Data science was not a career Sehyun Park would have even considered when she moved to North Carolina from her native South Korea. She was convinced she was "not a math person" after struggling with the subject in high school.

She enrolled at Wake Tech intending to study communication as she acclimated to her new country. But the general education courses required for an Associate in Arts degree included a pre-calculus class, so she swallowed hard and dove in.

"This was a second chance for me, and it wasn't as bad as I expected," she said.

Park's instructor continually encouraged her, slowing building her confidence. And the relationships she found with other students made her want to work harder, she says.

As she gained a foothold, she enrolled in more math and science courses and switched her focus from an Associate in Arts to dual Associate in Science and Associate in Engineering degrees.

Friendships also helped Park gradually emerge from her shell – she describes herself as shy and anxious when she started at Wake Tech and acknowledges that her command of English wasn't great.

She first joined DECA, a business-oriented student organization that promotes leadership development.

"At first, I felt I really didn't belong here," she said, "but DECA pushed me to communicate with more people and really improve my English skills."

That opened the floodgates for Park's participation in campus activities:

• Student Government Association senator
• New Student Orientation leader
• Lab tech for the engineering and skilled trades labs that also serve as makerspaces for students
• University Innovation Fellow
• Peer Tutor

"Students here are very passionate about the college," she said. "It inspired me a lot and made me want to share my experience and not just keep to myself."

Park says she became adept at balancing multiple activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her high school classes were online, which meant a lot of self-directed learning and good time management skills.

"[That] helped me get better at organizing tasks and estimating how long things would take, she said, adding that once she moved to the U.S., "Support from friends, and the resources at Wake Tech helped me a lot as well."

Her academic success and array of activities earned her the college's 2026 Dwight O. Ryan Outstanding Student of the Year award. She also served as the student speaker during her commencement ceremony.

"She's wicked smart," said Paul Kokkelenberg, who manages Wake Tech's engineering and skilled trades labs, adding that nothing fazes her.

"What's really impressive to me is her can-do attitude," Kokkelenberg said. "Obstacles aren't really obstacles to her."

For example, her own past struggles with math didn't stop Park from tutoring others in the subject. That, in turn, benefited her as well, she says.

"Explaining concepts to students helped me fill in holes in my foundation [of math knowledge]," she said.

Park says a desire to explore different engineering disciplines led her to becoming a lab tech. Soon, the makerspaces had become "like my room" inside her Wake Tech home, where she could help students use 3D printers and other equipment on personal or class projects.

"Wake Tech taught me to push yourself, even when you're unsure where or how to start," she said.