The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

This girl is quick to smile and quick to laugh.

The pure and joyful energy is highly contagious and likely to be a great asset in her future career as a psychologist.

Katharine Choi is a 16 year old exchange student from Jinju, South Korea. She's chosen Katharine as her English name, but at home she is called Choi Ho Jeong.

Her friends call her Ho Jeong--ah or Won Joong, a nickname she was given because she looks like a male model named Kim Won Joong.

Jinju is in the most southern part of the country. The population is 10 times the size of Longview and it takes about four hours to drive to Seoul, a little less by train.

Choi doesn't plan to do much driving though. While other 15 and 16 year olds in Cathlamet are excited by the idea of getting a license and making it a reality, she has no such plans. Koreans have to be 18 to drive according to Choi, so it will be a couple more years, at the very least. Choi would much rather ride the bus.

Buses are everywhere in Jinju, and people use them every day.

"I like the bus," Choi said. "They're comfy."

When Choi showed an interest in being an exchange student, her family stepped up and sacrificed to make it happen. From the moment she mentioned it, her mom was on the internet doing research or talking to relatives asking if they would help to fund the opportunity.

"Normally, it's kind of impossible," she said. Not for this determined family.

One of her older brothers, of which there are two, took part time jobs to save money for the trip.

Choi groans when she thinks about how much she and her brother fight but knows that this is proof positive that at the heart of it, he loves her, and that family is everything.

Her father is a businessman who followed his heart into the lotus flower business. Lotus grows in water, so regardless of the time of the year or rising and falling mercury, that is where he is. He grows the plant and uses it in several products such as soap or noodles. Choi's mother works at home, or helps her husband with his business.

When Choi returns home, she will have to repeat her first year of high school. It's some kind of penalty for participating in the exchange program.

"I wanted to do this," Choi said, "so I think it's worth it."

She groaned again at the thought of having to study already familiar material.

Fortunately, she only has three more years left before she goes to university.

English is tested when Korean students head to college, so her year of immersion in the language bodes well for her.

Her favorite teacher is Jeff Rooklidge but she appreciates all the teachers who have been "so kind."

"I like his biology class," Choi said of Rooklidge. "It's fun."

Her host parents, Nancy and Bill Nelson, are former science teachers, and Choi's been having fun with them as well, learning a little bit about geology and other things.

"I will keep up with the science," Choi said. "I like it, but I'm not really good at it."

What is she good at?

"Being happy," she said with a grin.

Choi turned out for volleyball and track this year.

"I was on the JV volleyball team," she said. "That's my favorite sport. I really like it. Our team was really good. Our teamwork was perfect."

She was less enthused about track but one of her friends talked her into it, saying that running would be fun.

"I really don't like to run," Choi said, "but I did it."

She did it all right. She competed in the longest race available to high school track and field athletes. And learned to like it.

All in all, she's having a great time at Wahkiakum High School.

"Except history class," Choi laughed. "I don't like the history quizzes. I almost failed but only in history quizzes!"

That Mr. Cox. He's tough.