Five years ago, at the age of 13, Daniel Cho came from South Korea came to Greenwood to attend a private school and now will graduate as the valedictorian.
Cho began attending Greenwood Christian Academy in eighth grade after moving from South Korea to stay with a host family in Greenwood.
Cho chose to come to the U.S. for high school because he wanted to have a less stressful school environment. Classes in South Korean schools are very competitive, and one major difference between school in the U.S. and Korea is how much time students are expected to spend in the classroom.
At Greenwood Christian Academy, like other local schools, students are let out mid-afternoon. Had Cho stayed in South Korea, his school days would have lasted as late as 10 p.m., he said. That means he has time for after school pursuits, whether that’s sports activities such as table-tennis or soccer or volunteering as an after-school tutor.
Cho got his first experience with dentistry while working an an assistant to his dad, who operates a dental practice in South Korea. When he was in sixth grade, his father allowed him to start helping as an assistant when he took part in volunteer clinics to provide dental care to people who would not otherwise be able to afford it.
Seeing how he could use his skills to help others inspired Cho to study dentistry, with the goal of one day becoming an oral surgeon. Cho has been accepted into a seven-year dental program at New York University, which he will start this fall.
The drive to become valedictorian was part of a desire to do as well as he could in each of his classes, Cho said. At the start of his senior year, he saw his grades compared to his classmates and it really hit him that becoming valedictorian was possible, he said.
Maintaining a 4.0 GPA meant making sure to set aside as much time as necessary to excel in his classes, Cho said. The most challenging course for him was English composition, since he isn’t a fast writer, he said.
When Cho first arrived in Indiana from South Korea, he wasn’t sure what to expect. What he has enjoyed most is how welcoming and friendly people have been toward him, he said.
Since moving to the U.S., Cho has gone home every summer break to visit his parents and occasionally during winter break as well, Cho said. Once he finishes his studies at New York University, his goal is to return to South Korea to work as a dentist, he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Daniel Cho” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Daniel Cho
Parents: Emma and Joseph Cho
GPA: 4.0
From: Greenwood
Age: 18
College: New York University
Career plans: Study dentistry and specialize in oral surgery
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