Isabelle Lee is eager to take on the world. First appearances paint her as the sweet, excited Korean always fashionably dressed to matching perfection. She is easy to talk to and a great listener. "Kind" and "friendly" are automatic labels in describing her - nobody can deny it, because Lee is all of those things and more. Spontaneous and welcoming, Lee holds a deeper dimension to her personality that entails much maturity and responsibility, traits befitting the Senior Class President.  

     Although it may be difficult to believe, Lee was not always the outgoing spirit she is today. During her elementary and middle school years, she had been relatively quiet. But when freshman year came around, Lee decided to take the plunge and ran for office. Her outgoing personality might not have been instilled, but being voted as freshman class president broke her shell of shyness. From there, Lee grew to love the activeness and involvement that came with leadership, something she has become adept with if four consecutive years as president were to prove anything. “ASB really expands your high school career. It adds another side to school-life beyond the athletic and academic,” Lee expressed. As senior president, she plans and organizes all the senior events. She keeps almost everything in order and moving. Her experiences as president have given her a chance to gain a measure of professionalism. Lee recalled, “When I was first president as a freshman, it would just be awkward at first. I was usually just sitting there and listening in meetings.” She continued, “Now I am the one who gets the meetings going and voice my mind.” She has learned to stand in front of a group and keep them all on track to produce a great result. Lee has seen what it is like to bear the heavy burden of responsibility on her shoulders.

     Throughout her high school career, Lee has had several people to help her through life’s ups and downs. Mr. Fresch, the ASB advisor, has “been like a father” to her. All of her time devoted to ASB has allowed her to see his own measure of dedication to the group. But even more so than the dedicated ASB advisor, Mr. Dalin, Lee’s current AP Literature teacher, has been her true source of inspiration. From the very beginning, Mr. Dalin had been there for Lee. She had actually started off her freshman year in his English 1 CP class, but, when he saw her potential and performance in the course, he decided to move her up to the Honors English class. Since then, Mr. Dalin has helped her through many of her “school issues” as well as helping her to become a better writer. He gave her advice and assisted her with her college applications. Lee expressed, “He has been with me all four years. Mr. Dalin is my supporter and my friend. He has truly seen me grow to be the person I am today.” 

     Lee’s father has also inspired her to work harder every day. He had moved from Korea and established a life for himself in America. Mr. Lee learned English and built a family of his own. Lee’s boyfriend, Dae Young Hwang, has also helped her for the past year and four months they’ve been together. Contrary to common beliefs about high school relationships, Lee’s boyfriend has proven to be a huge benefit in her school life. “He’s been something like my backbone throughout all of my troubles. When I need help in a class or any situation, he’ll be there to teach me or advise me,” Lee divulged. 

    Aside from her deep involvement in ASB, Lee has spent her time in other pursuits as well. True to her strong leadership, she was co-captain of the Varsity Golf team during her junior year as well as captain of the Varsity volleyball team. Lee discovered that she is more of a “team player” person, especially after her time on the Varsity Golf team where she experienced playing solo.

     For the rest of her time in school high school, Lee wishes to “end strong” and continue to represent the class of 2012 until the last day. Lee recalled, “After walking out of the graduation last year as a junior, I was just so stricken with all of the excitement and happiness. Everybody who was graduating seemed excited to move on in life. Ever since then, I’ve used that as motivation. I tell myself, ‘You can do it, just one more year untilyou’re the one standing up there.’” Just as all other seniors, Lee also hopes to avoid the severe case of senioritis plaguing the class of 2012 and leave Beckman with no regrets. She will be attending the University of Southern California (USC) in the spring, majoring in business administration and plans to continue her leadership role there by getting involved in the student government. “I don’t want everything I’ve learned in ASB behind. I want to continue it.” From there, she plans to work for a high-standing firm and hopes to earn her place as a CEO. 

     People who see Lee, automatically think of her as amicable. She not only handles responsibility with maturity beyond her years, but she also handles it all with a cheerfulness and kindness that touches all who meet her. “Don’t let studying get the best of you in high school. It is a time to create lasting memories. Achieve a balance in your life,” Lee advised. She has found her balance in life and has gone through high school with many successes. It would not be much of a surprise to see her achieve her dreams and become CEO of her own company one day!