Keeping Motivation Alive

In this touching autobiographical speech, Joseph Kim encourages others to stay motivated to succeed, even under dire circumstances. Kim's inspiring story begins in North Korea during the famine in the 1990s.

Joseph Kim struggled with poverty and hunger throughout his childhood, experienced the tragic loss of a parent due to starvation and lost contact with his remaining family members. At the age of 16, Kim fled to China searching for a better life, where he was taken in by a refugee shelter. A year after that, Kim made his way to the United States. Though he didn't speak a word of English, he remained extremely motivated to study, get an education and make something of himself. In his first semester of high school, Kim received an academic award for excellence in recognition his hard work.

Kim talks about being touched by the kind nature of his foster parents and how the help he received helped him to stay positive and change his life. Currently Joseph is studying international business in college and searching for the family members he was separated from over 10 years ago.