This is the first M Story I’ve written from my perspective as the Marketing Manager of MIS. It is written as a dedication to Hyungmok Kim, our Grade 10 Work Experience intern. Hyungmok is currently working at the desk across from mine as I secretly compose his M Story in the Advancement Department offices in the Schloss. Serendipitously, I met Hyungmok at the Grade 10 Personal Project Exhibition, my favorite event of the year at MIS.
I’m not alone: One of the highlights of each year for myself and many others is the Grade 10 Personal Project Exhibition. The Personal Project portfolio and exhibition allows Grade 10 students to explore a topic of interest to them. They are required to approach the topic through systematic research and inquiry with an end goal in mind. That outcome and process model becomes their exhibit.
MIS is on a mission to Inspire, Challenge, and Empower our students. Graduates from MIS often remark that one of the most inspiring points in their senior school careers is the Grade 10 Personal Project. This school year, students made their own skis, surfboards, beer & brewery brand, a guitar, a line of face creams, their own chocolate, their own sustainable clothing line, and many more creations.
The scale of the exhibition is overwhelming and exciting. I had already spent many hours documenting the amazing projects. (Click here to see the highlight video.) As I was walking out of the LADC to get back to Schloss -- thinking I’d seen it all, I did a double-take. Excellent digital illustrations glued to a standing poster board caught my eye. I confirmed that Hyungmok had indeed created these illustrations and then immediately propositioned him to do his Grade 10 Work Experience with MIS’s Advancement Office because I had a job for him to do! (All Grade 10 students are required to complete a three-week internship at the end of the school year, ideally in a sector that interests them.) To my relief, he bowed in agreement immediately and kept his word.
Hyungmok moved to MIS in his 8th-grade year. He is a native of Korea and has lived in Germany multiple times as well as in Finland. He introduced himself to illustration to avoid boredom at the hotel he was staying at when they first moved back to Germany. “I was searching for a new hobby to enjoy at the hotel where I was staying. First, I began drawing on paper with some very basic techniques. Then, after I came to MIS, I was introduced to the method of digital drawing which kind of caught my interest to be honest”. The Grade 10 Personal Project allowed him the time and opportunity to “explore digital arts more deeply and learn the techniques and the skills which required for more understanding”. He currently works with Clip Studio Paint, uses two screens, a glove, a WACOM brand graphics tablet and and pen, and a gaming keyboard.
As of today, he has been working for three weeks full time in the Advancement office side-by-side with Sabrina Lacher, Philanthropy Manager, Inge Smit, Communications Manager, Debbie Lawson, Alumni Coordinator, myself, Marketing Manager, and Advancement Director Sabina Fuchs. As a team, we’ve been impressed with Hyungmok’s professionalism and his independent working style. After providing him with his task, our school’s brand style guide, and a mood board for the project, he has worked completely independently and provided frequent updates as his project developed. And the outcome speaks for itself!
My wish has come true, and MIS now has an illustrated campus map. It’s worth pointing out that this service, if outsourced to a digital artist would have cost the school thousands of Euros. Hyungmok has not only saved MIS a bunch of cash but also created a legacy for himself. He will be relocating this summer and completing his high school years in Seoul, but his artistic skills will have a lasting impact on our campus.
On behalf of our Advancement Team, we’d like to thank Hyungmok for being a great colleague and a great office DJ. His playlist of Korean Rock and Vivaldi tracks kept us on our toes.
His final words of wisdom to the upcoming years of MIS 10th-graders is: “First of all, if you're doing the Personal Project, try choosing something in which you are fully determined. That's going to help you a lot while you make progress the project. Also, it'll make you way more confident when you have to defend your Personal Project. Choose your project from your heart”.
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