Today is the birthday of a really special lady: Sharon Jang! She is absolutely adorable, one of the loveliest people I have ever met.
Sharon is one of the Ambassadors in (TNKR) Teach North Korean Refugees. I will never forget her birthday for one main reason: Last year on her birthday she contacted me, she wanted to join TNKR. Her English was at a very low level, she asked me something like, "Do you teach english me?"
It surprised me at the time, she was the first North Korean refugee to contact me directly.
She joined both Tracks 1 and 2 of TNKR, studying English but also started collaborating with coaches to engage in public speaking. Although many people are afraid to engage in public speaking in their native languages, she was willing to try even though her English was at a low level.
It turned out that she was great! Her first speech silenced everyone in the room and even caused one of the other refugee speakers at the event to start crying.
She was profiled by the Daily Mail UK last year.
Every meeting with her something memorable happens. Before introducing herself at her first TNKR session, she messaged me in advance to ask me to check her self-introduction. TNKR Co-director Eunkoo Lee and I helped her, but then when she was introducing herself, she held onto her cheat sheet behind her back while introducing herself in Korean. Noticing this, I reminded her about her self-introduction in English. I gently encouraged her to try. She did, and I could see she was so proud of herself!
Even though she knew there would be higher-level speakers at our second speech contest, she joined anyway. She didn't win, but her speech so impressed our hosts that they invited her back again for a special event with their staffers.
She has given speeches at events moving the hearts of those who hear her story. I have now known her for a year, I have only seen her smiling, thanking everyone for caring about her and about North Koreans, and always doing her best to improve herself. I don't know her schedule now, but last year she was working daily from 9 to 6, and then studying at an institute from 7 to 11 pm (something like that).
Happy Birthday, Sharon Jang! I'm honored and delighted to have known you for a year!
