About Us
Enabling Today's Scholars, Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders
Our story
Founded in 1997, SSFA has given scholarship funds to university students in need for nearly three decades. Originally established by first-generation Korean-American immigrants as a way of giving back to their community and supporting young talent, the foundation has now passed on to be run by second and third generations. They carry on the work of reaching out to students in America who are dedicated to their academics and future but lack the means to fully pursue their potential. We fundraise, host events, and accept donations in order to continue fulfilling our mission.
SSFA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax deductible. (EIN: 41-2047979)
Opportunity
Removing financial barriers so talent can flourish.
Community
Investing in the Korean-American community and beyond.
Excellence
Recognizing hard work, character, and achievement.
Our mission's priority is to serve college and high school students who excel in academics but are in financial need. Going forward, we plan to expand our program and increase scholarship amounts so that more students will benefit. As a growing organization, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send them to us so we can use them to improve and evolve as a dynamic organization.
— Ji Hyung Ryu, President · Yong Jung, Chairman
How did SSFA help?
The Sejong Scholarship Foundation of America has been a significant help in alleviating my financial difficulties while I pursued my school activities, several fellowships, and grants, along with managing community art projects concurrently. As the support could be used for individual development, it enabled me to create other materials that could enhance my career as an artist.
The assistance from the Sejong Scholarship Foundation was a donation and dedication that I had not experienced in the social programs I participated in, and it has laid a solid foundation for me. I am now painting a better future that I can create.
I'm thankful that this scholarship did not only that, but the application process also gave me the opportunity to contemplate how my prior experiences have shaped my identity as a Korean-American. I wouldn't have made it to where I am without the communities and individuals who have supported me.
I found out about SSFA through the Korean Society of Maryland, where I met a lot of incredible and inspiring Asian/Korean American students with similar dreams. SSFA encouraged me to keep working hard, and remain positive while I was working toward earning my undergraduate degree.
The king who believed everyone should learn
The name of our scholarship program comes from King Sejong the Great, a sovereign ruler of the Joseon dynasty from 1418 to 1450. We as a philanthropic organization took our inspiration from him because he is known as one of the greatest Kings in Korean history for his intelligence and lasting public works, which includes the Korean alphabet. He created the modern Korean alphabet in order to help the common folk read and write, which was incredibly rare back then due to limited access to education of traditional Chinese characters. The scientific and phonetic structure of the new alphabet made it incredibly easy to learn.
With this new alphabet, King Sejong set out to fix the root of all political, economic, and social disparities, which he knew stemmed from the dissemination of knowledge — hence education. If more people from diverse backgrounds could read and write, and thus share information, then opportunities for upward social mobility would grow, and society's problems of inequity would decrease.
It is this mission of King Sejong that we wholeheartedly adopted and implemented in our foundation's work. Through our scholarship, we intend to support students who are promising young intellectuals but cannot afford their education otherwise, so that their future lives are not solely determined by their circumstances.
"How could a king who should rule over all people with impartiality treat those of low birth any differently from the way he treats others?"
Nearly three decades of giving
From an $8,237.95 golf-tournament fund in 1997 to $745,000+ awarded to 747+ students.
| Date | History |
|---|---|
| May 1997 | The Board of Directors of the Korean Society of Maryland (24th President: Mr. Chik S. Chang) approved the establishment of a scholarship fund for Korean American students using the proceedings of a golf tournament ($8,237.95). |
| Dec 1997 | The Korean American Scholarship Foundation of Maryland was established with Mr. Jong H. Lee and Dr. Joo D. Yoon as the inaugural Chair and the President, respectively. |
| June 1998 | The name was changed to the Sejong Scholarship Foundation of USA. |
| Sep 1998 | It was registered to the State of Maryland as a nonprofit organization. |
| Dec 1999 | The inaugural scholarships were awarded to 12 students, including Ms. Soowon Ha (UMCP), at an award ceremony held at Goongjun Restaurant. |
| Mar 2000 | Mr. Bobby Kim and Mr. Chik S. Chang were elected the 2nd President and the Chair, respectively. |
| Nov 2000 | The 2nd-year scholarships were awarded to 23 students, including Mr. Young Ook Shin (Cornell University), at an award ceremony at Q's Restaurant. |
| Nov 2001 | The 3rd-year scholarships were awarded to 21 students, including Mr. Jooyup Cho (UMBC), at an award ceremony held at Goongjun Restaurant. |
| Mar 2002 | Mr. Chik S. Chang and Ms. Eun Kim were elected the 3rd President and the Chair, respectively. |
| June 2002 | A fundraising dinner was held at Goongjun Restaurant. |
| Oct 2002 | The 4th-year scholarships were awarded to 20 students, including Mr. Sangkyung Pyun (UM Graduate School), at an award ceremony held at Q's Restaurant. |
| Mar 2003 | Mr. Seung K. Rhee and Ms. Eun Kim were elected the 4th President and the Chair, respectively. |
| June 2003 | The Board of Directors approved the 1st amendment of the bylaws. |
| Aug 2003 | The 5th-year scholarships were awarded to 20 students, including Mr. Chuljoon Hwang (Johns Hopkins University). |
| May 2004 | A golf outing for scholarship fundraising was held at the River Downs County Club, raising more than $30,000. |
| Aug 2004 | A Korean Lyric Concert was held for fundraising at the Maryland Art Center. |
| Aug 2004 | The 6th-year scholarships were awarded to 33 students, including Ms. Chanmi You (Yale University). |
| Aug 2005 | The 7th-year scholarships were awarded to 44 students, including 13 high school students and 33 college students, at a concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Liberation Day held at the University of Maryland Arts Center. |
| Mar 2006 | Mr. Peter Lee and Mr. Ok T. Kim were elected the 5th President and the Chair, respectively. |
| July 2007 | The 8th-year scholarships were awarded to 29 students, including Ms. Gia Kan (Duke University). |
| Mar 2008 | Mr. Peter Lee was reelected and Mr. John Chang was elected the Chair for a 3-year term. |
| Nov 2008 | The 9th-year scholarships were awarded to 45 students, including Mr. Hyun-Young Yoon (Yanji University & KAIST), who was one of eight recipients of the John Chang Scholarship Fund. |
| Aug 2009 | The inaugural campaign, "Scholarship of Love," was launched in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $50,000. |
| Nov 2009 | The 10th-year scholarships were awarded to 42 students, including Ms. Soo-Young Jung (Virginia Tech), at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. Eight were recipients of the John Chang Scholarship Fund and several were receiving from the JC Mission Fund. |
| April 2010 | Rev. Thorn W. Myung was elected the 7th President. |
| July 2010 | At a board of directors meeting held at Mr. Chang's, the bylaws were amended and several directors were appointed. |
| Aug 2010 | The 2nd-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign started in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $60,000. |
| Nov 2010 | The 11th-year scholarships were awarded to 33 students, including Mr. Enoch Cha, at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Jan 2011 | At a board of directors meeting held at Kimko Restaurant, the bylaws were amended for the second time. |
| July 2011 | The 3rd-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign began in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $52,000. |
| Nov 2011 | The 12th-year scholarships were awarded to 31 students at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Feb 2012 | Rev. Thorn W. Myung was reelected as 8th President, and Mr. Donald Chang was elected the 7th Chair. |
| June 2012 | A board of directors meeting was held at Mr. Chang's to elect the Executive Team. |
| Aug 2012 | A Controller and a Treasurer were appointed at a board meeting held at Kimko Restaurant. |
| Oct 2012 | The 4th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $49,500. |
| Dec 2012 | It was registered to the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. |
| Dec 2012 | The 13th-year scholarships were awarded to 36 students, including Ms. Hyehyun Choi, at an award ceremony held at the Philippi Church. |
| Feb 2013 | Ms. HyeJa Chang was elected the 8th Chair at a board of directors meeting held at Kimko Restaurant. |
| Sep 2013 | The 8th-year "Scholarship of Love" sponsorship golf invitation was held. |
| Oct 2013 | The 5th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $44,200. |
| Nov 2013 | The 14th-year scholarships were awarded to 27 students, including Mr. Chris Jihyun Ahn, at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Jan 2014 | John Hwang was elected the 9th President. |
| Sep 2014 | The 9th-year "Scholarship of Love" sponsorship golf invitation was held. |
| Oct 2014 | The 6th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $51,150. |
| Nov 2014 | The 15th-year scholarships were awarded to 33 students, including Ms. Esther Kim, at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Jan 2015 | Rev. Thorn W. Myung was elected the 9th Chair at a board of directors meeting held at Tongnamoo House Restaurant. |
| Aug 2015 | The 10th-year "Scholarship of Love" sponsorship golf invitation was held. |
| Oct 2015 | The 7th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $63,300. |
| Nov 2015 | The 16th-year scholarships were awarded to 33 students, including Ms. Hye Lin Kwon, at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Feb 2016 | John Hwang was elected the 10th President. |
| Aug 2016 | The 11th-year "Scholarship of Love" sponsorship golf invitation was held. |
| Oct 2016 | The 8th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $43,400. |
| Nov 2016 | The 17th-year scholarships were awarded to 33 students, including Ms. Joanna Lee, at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Feb 2017 | Rev. Thorn W. Myung was elected the 10th Chair at a board of directors meeting held at Dae Jang Geum Restaurant. |
| Aug 2017 | The 12th-year "Scholarship of Love" sponsorship golf invitation was held. |
| Oct 2017 | The 9th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times, raising $44,980. |
| Nov 2017 | The 18th-year scholarships were awarded to 32 students, including Ms. Christina Jisoo Kim, at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Feb 2018 | Albert Kim was elected the 11th President. |
| Aug 2018 | The 13th-year "Scholarship of Love" sponsorship golf invitation was held. |
| Oct 2018 | The 10th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed. |
| Nov 2018 | The 19th-year scholarships were awarded to 25 college and 4 high school students from over 10 states at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Oct 2019 | The 11th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed. |
| Nov 2019 | The 20th-year scholarships were awarded to 24 college and 6 high school students at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference. |
| Feb 2020 | Albert Kim was elected the 12th President. John Hwang was elected the Chairman at a board of directors. |
| Oct 2020 | The 12th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed. |
| Nov 2020 | The 21st-year scholarships were awarded to 25 college and 2 high school students at an award ceremony held via Zoom. |
| Oct 2021 | The 13th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed. |
| Nov 2021 | The 22nd-year scholarships were awarded to 29 college and 1 high school student at an award ceremony held via Zoom. |
| Feb 2022 | John Hwang was elected the 13th President. Albert Kim was elected the Chairman at a board of directors. |
| Jun 2022 | The 2022 "Spread Your Love" Art Contest and Exhibition was held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant's outdoor space. Trophies and prizes were awarded to 21 students. |
| Sep 2022 | The 14th-year "Scholarship of Love" campaign was completed in partnership with the Korea Times. |
| Nov 2022 | The 23rd-year scholarships were awarded to 31 students at an award ceremony held at the Turf Valley Resorts and Conference, with Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan in attendance. |
| Feb 2023 | John Hwang was elected the 14th President. Albert Kim was elected the Chairman at a board of directors. |
| May 2023 | The 2023 "I Am Proud" Art Contest and Exhibition was held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant's outdoor space. Trophies and prizes were awarded to 30 students. |
| Nov 2023 | The 24th-year scholarships were awarded to 29 students at an award ceremony held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant. |
| Feb 2024 | John Hwang was elected the 15th President. Yong Jung was elected the Chairman at a board of directors. |
| May 2024 | The 2024 "When I Grow Up" Art Contest and Exhibition was held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant's outdoor space. Trophies and prizes were awarded to 29 students. |
| Nov 2024 | The 27th-year scholarships were awarded to 24 students at an award ceremony held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant. |
| Feb 2025 | John Hwang was elected the 16th President. Yong Jung was elected the Chairman at a board of directors. |
| May 2025 | The 2025 "The Happiest Moment" Art Contest and Exhibition was held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant's outdoor space. Trophies and prizes were awarded to 28 students. |
| Nov 2025 | The 28th-year scholarships were awarded to 20 students at an award ceremony held at Baltimore Bayside Cantina Restaurant. |
| Feb 2026 | Ji Hyung Ryu was elected the 17th President. Yong Jung was elected the Chairman at a board of directors. |
Made possible by our community
SSFA would like to thank all the individuals and organizations listed below for donating to our organization over the past decades. Your contributions in time and resources have made our work possible. We will continue to support and to foster talented young students, who wish to pursue academic opportunities with relieved financial distress.
1st Mariner Bank · Albert Kim, CPA · Ben Choi · Best Car Wash · Best Home Care · Best World Inc. · Bizflow Corporation · Bob Yi · Byung W. Jun · C&E Financial Services · C2 Education Center (Bobby Kim) · Care Free Land USA · CBMC · Chung H. Lee · Clean Edge, Inc · Convege Tech Inc. · Dae H. Lee · Dae Jang Geum · David Lee · Doo S. Chang · Du Suk Chang · East Central Sports Association for the Disabled · East West Accup & Herbs Clinic · Eul-Mo Kang · Eun Hee Choi · Eun Kim · Eung Kwon Kim M.D. · Flagstar Bank · Food Value · Gcoop USA · Giant Realty · Go Eun & Associates, LLC · Grace Byun · Grace Presb. Church · Han, Misop · Heineken USA · Ho Choi Pro · Ho Nam Friendly Asso. · Hong J. Kim · HoonJung Choi · Hye J. Chang · Hyo S. Ahn · Hyung Kim · In H. Chang · Jack's Tire · Jae B. Yoo · Jae C. Jung · Jae D. Yoo · Jae S. Bae Esq. · Jane Roger · Jay Kim · JC Mission · Ji H. Ryu · Jik S. Chang · Jin H. Park · Jinny Choi Realty · John Hwang · John Jang · John Kang D.D.S. · Jonathan Ahn, Esq. · Jong Hwa Lee · Joo D. Yun M.D. · Joseph Jeon CPA · Joyful Adult Medical Daycare Center · Jun Park D.D.S. P.A. · Jun Young Park D.D.S. · Jung M. Choi · JungKi Baik · KA Community Asso. of Ho. Co., Inc. · Kagro of MD, Inc · Keunsu Han · Ki S. Kim · KiHwa Han · Kim's Auto Electric Services · Kirsh Cleaners · Ko I. Song · KoAm Scholarship Foundation · KoAmerican Church of Philippi · KoAmpac · Korean Business Enterprise Asso. · Korean Chinese Restaurant · Korean Embassy · Korean Presb. of Baltimore · Korean Resource Center · Korean Society of MD · Kun H. Jung · Kyong Hyon Yon · Laurel's Best Dentist · Lawrence J. Butler · Lee & Associates · LK Inc (Honey Pig Restaurant) · Lotte Plaza · M&T Bank · MAC (Maryland Athletic Club) · Magic Stitch, Inc · Mattew Lee · MD Amateur Athletic Asso. · MD Car Wash Asso. · MD Dry Cleaning Asso. · MD Motor Cycle Riders Club · MD Sports Association · MD Women's Golf Asso. · Mega Realty & Inv. Inc · Mi H. Shin · My Life Foundation Inc. · Nam Myung Ja · Neulpuleun Golf Club · New York Life Insurance · Northwind Liquors · Parkside Liquor, Inc · Pearl Car Wash · PEH (Julian B. Wills) · Peter Lee · PNC Bank · Poor Boys Sports LLC · Pyung K. Park · Realty 1 MD · Republic National Distributing Co. LLC · Rev. Kang H. Lee · Ridgely Auto Services · Rotary Club of Woodlawn-Westview · Ryland Home Inc. · Sam Young Lee · Sang J. Kim · Sang K. Han · Seong Ok Baik Realty · Seung H. An · Seung K. Yoo · Seung Paik · Soo Shin · Southern Glazer Wine · Southern Maryland Oil Co. · Standard Restaurant · Standard Restaurant Equipment · Steve Jang Insurance · Sun Travel, Inc · Sun Trust Bank · Sung & Hwang Law Office, LLP. · SUNG & SUE Inc. · Sung T. Choi · Sung W. Lee · Susan Oh (Giant Realty) · The Korea Times · Thorn Myung · Tony Kim · Top Travel · Triple-C Wholesale · Turf Valley Resort Hotel · Village Liquors · Welcome Home Realty · Wings Sports Bar · Won Do Wholesale · Won K. Kim Insurance · Wonchul Chang · Wonder Enterprises Inc. · WooRi Jib · WSFS Bank · Yang Ho Choe · Yeong H. Oh M.D. · Yong I. Chung · Yong Ik Jong · Yong K. Kim · Young Nam Friendly Asso. · Young R. Cho · Young Seoung Song · Young W. Yoo · Young's Construction, Inc. · Yu K. Jun · Yu Mi Hogan
SSFA reaches GuideStar Platinum
The Sejong Scholarship Foundation of America, Inc. (SSFA) earned the Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world's largest source of nonprofit information.
By sharing metrics that highlight progress SSFA is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios. To reach the Platinum level, SSFA added extensive information to its Nonprofit Profile: basic contact and organizational information; in-depth financial information; qualitative information about goals, strategies, and capabilities; and quantitative information about results and progress toward its mission.
Please find the SSFA profile at guidestar.org/profile/41-2047979 and share it with your friends and colleagues. We truly appreciate your support and encouragement.
