Master of Non Sibi

It’s 9 o’clock on a Friday night. Greeted with a thunderous applause, senior Yeji Jung steps onto the EAR Acoustic Concert stage in Agora, guitar in hand. As the crowd quiets down, she adjusts the microphone and the performance begins.Music has always been an important part of Jung’s life. She even self-taught herself how to play the acoustic guitar. From one of the all-female a cappella groups, Fermatas, to the Exeter Association of Rock, Jung has been actively involved in various music clubs on campus since her prep year. Apart from extra curricular activities pertaining to music, she has been a member of chamber and symphony orchestra and west African Drumming Ensemble, regularly playing her violin in front of various audiences.Jung explained how Exeter helped develop her impressive musical talents and interests.“Exeter has given me so many chances to explore,” she said. “I played violin and guitar before I came, but when I came here and saw all the different musically inclined and talented people, I wanted to see what it was all about. I practiced guitar more, I started playing djembe at West African Drumming prep year and have been ever since.”Jung also reflected upon her decision to join Fermatas. “I joined an a capella group lower year and got to the point of trying my hand at arrangements; I started performing at EAR in bands or by myself, and performed at Evening Prayer,” she said. “Even senior year, when it seems like everything's pretty much set in stone, I picked up harmonica and ukulele.”Music is not the only thing that Jung is crazy about; Jung’s passion extends to ESSO, the Academy’s community service organization. Serving as the co-president of ESSO for the past year, Jung has dedicated much of her years working for the organization.Former ESSO coordinator Laurie Loosigian said that Jung had the right characteristics to lead the club, which is why she was chosen to be the co-president.“Yeji was selected for ESSO leadership because of her enthusiasm and dedication to ESSO,” she said. “She brought the energy of a red bandit to ESSO.”Loosigian further noted that after Jung gave a moving speech during the ESSO assembly this year, club signups during the ESSO club night were especially successful.Jung also established herself as a dedicated and generous individual within the community of Phillips Church. As a church proctor, many noted how motivated Jung was to learn about religion and herself.“Yeji's inquisitive mind would show in her approach to religion as well. She never stops questioning God's words to gain a better understanding of the Bible,” senior Sarah Jang, who works with Jung as church proctors, said. “She is also very active in bringing up questions of her journey in God and listening to what Rev or other church stewards has to offer.”Jung’s passion and dedication in spirituality and religion extends to other areas as well. For example, she has been an exceptional scholar since her prep year, and at the beginning of this year, she became one of the 19 seniors selected for early cum laude.In addition to becoming one of the honorees for achieving the top five percent grade point average in her class, Jung won the Haig Ramage Classical prize last year, the highest honor a classics student can win in the Academy. Regarding her winning the prize, Jung said that it was one of the most crowning moments in Exeter, since classics is one of the subjects she’s extremely passionate about.“I'd spent the past winter term in Italy, and devoted so much of my energy and time to studying classics for my whole Exeter career—out of love for it, but it was so incredibly affirming to know that my teachers, who had taught me everything I knew and loved about classics, had chosen to recognize and honor me,” Jung said. “I was one of the recipients this year, as well. I know it's a really, really lucky thing to get external recognition of an intensely personal passion, so I'm still so humbled and honored.”Senior Anisha Nawalrai commented on Jung’s academic fervor and dedication.“Yeji has always been invested into her work. I still remember how last Spring, she prepared an extraordinary project for her Latin final. She worked hard collecting material for the pyre she was creating, contacting campus safety to make sure everything would run smoothly, and composing a Latin poem.” Nawalrai said. “At the end, all the hard work paid off, when she presented this spectacle to her friends and fellow classmates out on the quad.”Jang echoed Nawalrai’s sentiments and added that Jung’s enthusiasm is the definitive quality of her as a scholar.“I’m immersed in Yeji's tireless enthusiasm for learning every time I see her. Her love for classics is incredible; most of our academic conversations would end with Yeji talking about how excited she is to read Iliad in Greek,” Jang said.Apart from her diverse accomplishments and interests, Jung said that another important aspect of her Exeter career is dorm life and simply being part of the Academy community.“I will not be able to do justice to describing everything Langdell is to me,” Jung said. “Langdell is where my best friends, my sisters are, and where my mentors are/were. It's been a home in every sense of the word,” she added.Nawalrai, who lives in Langdell Hall with Jung, reflected upon her time with Jung in the dorm.“Yeji is one of my best friends at Exeter, and I can confidently say that I feel comfortable talking to her about anything. Although this might sound cheesy, her smile does brighten up my day and she's always so cheerful that I love spending time with her. She's got a good sense of humor and she's very easy going. She's passionate about what she does and I know that will help her achieve anything she wants.”Overall, Jung said that being part of Exeter has shaped her as a scholar, musician and an individual.“Being part of all different communities here: classrooms, Rev and Phillips Church, Langdell, friends, clubs—for the past four years, that's what's shaped me, challenged me, exposed me, forced me to re-evaluate some beliefs, affirmed or strengthened others,” Jung said. “I'm nowhere near done—I don't have a set, static identity as a result of these past years, but I've definitely explored my own self more deeply than I ever thought I would, and I've gained a stronger sense of who I am.”Jung added that in the future, along with pursuing her passions and interests, she plans on returning to Exeter, to teach and to give back.“I owe so much to this school, and I honestly have so, so much love for it,” she said. “I feel like it was exactly the right place for me for these four years, which is especially astounding when I think about how events could so easily have resulted in me not coming here. I can only thank God.”