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Mike Sawlor
The Korean Connection
I now have more feelings of self-worth and achievement which have boosted my self-esteem and confidence exponentially.
Mike Sawlor
When 26-year old Mike Sawlor enrolled in the Architectural Drafting program at NSCC's Lunenburg Campus, he never thought he'd be teaching English as a second language.
Then he met his Korean classmate, 19-year old Sang (Sam) Yoo.
"I felt like I knew what his troubles were because my brother's been in Korea for seven years and I know how hard it was for him to do simple things like order coffee," explains Mike.
In fact, all Mike's siblings and even his parents have gone to Korea for at least a year to teach English. Mike says helping Sam seemed like the right thing to do.
"I started tutoring him. He had trouble understanding many of the lectures. Eventually, I would just go over everything that we did in class so it almost turned into a daily thing," says Mike.
Mike went out of his way to drive Sam to school each day and took him home to Sydney for Christmas with his family. By their second year, it made sense to become roommates. Mike's teachers describe him as a natural leader and teacher, often helping other students as well as Sam.
"I don't like to just give answers!" Mike says. "When I work with Sam on architectural drafting, I don't describe a door jamb or something; I'll take him out in the apartment and I'll point it out. I'll tell him what it's usually made of, give him a price and tell him where you get it. The same goes for the rest of our classmates. I think understanding is the best way to learn, rather than repetition and remembering."
Mike's peers recognized his generosity with the "Gift of Giving" award two years in a row. When he applied to become valedictorian, the panel unanimously chose him. Still, Mike says he has gained far more than he has given during his time at the College.
An excerpt from his valedictory speech says it all.
"I now have more feelings of self-worth and achievement which have boosted my self-esteem and confidence exponentially."
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