The Hwang family lived comfortably in South Korea, but James and Hannah Hwang saw America as a land of opportunity and wanted more for their two sons. Leaving everything behind, the Hwangs immigrated to the United States when their youngest son Daniel was just six years old. If you had told Daniel's family then that some day he would become a Lieutenant in the United States Army, they probably wouldn't have believed you. Today, as the West Point graduate and 2002 Most Valuable Student scholarship recipient prepares for his future in the armed services, Daniel wouldn't have it any other way.

"This country has given so much to me,' says Daniel. "I want to give back by being a part of the best army in the world."

A teacher from Daniel's high school, whose son attended West Point and shared many of Daniel's qualities, inspired him to apply to the academy. Daniel had always felt like he lived in the shadows of his older brother Sam, who graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and works as a patent lawyer. West Point gave Daniel the chance to step out of the shadows and challenge himself. In June of 2002, while his friends enjoyed the summer before heading off to college, Daniel began cadet basic training. The two-month training period would test him in every physical, mental and emotional way imaginable. "I wanted to quit at first, but I had never quit anything before, and I wasn't about to start," Daniel recalls. "I read the Bible every night; and letters from my family and friends got me through it."

A Cadet's Commitment Once the regular academic year began, Daniel faced 4 a.m. wake-up calls every morning. His class and cadet schedule took 100 percent commitment, and he credits the work ethic and discipline he inherited from his parents for allowing him to excel at West Point. His fellow classmates' bravery also drove Daniel to succeed.

"Different things motivate me," Daniel says. "But, I'm especially moved by people who have courage and then actually act on it."

By his senior year, Daniel was a commander in charge of 1,000 underclassmen. He was aware of the great responsibility, and enjoyed making the young cadets smile and enjoy themselves. It wasn't that long ago when Daniel was experiencing the same emotions, and because he remembered the pressure he felt as an underclassman, he wanted to do all he could to encourage these young men and women.

"The camaraderie is amazing, and the friendships there are different than most," Daniel says. "You know the people to the left and right of you would take a bullet for each other."

An Officer and a Graduate Daniel graduated last spring with honors in Sociology and a minor in Environmental Engineering. He was one of the only 47 honors graduates in his class of 861 cadets. Now that he's left West Point, Daniel's responsibility is 10-fold what it was as a student commander. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and upon completion of his current training in May, he'll report to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.

"I want to thank the Elks National Foundation for your support throughout my four-year journey at West Point," Daniel says. "The skills I learned there will help me for the rest of my life."

As a young boy from South Korea living in an unknown country, Daniel's future was a mystery to him. Even today, Daniel's not sure where life will take him after the army, but he does know that no matter what, he'll always live by West Point's values of "duty, honor, and country. And, he'll always be grateful to his parents, his classmates and the Elks for helping him to become all that he could be.

Heart to Heart: Catching Up with MVS Alum

The Marshall Islands in the central Pacific felt like home to 2001 Most Valuable Student scholarship winner Jeremy Staley, but it wasn't because the tropical landscape resembled the mid-America small town of Celina, Ohio, where he grew up. Jeremy saw himself in the Marshallese people, particularly the children he taught through a one-year volunteer program.

ENF: Why did you decide to volunteer with World Teach after college? JS: The opportunity to work in international development after college fascinated me. I wanted to work in an area of the world that I felt was under-privileged and under-exposed. After doing some research, I discovered WorldTeach, which aims to bring talented and dedicated volunteers to international teacher-shortage areas.

ENF: What was the most important thing you learned while living abroad? JS: Being a teacher taught me how connected we are as human beings and how we all share responsibility for children growing up across the globe. The Marshallese children I lived among are indistinguishable from their counterparts an ocean away. Children everywhere love to be valued; they are amazed at discovery; and they try to master the balance between shyness and curiosity.

ENF: What have you been up to since returning to the U.S.? JS: In August, I moved to Phoenix to accept a job as a development associate with Teach for America. I wanted to remain in the field of educational development while gaining exposure to the administrative side of a successful non-profit organization. International advocacy has always been a passion of mine, and eventually I would love to return to work in a developing nation.

ENF: How did the ENF's Most Valuable Student $4,000 scholarship affect your college experience? JS: Growing up in a small town, I was uncertain whether I could or would be ready to succeed at a nationally prestigious university. As a first-generation college student, the MVS scholarship helped me begin to understand how my academic achievements could overcome my familys financial shortcomings. With the scholarship, the pressure to choose a university based on affordability was greatly reduced. It brought me one crucial step closer to attending Notre Dame University, which I had dreamed of attending since elementary school. I was equipped both financially and mentally to fulfill a dream. Thank you for that opportunity.

ENF: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? JS: On our last day of school in the Marshall Islands, I made a special promise to my sixth-graders that in 10 years, I would be at their college graduation ceremonies. So, undoubtedly, that's where I'll be.

To learn more about Elks National Foundation scholarship programs, visit www.elks.org/enf/scholars/ourscholarships.cfm.