Walmart part-timer admitted to Harvard

Rebekah Chun, second from left, poses with Scott S. Brabrand, left, superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools; Holly Frazier, third from left, Chun’s history teacher; and Timothy Beatty, head principal of Heritage High School. Harvard University has offered a full scholarship to Chun. / Yonhap

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Walmart part-timer Rebekah Chun, 18, has been accepted into Harvard University with a full scholarship.

Chun scored 2,390 on the 2,400-point SAT and graduated at the top of her class this year at public Heritage High School in Lynchburg, Virginia, according to her father, Chun Jong-taek, Friday.

Born in Yeosu, South Jolla Province, in 1997, Chun moved to the U.S. with her parents when she was 12.

In her early school years in the U.S., Chun made efforts to break the language barrier, reading a large number of books aloud every day, her father said.

Chun also did various volunteer work, as well as extracurricular activities.

Being a huge fan of English soccer icon David Beckham, Chun has played soccer since she was in middle school. In high school, she captained the girls’ soccer team.

Chun also worked as a volunteer at a hospice, playing the violin and piano for the elderly.

Chun’s academic excellence and volunteer activities were recognized and thus accepted by the Central Virginia Governor’s School for Science and Technology (CVGC), the state-run two-year pre-college for talented students.

Chun studied and graduated first in her class there as well. In the meantime, she became the junior winner of the school’s Faculty Award of Excellence last year.

Harvard then invited her into its 2014 summer school program, offering eight academic units. Chun aced them all.

She has worked as a part-timer at Walmart to pay her tuition and buy textbooks.

Chun was named as one of the finalists in the QuestBridge program, which connects low-income but high-achieving students with educational opportunities at colleges.

Although Chun was a finalist and eligible for full scholarships through the scholarship program, Harvard has decided to provide her with a scholarship instead.

Chun said that she wants to major in bioengineering at Harvard.

“She is a hard-working kid,” he father said. “She can do anything once she makes up her mind.”