US parents honor late daughter with annual scholarship for Korean students

A tribute to the late Sarah Dinell, a native English teacher who died in a traffic accident while working at Yeompo Elementary School in Ulsan. Courtesy of Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education

The parents of a U.S. English teacher who died in a traffic accident in Korea have been sending scholarship funds to an elementary school in Ulsan for eight consecutive years in honor of their daughter’s love and dedication to her Korean students.

According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education on Thursday, Yeompo Elementary School in Buk District held a scholarship ceremony on May 24 in memory of the late Sarah Dinell, a former English teacher at the school.

Dinell, an American national, began teaching at Yeompo Elementary in August 2015. She passed away in a car accident in November 2016 at the age of 24. In 2018, her parents pledged to donate 1,000 dollars annually for 10 years to support the school, hoping to carry on their daughter's passion for teaching Korean students.

The initiative, named the Sarah Dinell Scholarship, has been awarded to students each year since. In its eighth year, this year’s scholarship was presented to seven students, who also wrote letters of gratitude to Dinell’s parents.

One student wrote, “Thank you, Sarah Dinell teacher and your parents. I will never forget the warmth I received and want to be someone who can share that warmth with others.”

In 2018, Dinell’s parents also donated 295 English books. The school established the Sarah Dinell Bookshelf in its library, creating a space where students can explore the world through books and language.

“Sarah’s love and dedication continue to inspire our students every year,” a school official said. “We hope the students grow into individuals who value gratitude, compassion and sharing.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.