When Yong Gick stepped off the plane from Korea more than half a century ago, she had one goal in mind: to pursue an education in America.
She was young, knew only a few words of English, and had no clear path—but she believed in the power of learning.
“I knew I had a challenge,” she recalls, “so I started at the very beginning.”
That beginning was a GED class, the first step on what would become a long, joyful journey through classrooms, careers, and communities.
Today, Yong is 78 years old with a bachelor’s degree under her belt and still taking classes at Germanna because of her endless desire to learn.
Yong's early years in the United States were filled with constant learning and adapting. While her husband trained as a Marine at Quantico, she worked as a waitress at the Lazy Susan Inn. Later, she became a credit clerk at Bank of America, always keeping her eyes on education—even if she had to press pause.
“When I had children, I stopped going to school for a while,” she says. “But once they were grown, I knew it was time for me again.”
As her children reached high school, Yong picked up right where she left off. She enrolled in community college courses, later taking night classes at Strayer University while working full-time.
With encouragement from her supervisors at the Department of the Navy—where she advanced from secretary to budget analyst—she earned a degree in global management and business.
The Navy paid for her tuition, something she still speaks about with disbelief and gratitude. “I couldn’t believe they were willing to help me,” she says. “That support changed everything.”
But for Yong, education was never just about earning a degree. It was about curiosity, connection, and community.
Even after retirement, Yong kept going—taking classes in sewing, gardening, and yoga (eventually becoming a yoga instructor “just for fun”). She works as a translator for TNB Language Service and has helped Korean immigrants find jobs and navigate hospitals. She has also run six marathons, each one teaching her to “keep moving, and keep going.”
Now, decades after that first GED class, Yong finds herself once again in school—this time at Germanna.
She audits, taking classes simply because she wants to learn new things.
At 78 years old, she’s a living testament to the idea that it’s never too late to learn something new, to follow your curiosity, or to reinvent your life.
Germanna, she says, feels like home. “Everyone listens, everyone helps. The faculty and staff here are like a family to me.”
She speaks with warmth and pride—not just about her own journey, but about the opportunities she sees in others.
Yong Gick’s path proves that education isn’t defined by age—it’s driven by determination.