So Jung's Blog

Pacific Pathways Foundation Honoring Isla Roots, Shaping Global Futures Imagine this: after years of hard work and dreaming of a brighter future, you finally get into your dream university. Your family is celebrating, and it feels like all your sacrifices have paid off. But then reality hits. Your financial aid falls short, and you’re forced to decline the offer. The dream you worked so hard for becomes the one thing you have to give up, not because of your ability, but because of financial barriers. For many students in the Pacific Islands, this is their reality. A lack of financial support often forces them to stay on the island, closing doors to the opportunities they deserve. That’s why I created the Pacific Pathways Foundation: to make sure students don’t have to choose between their dreams and financial constraints. Our Mission Pacific Pathways Foundation is dedicated to empowering students from the Pacific Islands by providing financial support, mentorship, and resources to make...

  World We Imagine Part 1      Representation and education are two things that are incredibly important to me. Growing up on an island, these things felt just out of reach for many people I knew. Addressing these issues and alleviating the challenges would be my first step toward making the world a better place from my perspective. I know I talk about Guam in most of my blog posts—and for good reason. I am extremely proud of where I grew up and where I come from, more so than my own ethnicity. Yet, ever since I arrived in Los Angeles, the question “What is Guam?” has followed me everywhere. It surprised me to see that many people on the mainland have never heard of Guam or the other US territories. It feels as if the four million citizens have been forgotten by much of the United States, including my home, my community, and frankly, myself at times.             This lack of awareness is more than just an inconvenience; it shows the...

 Phineas and Ferb Conspiracy Theory Do you remember the beloved children’s show Phineas and Ferb? I recently started binge-watching it again because the creators announced a new season will be released in 2025! If you haven’t seen it yet, the show follows two stepbrothers, Phineas and Ferb, who spend each day of summer building wild inventions and embarking on adventurous quests with their friends. This drives their older sister, Candace, crazy as she constantly tries (and fails) to expose their schemes to their mom. Right when she’s about to succeed, their inventions always vanishes—often thanks to the subplot involving their pet platypus, Perry, and Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, an "evil" yet not-so-evil scientist. Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s inventions usually causes the two plots to intersect at the end of each episode, erasing all traces of the boys' project just before Candace can show it to their mother. As I started rewatching the show, I fell down a rabbit hole of conspiracy ...

  Book 2, Post 2 I chose the book, The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World by Wade Davis because I was interested in learning more about Polynesians' mastery of navigation across the Pacific Ocean. As someone from the islands, I've always had a strong interest in learning more about the history and culture of Pacific Islander communities to deepen my own understanding and engage more mindfully with these traditions. Although the book focuses largely on Polynesia, it still has strong correlations to the cultures in Micronesia and Melanesia. It truly is incredible that these islanders were able to navigate across the waters without any modern technology, only the stars, ocean currents, wind, and bird flight patterns. I only read Chapter 2, The Wayfinders , from the book, mainly because I did not have enough time to read the rest. My review will be based solely on this chapter. Initially, I assumed this would be another Westernized perspective of the island...

 Book 2, Post 1 I chose the book, The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World by Wade Davis because I was interested in learning more about Polynesians' mastery of navigation across the Pacific Ocean. As someone from the islands, I've always had a strong interest in learning more about the history and culture of Pacific Islander communities to deepen my own understanding and engage more mindfully with these traditions. Although the book focuses largely on Polynesia, it still has strong correlations to the cultures in Micronesia and Melanesia. It truly is incredible that these islanders were able to navigate across the waters without any modern technology, only the stars, ocean currents, wind, and bird flight patterns.  The book so far had been engaging to read, and it's interesting to learn that Polynesians took months to travel from from one island to another. Initially, I expected this book to focus more on the firsthand perspectives of the islanders l...

To:             Clark Hansen, CEO, Anima Mundi Development Partners From:        So Jung An, Research & Development Subject:    Investment Opportunity: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Date:         October 18, 2024 As a member of the Research and Development Department at Anima Mundi Development Partners (AMDP), my role is to identify and evaluate potential investment or funding opportunities that align with our values. AMDP is dedicated to conducting business in a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and profitable manner to address society’s most pressing needs. After conducting thorough research, I highly recommend the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), a nonprofit organization, for its strong commitment to expanding access to higher education across the Western United States, ...