Alexander Baker

Before I was four months old, I traveled half way around the world to come to America. My first airplane trip started in Busan, South Korea (where I was born) to Seoul. From Seoul, we traveled to Tokyo, Japan, and then finally to New York where I met my new family. Up until I was 10, we lived in Edison, NJ. At age 10, we moved to Barnegat and then to Manahawkin.
One of the reasons that we moved was because both my parents suffer from Multiple Sclerosis. Because the illness had progressed for both of them, they both had to “retire” from their respective jobs; mom in 2006 and three years later, my father also became permanently disabled.
As I mentioned earlier, we moved from Edison to Barnegat. Edison is a very culturally diverse city where I was one of many Asian American students attending school. However, when we moved to Barnegat, NJ and started attending middle school, I was very surprised that there was one other student beside myself who was Asian. That’s when I learned about discrimination. I was bullied and taunted every day by other kids who looked different from me. Kids would call me names and beat me up. Even though my parents met with the school guidance counselor, nothing was done to stop the bullying. I was ashamed of being different and became depressed and very insecure. My parents enrolled me in taekwondo to learn how to defend myself and to learn more about my Korean culture. We also decided not to live in Barnegat so we moved to nearby Manahawkin, which is a town more culturally diverse.
One of the best gifts my parents had given me was to enroll me in taekwondo classes. Taekwondo turned my life around. It not only taught me how to defend myself, but it gave me a deep appreciation of my rich cultural heritage. I learned to be proud of who I am. I became very dedicated to this ancient art and had grown to become a taekwondo instructor for not only younger students, but also for students with learning disabilities. Where other instructors may not have the time or patience for these special students, I look at each one as a reflection of myself. As a child who was diagnosed with ADHD, I was once like them and can understand the challenges they face and healing power of taekwondo. I discovered that by helping others, I was helping myself become a better, more responsible person. Where once I was a failing student, I am now a member of the National Honor Society.
For the past three years, I have been a taekwondo instructor (working after school and weekends) at Master Moon's Taekwondo Studio. One of my responsibilities is to lead the taekwondo demonstration team at various events throughout the state. We have students with various degrees of physical and developmental challenges (ADHD, ADD and other learning difficulties). By teaching taekwondo, it helps individuals focus and cope with their performance at school and home. To that extent, I teach these students 10-15 hours per week and make myself available to them whenever needed. I have helped many of my students tackle self-esteem and confidence issues by running five to seven additional classes per week. One of my jobs is to choreograph routines that involve all students regardless of their limitations. The routines make everyone feel they are all important in their role during the routine and at the school. We take pride in being inclusive of everyone no matter their skill level or disability. Their contribution is a positive reflection of the team, the school and myself. I have also learned that confidence and the drive to do something is the difference between success and failure.
The empathy gained from having two parents with disabilities and the challenges that I faced at an early age, gave me the passion to help others tackle self-esteem and confidence issues by focusing on their overall health. In order for me to successfully pursue a career in the fitness and health field, I am seeking to get a BA in Global Fitness and Wellness with a specialty in early intervention.