A native of Seoul, Korea, Campbell employee,Young Surh, believes in preserving her culture for Koreans who may never have lived on Korean soil. In addition to her duties as senior graphic designer and art consultant for Campbell’s department of Photo-Graphics, Surh has taken on the responsibilities of director of the Triangle Korean School dedicated to the purpose of maintaining the Korean identity of second-generation Korean American students. “We want the Korean American student to know the Korean culture, heritage and tradition,” Surh said. “We want them to grow up as Korean Americans so that they can know who they are and how they can best contribute to American society. We believe that without their Korean identity, the children can’t be as good citizens in their adopted country.” The purpose of the Triangle Korean School not only to teach Korean culture, but American culture as well, Surh added. “It’s really a place where the students can share information. It’s a good chance to make a transition between newcomers and native Korean American students and to learn about each other’s history and traditions.” Founded in 1979, the Triangle Korea School offers a varied curriculum, including classes in English and Korean; the Korean art of Tae Kwon Do; Korean and American history, studies in listening, reading, writing and speaking; and Korean crafts such as origami, the Asian art of folding paper. This summer, the school will offer a preparatory course for the SAT exam and is looking to hire a permanent bi-lingual teacher. A cooking course on the preparation of traditional Korean foods is also on the horizon for the school. The non-profit organization, which currently meets in members’ homes, has approximately 16 members and 150 students. Tuition is $120 per semester and the school is funded by grants and contributions. As for the students, they don’t have to be coaxed to go to the Korean School. “Students love to come to class each Saturday to be taught Korean and English while making traditional Korean crafts and arts,” she said. “The crafts make learning languages more pleasant.” Young –Kyu Lee Surh came to the United States in 1985 with her husband Dr. Young-Joon Surh, a physician and well-known cancer researcher who is a professor in School of Pharmacy at the University of Seoul. The Surhs’ son Michael is a sophomore at Campbell University, and Young and Michael will remain in the U.S. until he completes his education. An award-winning graphic designer, Surh graduated cum laude from Southern Connecticut State University and earned a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design and a Master of Art Education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She served as professor and chairman of the Industrial Graphic Design Department at Taedock College in Taejon, South Korea, and was a project artist at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in Madison, Wis. Surh also served as an art education enrichment teacher at the Madison Center for Creative and Cultural Design.Photo Copy: Young Surh, senior graphic designer and art consultant at Campbell University. (Photo by Scott Capell)
Art director has a lot on her palette