Growing up, I only knew one path for my life - graduate from an Ivy League and become a medical doctor. When I got into Princeton, I thought I “made it” and that I would live happily ever after. Instead, I hit rock bottom.

I was too anxious and depressed to function, to the point of spending most of my days wishing I were dead.

The desire for success (as defined by society and family) that had driven me to get to Princeton no longer worked. I desperately needed a new source of motivation. Something more meaningful and enduring. I was desperate for answers, but didn’t know where and how to find it.

This forced me to take a year off, and I spent my time in Korea asking the hard and daunting questions of, “Why do I exist? Who am I? What’s my mission on this earth?” I discovered that my purpose is to be loved and to love, and that my identity and worth are not dependent on what I do. As I became more grounded in my authentic self, I began to see more clearly the prevalence of aimlessness among young people. When I heard about Korean youth dying by suicide due to pressure to succeed, it burned my heart. Something was seriously wrong, and I felt compelled to do something about this.

When I returned to Princeton, I majored in East Asian studies to understand the complex factors that contribute to the high rates of mental health issues and suicide among youth in Korea. I then discovered the profession of psychotherapy, which brought together my passion to help individuals flourish and my gifts of compassion and counseling. After obtaining a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at Northwestern, I worked in a partial hospital and intensive outpatient setting conducting family therapy for young adults and adolescents.

From Korea to the wealthy suburbs of Boston and Chicago, I was struck by how lost young people were despite their privilege and resources. I had witnessed similar phenomena at Princeton and Northwestern, institutions that draw young people with enormous amounts of talent and potential. Many students were focused on goals that were neither meaningful to them nor of consequence to the world beyond the self. They spent an exorbitant amount of energy trying to fit themselves into a box that society labeled as successful and secure. A lot of them were discontent at best, depressed, anxious and suicidal at worst. This made me wonder, “What would our world look like if these youth dedicated their lives and channeled their talents and resources into purposes that made a positive impact on others beyond themselves?”

So here I am, wanting to meet this need in my own unique way. I believe that we were all made for so much more than going through the motions of life. If you’re tired of existing and being in survival mode, you’ve come to the right place.