1 00:00:11,911 --> 00:00:15,949 [ MUSIC ] 2 00:00:15,949 --> 00:00:16,583 >> I'M A FIRST GENERATION 3 00:00:16,583 --> 00:00:17,751 KOREAN AMERICAN. 4 00:00:17,751 --> 00:00:19,786 MY PARENTS WERE SOUTH KOREAN 5 00:00:19,786 --> 00:00:21,154 IMMIGRANTS WHO CAME TO 6 00:00:21,154 --> 00:00:22,989 AMERICA IN THE EARLY '80s 7 00:00:22,989 --> 00:00:24,691 FOR THE HOPE OF A BETTER 8 00:00:24,691 --> 00:00:26,092 FUTURE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. 9 00:00:26,092 --> 00:00:30,497 [ MUSIC ] 10 00:00:30,497 --> 00:00:31,564 I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN 11 00:00:31,564 --> 00:00:33,666 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WHERE 12 00:00:33,666 --> 00:00:35,335 I GRADUATED FROM SANTA MONICA 13 00:00:35,335 --> 00:00:37,737 HIGH SCHOOL IN 2002. 14 00:00:37,737 --> 00:00:39,038 I THEN JOINED THE NAVY 15 00:00:39,038 --> 00:00:41,641 AND ENLISTED TO BE A SEAL. 16 00:00:41,641 --> 00:00:43,243 AND I DID A COUPLE DEPLOYMENTS 17 00:00:43,243 --> 00:00:45,078 OVERSEAS, AT WHICH POINT 18 00:00:45,078 --> 00:00:47,113 I WAS INSPIRED TO PURSUE 19 00:00:47,113 --> 00:00:48,681 A CAREER IN MEDICINE. 20 00:00:48,681 --> 00:00:53,953 [ MUSIC ] 21 00:00:53,953 --> 00:00:56,122 I FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVED IN 22 00:00:56,122 --> 00:00:59,526 THE NASA MISSION OF ADVANCING 23 00:00:59,526 --> 00:01:02,896 OUR SPACE FRONTIER, ALL WHILE 24 00:01:02,896 --> 00:01:03,997 DEVELOPING INNOVATION 25 00:01:03,997 --> 00:01:05,031 AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT 26 00:01:05,031 --> 00:01:07,167 WOULD BENEFIT ALL OF HUMANKIND. 27 00:01:07,167 --> 00:01:13,072 [ MUSIC ] 28 00:01:13,072 --> 00:01:15,108 I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF GROCERY 29 00:01:15,108 --> 00:01:17,410 SHOPPING AT THE STORE WHEN 30 00:01:17,410 --> 00:01:21,247 I GOT THE CALL AND IT WAS-- 31 00:01:21,247 --> 00:01:23,183 WE WERE EXPECTING A CALL 32 00:01:23,183 --> 00:01:24,284 AND IT WAS JUST 33 00:01:24,284 --> 00:01:25,418 A VERY SURREAL MOMENT. 34 00:01:25,418 --> 00:01:26,119 I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER 35 00:01:26,119 --> 00:01:27,353 FORGET IT. 36 00:01:27,353 --> 00:01:28,988 BUT I THINK MY HEART WAS 37 00:01:28,988 --> 00:01:31,958 RACING 100 BEATS A SECOND 38 00:01:31,958 --> 00:01:33,960 AND I TRIED NOT TO LOSE 39 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:35,295 MY COMPOSURE IN THE MIDDLE OF 40 00:01:35,295 --> 00:01:37,263 THE GROCERY STORE. 41 00:01:37,263 --> 00:01:38,531 BUT ONCE I GOT THE NEWS 42 00:01:38,531 --> 00:01:39,866 AND I HUNG UP I RAN OVER TO 43 00:01:39,866 --> 00:01:41,334 MY WIFE AND I WAS JUMPING 44 00:01:41,334 --> 00:01:42,635 UP AND DOWN AND I WAS 45 00:01:42,635 --> 00:01:44,838 TELLING HER THAT WE GOT IN. 46 00:01:44,838 --> 00:01:50,543 [ MUSIC ] 47 00:01:50,543 --> 00:01:52,579 I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN 48 00:01:52,579 --> 00:01:54,614 SCIENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL, 49 00:01:54,614 --> 00:01:56,449 AND FOR ME I KNEW GOING TO 50 00:01:56,449 --> 00:01:57,450 COLLEGE WASN'T THE RIGHT 51 00:01:57,450 --> 00:01:59,719 ANSWER FOR ME IMMEDIATELY. 52 00:01:59,719 --> 00:02:01,054 I HAD WANTED TO JOIN THE NAVY. 53 00:02:01,054 --> 00:02:02,889 BUT ONCE I DECIDED THAT 54 00:02:02,889 --> 00:02:04,657 I WANTED TO GO INTO MEDICINE, 55 00:02:04,657 --> 00:02:06,059 STUDYING MATH TO ME WAS VERY 56 00:02:06,059 --> 00:02:08,528 IMPORTANT AND WITHOUT TRYING 57 00:02:08,528 --> 00:02:10,129 TO SOUND TOO PHILOSOPHICAL 58 00:02:10,129 --> 00:02:12,131 I FEEL LIKE MATH AND JUST 59 00:02:12,131 --> 00:02:13,199 THE STEM FIELDS IN GENERAL 60 00:02:13,199 --> 00:02:14,767 ARE SUCH A-- YOU KNOW, 61 00:02:14,767 --> 00:02:16,636 THE PORTALS OF TRUTH. 62 00:02:16,636 --> 00:02:20,540 [ MUSIC ] 63 00:02:20,540 --> 00:02:23,510 I WOULD TELL MY YOUNGER SELF 64 00:02:23,510 --> 00:02:27,480 THAT FAILURE IS SOMETHING TO BE 65 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,116 EMBRACED, AND THAT EVERY 66 00:02:30,116 --> 00:02:33,186 MISTAKE IS AN OPPORTUNITY 67 00:02:33,186 --> 00:02:37,090 TO LEARN AND IMPROVE, AND THAT 68 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:40,894 ALL THINGS THAT ARE WORTHWHILE 69 00:02:40,894 --> 00:02:42,595 ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN. 70 00:02:42,595 --> 00:02:53,873 [ MUSIC ]