once she believes in something, she charges ahead. What she is NOT interested in is public relations or dealing with media. I say this to people, but they don't believe me. But like the minister said after witnessing a baptism, "Not only do I believe in baptism, but I've seen it done!" * * * It has happened again! Someone noticed that my bio is much longer than Eunkoo's. I have heard a number of gripes from people over the years, ranging from Eunkoo should be featured more to I should step aside
Read more

North Korean defector seeks justice (Korea Times)

  It was international news when 12 North Korean waitresses and a male manager who worked at a restaurant operated by the North Korean regime in China arrived in South Korea in 2016.  The waitresses have mostly maintained a low profile. There have been numerous accusations and assertions, with some saying the waitresses didn't want to escape, some accused the Park Geun-hye administration of playing politics by releasing details of the case, etc., etc., etc. My blog at the Korea Times today features an exclusive interview with one of the former North Korean waitresses who filed a criminal case against the former manager. You can read about it here on the Korea Times website. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2023/02/728_345165.html   Keep in mind that there are many more facts to the case and that it is much deeper than this brief excerpt of her comments. She also shared legal documents that I shared with the Korea Times well in advance to give them time to review the case. *
Read more

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h
Read more

Helping North Koreans 'strike the blow' (Korea Times)

H ave you ever engaged in action not because you were sure it would change the world, but to satisfy your own heart? That, I emailed to an American friend, is why I have joined the effort to help North Koreans who are trying to escape from their homeland. I can’t change the direction of policy in North Korea or China but I can row the boat I am sitting in rather than lamenting that I can’t steer the yachts somewhere else. So I have tried to do what I can: Attending protests in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul (and I plan to do so when I visit America in April); donating money to the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights ( www.nkhumanrights.or.kr ); educating myself, writing articles and emailing friends; and, as a member of the board of trustees, I recently submitted a resolution to the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association (FDMHA) in Washington, D.C., to try to call attention to the plight of North Koreans. Our organization’s missi
Read more

2020-05-21 Goodbye, Katty Chi

I had heard through the grapevine and now it has been verified: Human rights activist Katty Chi has passed away. She is one of the first people that I met when I got involved in this cause. The first time was in 2012, at an event at the South Korea's National Assembly. She was super cool, one of my favorites as I used to say even when she was alive. And that is the important time to say such things, when people are alive. Whenever we met, I would say to her, "You know what happens when you meet me?" She would say, "Yeah. Time to take a photo?" I'm glad we did. And from Hyun S. Song, a close colleague of hers: And from Liberty in North Korea, the definitive announcement, August 4, 2020
Read more