World Hug Foundation’s Asia Student Representative Lauren Yehwa Seo, Wins Outstanding Student Volunteer Award from Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer

Feb 23, 2023, 03:09 pm

World Hug Foundation’s Asia Student Representative Lauren Yehwa Seo, Wins Citation Award from New York Assembly member, Edward Gibbs

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World Hug Foundation Asian Student Representative Lauren Yehwa Seo (fourth from left) won an award from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and New York Assembly member Edward Gibbs on Feb 10th in recognition of her "excellent dedication to community service and world hug foundation as a student. "From the left, the first World Hug Foundation Chairman Antonio Rivera, the consulate general of the Korean Consulate General Lee Choong-gun, the World Hug Foundation Chairman Joanna Gil, the World Hug Foundation's Asian student representative Lauren Yehwa Seo, and the World Hug Foundation Secretary-General John Shin are taking photos. Photo = World Hug Foundation

World Hug Foundation Asia Student Representative Lauren Yehwa Seo announced on the 14th that she received an Outstanding Student Volunteer Award from Charles Schumer, a U.S. federal senate majority leader, and a Citation Award from Congressman Edward Gibbs, New York, in recognition of her "excellent community service and dedication to World Hug Foundation at the New York Korean Volunteer Center.

The event was organized by the World Hug Foundation, which is campaigning to restore adoptees' status in the United States, to invite adoptees to celebrate the Lunar New Year's Day 2023. In addition, U.S. political figures and heads of Korean society expressed gratitude and encouraged the World Hug Foundation's activities that have helped adoptees acquire U.S. citizenship.

Charles Yoon, chairman of the New York Korean Association, Kim Eui-hwan, New York State Consulate-General, Edward Brownstein, New York State Congressman Edward Gibbs, New York State Senator John Liu, and Federal Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered congratulatory speeches.

As the student representative of Asia’s World Hug Foundation, student Lauren Yehwa Seo went around the country to raise money for advertising newspapers for U.S. senators as part of helping Korean adoptees being adopted into the U.S. last year.

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Lauren Yehwa Seo is giving a fund-raising speech at her SDC International School to raise advertising money for passing the bill for Korean adoptees./ Photo = SDC International School Academy

Philip Clay (Korean name Kim Sang-pil), who was adopted into the U.S. as a child but was deported to Korea in 2012 due to abuse by his adoptive parents, not being able to settle down in Korea due to language and culture differences, and eventually committed suicide five years later.

Lauren Yehwa Seo, a third-year student at SDC International School, also decided to help Korean adoptees who were adopted into the U.S. due to the incident. Over the past year, she posted a poster of "Campaign for the passage of the U.S. Adoption Citizenship Act" at her SDC International School Academy and not only evoked the issue on her SNS, but also raised funds around Busan, Gyeongju, and Jeonju.

Lauren Yehwa Seo started a fundraising campaign to advertise the bill in the U.S. Senate newspaper to pass and finalize the U.S. Adoption Citizenship Act. It took $20,000 (about 29 million won) to advertise the bill. "If you don't get citizenship, you can't vote, and after you leave the country, you won't be able to enter the country, and you won't receive any benefits as a U.S. citizen, such as housing mortgage, education support, and pension," she said.

Charles E. Schumer, a U.S. senate majority leader, awards the award for the Outstanding Student Volunteer Award for Lauren Yehwa Seo as a student representative for Asia at the World Hug Foundation. In addition, we acknowledge the exemplary community service and dedication of Lauren Yehwa Seo to the World Hug Foundation," he said.

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Lauren Yehwa Seo, the Asian Student Representative of the World Hug Foundation, won an Outstanding Student Volunteer Award from Charles Schumer, a U.S. senate majority leader, and a Citation Award from Assembly member Edward Gibbs, New York, in recognition of her "excellent community service and dedication to the World Hug Foundation" at the New York Korean Volunteer Center. Photo = World Hug Foundation

Lauren Yehwa Seo also won the "New York State House of Representatives Citation Award" given by Assembly member Edward Gibbs of New York State.

Representative Edward Gibbs of New York State, the United States, said, "Lauren Yehwa Seo was appointed as the representative of Asian students at the World Hug Foundation in 2020," adding, "This student has volunteered and devoted 150 hours of volunteer time to representing students in Asia. She was also nominated for the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Award from 2022 to 2023," he said.

"Lauren Yehwa Seo demonstrated leadership in the organization and participated in many activities to inform and support adopted children about the 2021 U.S. Adoption Citizenship Act. She showed her unwavering commitment to helping others," he said adding, "Especially in 2022 she raised more than $20,000 as a manager of fundraising campaigns and campaigns. As an elected member of the state of New York, he recognizes volunteer work and recognizes the award of Lauren Yehwa Seo. The state of New York recognizes the student's contribution and dedication and congratulates her on winning the award."

Joanna Gil, chairman of the World Hug Foundation, said, "Congratulations on the Outstanding Student Volunteer Award given by Charles E. Schumer, a U.S. senate majority leader, to Seo Ye-hwa, who has been campaigning to help Korean adoptees get adopted to the U.S." She added, "Congratulations on winning the 'New York State House of Representatives citation award' given by Assembly member Edward Gibbs of New York State."

The World Hug Foundation is a non-profit corporation that helps overseas adoptees who were adopted to the United States as a child but have not been able to receive citizenship until now as an adult and have become illegal residents. Founded in April 2017, Lauren Yehwa Seo has served as a student representative for the World Hug Foundation Asia.

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Charles E. Schumer, a U.S. senate majority leader, awards the award for the Outstanding Student Volunteer Award to Lauren Yehwa Seo as a student representative for Asia at the World Hug Foundation. In addition, we acknowledge the exemplary community service and dedication of Lauren Yehwa Seo to the World Hug Foundation," he said. Photo = Capture of Namuwiki

Student Lauren Yehwa Seo said, "I witnessed a miracle that a person can acquire citizenship by gathering small movements. I'm so happy and proud to be able to participate in meaningful work through my voice," she said adding, "I feel rewarded that through this activity, many people can work together to help people in pain. In the future, I want to have a career that can make people in pain smile again," she said.

Meanwhile, the Student Law Newspaper, Legal Advancement Newspaper, and the World Youth Culture Promotion Association co-hosted by National Assemblyman Lee Chul-kyu and Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Sam-seok on July 25, 2022 held the 9th National Assembly Tour, School Violence Prevention Writing, Debate, and Law Lecture.

The competition is designed to recognize the seriousness of school violence and cyber violence among students and to find ways to eradicate them.

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On July 25, 2022, at the "9th National Elementary, Middle, High School Students and Out-of-School Youth" event held in the conference room of the National Assembly building, Lauren Yehwa Seo, a sophomore at SDC International School, announces under the title "Don't Leave Me Alone." / Photo = Student Law Newspaper

Lauren Yehwa Seo, a second-year high school student at SDC International School, announced under the title "Don't Leave Me Alone." Lauren Yehwa Seo announced, "To solve the problem of school violence, consideration and respect for others, increase educational time to foster positive words and values, implement effective education for school violence perpetrators, cooperate with private organizations such as the Blue Tree Foundation, and expand external counseling facilities."

After a strict screening at the school violence prevention writing event, Lauren Yehwa Seo won the National Assembly Speaker Award.

On November 18, 2022, the World Youth Culture Promotion Association and the Student Law Newspaper held the "2nd Global Leader Training English Academic Paper Presentation" in the conference room of the National Assembly building to foster global leaders through cultural exchange with teenagers around the world.

The English Academic Paper Presentation Contest was designed to help grow as a global talent suitable for the global era through the process of preparing and proceeding everything in English, and to give a broad view of the world and expanded thinking.

The World Youth Culture Promotion Association and the Student Law Newspaper co-hosted the Global Leader Training English Academic Paper Presentation Contest with Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Hoe-jae (Yeosu-eul, Jeollanam-do) and National Assembly member Park Sung-joong ( Seocho-gu, Seoul).

Lauren Yehwa Seo presented the subject of the paper "A Study on Legal Protection of Korean Adaptee to the U.S. and Sponsorship Campaign in Korea" in English. Lauren Yehwa Seo, a student at SDC International School, won the best award presented by National Assemblyman Park Sung-joong at the English academic thesis presentation competition.

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Seo Ye-hwa is presenting at a debate and law lecture event to prevent school violence at the 9th National Elementary, Middle and High School Students and Out-of-School Youth held at the conference room of the National Assembly Building on July 25, 2022./ Photo = Student Law Newspaper