2018 CKR Manhae Prize for Korean Language Winners
This year’s Center for Korean Research Manhae Prize for Korean Language winners are Abbey Haixin Li (Columbia College) and Joshua Hansol Suh (Columbia College).
Born and raised in Queens, Abbey is a native New Yorker who, ironically, still gets lost while walking around in New York. Funny enough, despite her poor sense of direction, she loves to travel and has previously interned in London and studied abroad in Seoul. She was first introduced to Korean culture through k-pop and k-dramas when she was just a teenager, but even after nearly a decade, her love for Korean pop-culture remains as passionate as ever. Her interest in the Korean language only grew stronger after taking four years of Korean at Columbia, and she hopes to one day reach the fluency-level of a native Korean-speaker. In the meantime, she also plans to work on her Chinese-language skills, with the goal of ultimately living and working internationally.
To demonstrate his boundless love for Southern California, an area in which he was lucky enough to call home for the better part of eighteen years, Joshua still refuses to acknowledge the necessity of long pants and thick jackets, even after spending four grueling winters in Manhattan. Frequently sporting shorts whenever humanly possible, Joshua can often be found enjoying his time in either one of Columbia’s three wonderful dining halls, or its ever so famous (or infamous) Butler Library. Though he is guilty of giving into the allure of Tiger Woods YouTube videos far too often, it is here where Joshua will adamantly profess he best honed his Korean writing and reading skills. When not engaging in either of these activities, he delightfully swings his own clubs by competing for the Columbia Lions or partakes in the on campus ministry KCCC “Soon” Movement. Unlike the majority of his peers, Joshua will fervently pursue an athletic dream after graduation, with the ambitious goal of becoming a PGA Tour winner as soon as possible. Joshua loves all things Korean, whether in concerns fashion, entertainment, and especially the food. He will continue to develop his skills so that one day he can fulfill a second dream of conversationally speaking with fellow Korean Research Manhae Prize winner and dear friend, Abbey Li.”
Manhae Prize is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate student in the Korean language program. Its recipients receive a prize and an award certificate.
The criteria for this prize are as follows: an undergraduate student who
1) has taken Korean courses at Columbia for at least three years.
2) has shown steady improvement in language skills.
3) has received an average of B+ or above in Korean language classes.
Previous Winners
2017 – Sean Brennan (Columbia College)
2016 – Melody (Jiaqi) Huang (Columbia College) and Jong In Yoon (Columbia College)
2015 – Annah Overly (Barnard College)