Different Places, One Shared Commitment: The First Responses to KUBS 120 MARCH      An alumnus who extended a group donation into a personal contribution, a current student who expressed gratitude to the University even while serving in the military, and a high school student aspiring to study at Korea University Business School—participants who began from different moments and circumstances have come together naturally within a single campaign.   Launched to prepare for the next 120 years of Korea University Business School, the “KUBS 120 MARCH” fundraising campaign aims to raise KRW 12 billion and engage 12,000 participants. Every great march begins with small individual choices, and the three individuals who helped set this campaign in motion took their first steps from a shared desire to connect with the School in ways that felt meaningful to them at this moment in their lives.    To explore these beginnings, this feature brings together three participants in the “KUBS 120 MARCH” campaign to hear what inspired their decision to give and what “participation” means to each of them. Their stories invite us to see giving not as something reserved for a select few, but as a natural choice that can emerge within everyday life. Together, these individual choices form the first steps of a long march toward the next 120 years of Korea University Business School.    “Adding a Sense of Responsibility to 120 Years of History”  Junghee Kim | 17th President, Women Alumni Association, KUBS Executive MBA (E-MBA)    Q1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and share how you became connected to the E-MBA program?  A1. Hello, my name is Junghee Kim, an alumna of the Korea University Executive MBA program and currently the 17th President of the Women Alumni Association. I work in the IT industry. As I continued my professional career, my desire grew to engage with people from diverse fields and to keep learning. That motivation led me to enroll in the Korea University E-MBA program. Today, I am giving back to the Women Alumni Association, drawing on the energy and inspiration I received from this community.    Q2. After making a group donation, you also chose to contribute under your own name. What inspired that decision?  A2. During the donation ceremony held by the Women Alumni Association, I had the opportunity to meet the Dean in person and hear about the current situation of the School and its future direction. While the group donation expressed our collective commitment, it prompted me to reflect separately on my own personal role. As I learned more about the realities and challenges facing my alma mater, I felt it was important to add a sense of responsibility under my own name as well. I have always practiced giving at the end of each year, regardless of the amount, so this personal donation felt less like a special decision and more like a natural continuation of that habit.    Q3. What has stayed with you most, or what personal change has this donation brought about?  A3. When I was younger, I believed that everything I achieved was solely the result of my own efforts. Over time, however, I have come to realize how much support and good fortune from others played a role in shaping who I am today. Since then, I have become more attentive to those around me and have tried to live with the intention of being a small stepping stone for someone else’s growth whenever I can. This donation, too, is simply a natural extension of that way of life.    Q4. Is there a message you would like to share with students and the Business School?  A4. Rather than creating a dramatic change, I hope this donation reaches students who are doing their best in their own circumstances with the message that they are not alone. I wanted it to serve as a small source of support, so that no one has to give up their studies or dreams for financial reasons. I also hope this act of giving does not end here, but eventually continues as a cycle in which today’s students support the next generation. I wish for Korea University Business School to continue fulfilling its role as a community that connects people to one another.  Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the executive members of the Women Alumni Association, who trusted an imperfect president and quietly stood by me, making this donation possible. I would also like to extend my deepest thanks to Hyung-Woo Kim (Class of the 14th cohort) for his unwavering support and warm encouragement at every event.      “Making a Meaningful Choice as a Student, Even While Serving in the Military”  Junhyuk Jang | Class of 2024, Korea University Business School (Currently in Military Service)    Q1. Could you briefly introduce yourself?  A1. Greetings! My name is Junhyuk Jang, a member of the Class of 2024 at Korea University Business School, currently fulfilling my mandatory military service in the Republic of Korea Air Force. Although I am temporarily away from campus, I chose to participate in the KUBS 120 MARCH campaign to contribute in a small way after resonating with its purpose.    Q2. What motivated you to make a donation as a student currently serving in the military?  A2. Above all, I wanted to give back, even in a small way, for the experiences I have gained at the Business School. Although my time at KUBS has not been long, I feel that I have learned a great deal through my professors’ lectures and through interactions with fellow students, including both upperclassmen and underclassmen.  KUBS traditions and events, such as the Korea–Yonsei Games, allowed me to naturally experience the strong sense of pride and energy that define the KUBS community. In addition, while preparing for my military enlistment and facing important decisions regarding my unit assignment, I received valuable guidance and support from a KUBS alumnus. Reflecting on these moments, participating in this campaign felt like the most natural way to express my gratitude.    Q3. How did it feel to participate in the campaign through a donation at the occasion of the Business School’s 120th anniversary?  A3. It felt meaningful to know that, in a very small way, I became part of the 120-year history of KUBS. Rather than being simply a student of the past, I felt as though I had become one of the members who will continue to be connected to the School in the years ahead. That sense of responsibility, combined with pride, made the experience especially memorable.    Q4. What does this donation mean to you personally?  A4. To me, making a donation is one way of expressing gratitude. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how the education and environment I have benefited from were made possible through the participation and support of many people. Being able to contribute—however modestly—to that ongoing cycle was deeply meaningful. More than the amount itself, what stayed with me most was the feeling of remaining connected to the School. I see this act as part of the value of KUBS, built over the past 120 years through the dedication of its faculty, the achievements of its alumni across diverse fields, and the shared experiences of students learning and growing together. As a member of the Business School community, I hope to continue fulfilling my role so that this tradition and sense of pride will carry on into the future.      “I May Still Be a High School Student, but My Heart Is Already Reaching the Business School”  Gyeongyong Cho | First-Year Student, Cheonan High School    Q1. Could you briefly introduce yourself?  A1. Hello, my name is Gyeongyong Cho, and I am a first-year student at Cheonan High School in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. I currently lead a team called PACM, which supports young people in planning and carrying out self-directed projects. Through small projects with my peers, I am growing with the goal of becoming someone who can contribute, even in a small way, to making the world a better place.    Q2. What motivated you to donate to the KUBS 120 MARCH campaign, even as a high school student?  A2. I first developed an interest in business when I was in the second grade of elementary school. Over time, I learned that Korea University Business School is regarded as one of the leading business schools in Korea, and I began to hope that I might one day have the opportunity to study there. After entering high school, I was able to participate in a regular campus tour of KUBS through my school. Walking around the campus in person, I found myself thinking, “I want to come here someday,” and “I want to be someone who can contribute in some way.”  As a high school student, there were limited ways for me to act on those feelings. When I learned about the KUBS 120 MARCH campaign, however, I realized that I, too, could participate. Although the amount was small, I decided to donate as a way of turning my respect and admiration into action.    Q3. Was there a particular thought or moment that most influenced your decision to donate?  A3. Whenever I thought about Korea University Business School, I felt a sense of excitement. I cannot be certain whether my academic record will ultimately allow me to study there, but that uncertainty made me want to challenge myself even more. Those feelings had been building over time, and this campaign provided the moment for them to naturally turn into action. For me, making a donation was also a kind of challenge—one that I wanted to take on.    Q4. Is there a message you hoped to convey through this donation?  A4. I did not intend to send a particular message. What I did realize through this experience, however, is that age limits fewer things than we might expect. Many of my peers are unfamiliar with the idea of donating, but I believe that anyone who has the intention can participate in their own way. I hope this donation can serve as a small example of that possibility.      The individuals standing at the starting line of the KUBS 120 MARCH campaign do not share the same background or circumstances. What they do share is a common choice: each thought of the School and decided to participate in the way that was possible for them at this moment.   From a donation initiated in the name of an organization, to a current student’s contribution made while serving in the military, to the participation of a high school student still seated in a classroom but already responding to the future—these stories demonstrate that KUBS 120 MARCH is not confined to a single form of giving. Rather, it is a campaign that embraces diverse ways of participation. As Korea University Business School looks toward its next 120 years, the march of KUBS 120 MARCH continues—here and now—through choices both large and small.