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Jonathan Kwon
Seoul, Korea
Biblical Studies
For Jonathan Kwon, starting his freshman year at Biola University means more than just the beginning of his college experience. It means he has something he hasn't had for a long time: a permanent address. Born in Michigan, Kwon has lived his life from country to country and state to state, never staying in one place for too long. For him, Biola represents a bit of permanence--a place where he can settle in, put down some roots, and grow.
At age six, his family moved from Michigan back to Korea, their native country. However, it was only six years later in seventh grade when Kwon moved to America to pursue a better education while his parents remained in Korea — a move that shifted his future severely.
When he moved to Massachusetts, he was able to homestay with a family he knew from Korea, whom his older brother was living with as well — one of the few places he calls home, but not an ideal situation.
“There were seven of us there. It was really hectic,” said Kwon. “I made it difficult for them.”
His brother went to college the year Kwon was a junior in high school, forcing him to move to Syracuse, New York after his aunt and uncle offered to host him for free while he finished high school. Kwon had been somewhat involved in church in Massachusetts and Korea, but any relationship with God that he had began to fade and he began to withdraw from life.
“I would say my time in New York was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life,” said Kwon. “I went into depression.”
Kwon began skipping classes at school or sleeping through them. The cold weather, change in cultural demographics and lack of real friends pushed Kwon further into depression. It wasn’t until he stopped going to school all together in his senior year that his parents finally brought him back to Korea.
“When I finally ended up really collapsing there [Syracuse], emotionally and physically, my parents brought me back home,” said Kwon.
Since the Korean culture is focused on academic excellence and the opportunity to study in America wasn’t available for everyone, Kwon was worried his parents would be ashamed when he returned without his high school diploma.
“I thought my parents would be really ashamed, but they treated me a lot better than I thought they ever would,” said Kwon. “The reason why I’m here today is because my parents really showed me grace.”
He took the GED when he was in Korea so he could eventually continue his education without finishing high school. Kwon had no motivation to believe in Christ and if anything, he blamed God for part of his experience in New York.
“All these experiences kind of led me not to go to church,” said Kwon.
His mom began dragging him with her to volunteer with Youth With a Mission (YWAM). She would drive American Christian missionaries and leaders around Korea and Kwon would go with her since he could speak fluent English. It was at this point, he was able to speak with people who were well developed in their faith, something that began to open his heart towards Christ.
However, it wasn’t long until he returned to Syracuse to attend a community college. Without a car, Kwon walked the 20 minutes to school in the cold weather and since there was no grocery store in walking distance, his physical health began to deteriorate. He fell into a deeper depression. Six months later, he returned to Korea feeling more shameful than he originally had.
His parents forced him to sign up for YWAM. It was when Kwon volunteered at an intercession prayer school that he finally felt that God was real.
“I was curious when I saw the manifestation of the Holy Spirit,” said Kwon. “Maybe this religion isn’t just for old people.”
After his experience at the school, he decided to go to discipleship training school in Hawaii with YWAM followed by a three-month missions trip.
“That’s when I accepted God into my life again and began the healing process of a lot of pain in my life and began to forgive myself and my shame,” said Kwon. “I came back from that trip a changed person.”
Kwon was finally able to depend on God and experience His sovereignty. Over the course of the following year, Kwon traveled around the world attending different short-term prayer or Bible schools and doing missions work. At one of the schools, he came into contact with a Biola professor, which introduced him to the idea of applying to Biola.
“What YWAM did in my life was really change my attitude for what it means to live and what to live for,” said Kwon. “It set my priorities straight. I chose Biola on my own.”
Kwon was accepted to Biola and is majoring in Biblical Studies. He knows God may send him places he doesn’t want to go, but until then, he is pursuing a Biblically centered education to prepare him for where God leads.
“I was thinking back on my life and I realized that all these choices I made were really destroying me inside,” said Kwon.
Now he is excited to live for God and grow spiritually.
“What I really want to do is focus on God in the center of my life.”