<html><div style='background-color:'><P>Dr. James Palais' recent passing was a shock for many, including myself, a former student of his. I was quite saddened to hear about the passing of one of my mentors. </P>
<P>I entered the graduate program in Korea Studies at the University of Washington in 1997, with the prospect of pursing a Ph.D. in History. As a first generation Korean American with (somewhat) limited English language ability, I pursed graduate studies in Korea Studies at the University of Washington (mainly due to lack of Korea-related courses in universities at the time). I never thought his class would be a cake walk. In fact, the two courses taught by Dr. Palais were far beyond what I had expected. I was quite amazed (and intimidated) by his fount knowledge in East Asian history and scholarship. </P>
<P>Unfortunately, I did not meet Dr. Palais' expectations, as he is known for his honest feedbacks and constructive criticisms (as evidenced by his grading and comments on his assignment). When I asked if I had all that it takes to become a historian, he flat out said, "I think you should look into another line of work." </P>
<P>I was quite disappointed by his reaction. Those words coming from one of the leading historians of Korea was a major blow to me. However, I found that Dr. Palais was also a caring individual and gently encouraged me to pursue a career that I had passion for (He was genuinely concerned when I informed him that I would have to miss his class due to my father's passing.). </P>
<P>Taking Dr. Palais' advice, I returned to S. Korea where I worked for several years primarily in the educational settings. I found myself constantly applying the knowledge I gained from Dr. Palais' class (along with other outstanding East Asian courses at JSIS I have taken) in my career. My research interests and career paths shifted dramatically, from history to contemporary social problems in S. Korea. I returned to the U.S. in 2004, to pursue an M.S.W. degree in Social Work at the University of Michigan. Today, I am a Ph.D. student. Although Social Work research is quite dissimilar from traditional disciplines, such as history and social sciences, I continue to apply the knowledge gained from Dr. Palais' class. Looking back, Dr. Palais gave me the best advice ever! </P>
<P>Dr. Palais has impacted not only the Koreanists he had trained, but also those who did not meet his high expectations. While it has been nine years since I took his course, I can vividly remember, "Do we have any volunteers?" Successfully completing his class was a major accomplishment. Being one of his many students is an honor I will never forget. </P>
<P>Jun Sung Hong, class of '99 </P></div></html>