Eve Hur

A heroine comes alive

One of my most thrilling memories during high school occurred last November, when an older woman with tidy grayish hair wearing vivid orange-colored knits came to visit my school, WAB. She was Dr. Jane Goodall, the eminent environmentalist.

I had pictured her to be peaceful, calm and quiet, but she was much more energetic than I had expected. I will never forget her nimble steps going down WAB’s stage after her presentation to the school. She was vigorous yet graceful, and she looked just like someone who would want to help save wild chimpanzees.

Although I have been part of the Roots and Shoots group since 2006, I didn’t really know who Dr. Jane Goodall was until October of that year. I learned a little bit about her after watching a Korean current events program, in which a reporter visited Beijing to interview Dr. Goodall. I was already in the Roots and Shoots group and concerned about the environment and animals, but watching Dr. Goodall speak about her work inspired me quite a lot. It was then that I became truly passionate about what I was doing and what I was involved in. Even if I wasn’t really sure what I, as an individual, could do to make a difference, I was still willing to give it a try.

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