Power of Sharing That Inspires Togetherness: Beyond Family, Toward the World (Gyeong-hui Shin, Graduating Class of 1951)
- Date2024.11.11
- 2490
Alumna Gyeong-hui Shin has donated more than KRW 400 million to Ewha. After donating more than KRW 300 million in scholarships, she contributed an additional KRW 100 million for the College of Pharmacy Construction Fund to support the establishment of a new campus. As a member of the third graduating class of Ewha’s College of Pharmacy, Shin’s enduring dedication to education across more than 60 years has been once again exemplified.
Alumna Shin was admitted to Ewha after taking the entrance exam at her mother’s suggestion and passing at first attempt. She recalled, “To get to the school, I had to take a tram from my family home to Seodaemun Station, then walk for quite some time and even cross a mountain. On rainy or snowy days, I would carefully navigate the hills by holding on to the trees along the roadside. We even conducted experiments for our major courses by lighting charcoal fires.” Even in her nineties, these vivid memories still bring a smile to her face. After graduation, alumna Shin took on the responsibility of supporting her family in the absence of her father, who was lost to the Korean War. As the eldest daughter, she hoped that her younger siblings would also have the opportunity to continue their studies at university. Working tirelessly in a hospital and later as a pharmacist running her own pharmacy, she sent all five of her siblings and four children to university. Most of them went on to become professors at prestigious universities at the forefront of various academic fields in Korea and the U.S., which is perhaps a testament to the lasting influence of her unwavering commitment to education.
To help more people gain access to educational opportunities through donations, alumna Shin joined hands with her late husband, Professor Emeritus Jang Seob Yoon of the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University. A highly respected senior figure in the architectural community, her husband donated KRW 500 million to Seoul National University, while Shin also extended her support not only to Ewha but also to Ewha Girls’ High School and other institutions in need, thereby setting an example of giving back to society. She remarked, “We were determined to give back to the world as much as we received from it. We could also pass our possessions on to our children, but isn’t the ‘power of sharing’ the most precious legacy we can leave behind as parents?”
This endeavor was made possible by the respect and trust of Shin’s children, who supported their mother’s beliefs. Significant contributions were also made by her son Chaeshin Yoon, a professor emeritus in architecture, and her daughter-in-law Kyung Lim Lee, a professor emeritus in pharmacy, who reflected, “[Alumna Shin] has been even more deeply involved in encouraging younger generations and tending to areas of need across Ewha than the two of us have been, even though we experienced firsthand various needs as members of the university ourselves. Her dedication has strengthened our confidence in our commitment to sharing.” With the strong momentum from Shin’s support, Ewha’s College of Pharmacy is poised to continue its legacy at the Ewha West Campus as Korea’s first, best, and largest institution for pharmacy education.
“Work hard in life while you’re still young, but I hope you’ll lead a life of wisdom where you know the direction you want to take for yourself. I’ll be cheering you on to walk together instead of alone and help one another to fly high toward creating a better world,” Shin remarked.