Introduction to the Life of JoJo..Future Doctor, Dog Lover, and Adventurer
Hello, my name is Joanna Yoon. I am a student of the University of Oklahoma. I am a junior majoring in biology pre-medicine. I am also minoring in chemistry and Spanish. I chose biology pre-medicine as my major for my dream job, a neonatal doctor. When I was in high school, I volunteered for two years in the neonatal intensive care unit at Integris Hospital. It was then I realized that I wanted to do more for these babies. At a young age, these babies were already facing complications, and I wanted to be the doctor who made them healthy. Currently, I volunteer at Norman Regional Hospital and a free clinic called Manos Juntas. Along with volunteering, I work two jobs. I work at Charlestons in Norman on weekends as a server and a lab technician at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation on weekdays. To take a break from all this work, I have a dog. He is an Australian Shepherd whose name is Rocky after my favorite rapper A$AP Rocky. I got him last summer, and it’s been quite a journey. I have two dogs at my parents house, a Maltese and a dachshund, but they prefer my mom over me. I had never raised my own dog. Rocky taught me a lot of things such as responsibility. I always came home to play with him and feed him. I had to clean my room more often in fear of him eating something he wasn’t supposed to. For example, I went to go pick up food and I came back to see a bag of caramel chocolates ripped up. He had ate them and gave me the biggest scare. I cried when I took him the emergency vet. Luckily, he was fine! I’m not a super active person. I love chilling and napping. However, this dog is full of energy. I take him on walks and play catch with him. Rocky makes me enjoy exercising.
(Image Information: personal photo of Rocky cruising photo from 2018.)
Rocky is not the only member of my family. I have my parents and my two siblings. My parents are from South Korea. My dad, Jesse, came to America when he was in high school. My mom, Sue, came to America when she was in college. My mom is a realtor and my dad is a business owner. I also have two siblings, one brother and one sister. My brother is older than me. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma last year with a mechanical engineering degree. Currently, my brother Jonathan is in Namibia for the Peace Corps. My sister, Anna is younger than me and is in her freshman year at the University of Oklahoma. She is an art major. As a family, we travel a lot. My parents are always busy, but they make time once a year for all of us to go on vacation. We have gone to Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and more. There are more adventures to come with my family.
(Image Information: personal photo of family road trip photo from 2016.)
Oh, I know about Manos Juntas, JoJo! That is such a great program; there was a student in this class who wrote all about that in a blog post a few years ago. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAnd your Rocky is such a cutie: Australian Shepherds and Cattle Dogs are so incredibly smart; I only have cats, but if I were to get a dog, I would like to have an Australian Cattle Dog. That picture of Rocky cruising is wonderful; maybe you will add that to the "Pet Padlet" (there can never be too much pet cuteness!) -- here are the Padlet Tech Tips, which is a fun way to do an extra credit Tech Tip thing.
Plus that is a wonderful picture of you and your family. Will you get a chance to go visit your brother in Namibia? What a great adventure that would be. I wish we could all magically go on a field trip to India for this class. :-)
Hello JoJo! You have such a beautiful dog! I actually have a black Labrador who has fur like your fur baby! I absolutely love volunteering as well! Have you ever heard of Toby Keith's Kids Korral? It is absolutely amazing! You should definitely check it out! I have heard a lot about Manos Juntas but haven't thoroughly done research on it. I am going to look into it! I also love traveling and being outdoors. Where do you plan on traveling next?
ReplyDeleteHi Jojo! I love your dog. It's really cute especially in that benz. I also work 2 jobs. I work at a machine shop where we make parts for the government and private contractors, and my other job is at a polling place where we do political polling for the state. I am really impressed by the work you ahve already started doing for your major. I can say for sure that I haven't done as much as you. I have 3 siblings 1 brother and 2 sisters. Do you enjoy your siblings? Mine can sometimes get on my nerves but I love them for sure. Your classmate Alex.
ReplyDeleteHello Jojo! Dog people are good people, but us dog people know that, right?
ReplyDeleteI commend you for working toward your dream job as a neonatal doctor. Newborns are so precious and those born with adverse conditions are so lucky to have caring individuals to be there for them, even if its just to hold them. Considering I am a father of a large brood, being able to literally cut the cord and hold them for the first time is at the very top of the list of the most memorable moments of my life. To have the opportunity to play such a critical role in so many young lives will be very rewarding.
Hi JoJo,
ReplyDeleteI am a microbiology major here at OU so I can understand how difficult some of the classes we have to take are, maybe we have even had one together. Its inspiring hearing you talk so passionately about wanting to help the babies and why. I have just recently discovered a passion of my own in Public Health, which I will be going to grad school for. I am also inspired by you getting a dog and raising him. I have been really wanting to do the same I am just not sure I am ready but seeing other do it like you encourages me.
Hey Jojo! I am Braden Merrill and I am a biology pre-dentistry major, so I completely understand how busy that can be. I think it is awesome that you are spending so much time volunteering at hospitals and clinics. I currently volunteer at a clinic called Good Shepherd in Oklahoma city, and it is a blast. I also have a dog at my home in Tulsa who is and Australian Shepherd mix. Her name is Lexi, and like Rocky, has a ton of energy!
ReplyDeleteHi JoJo, I am a Psych major but I was a Biology major before I switched and I totally understand the busy schedule! I am Pre-PA so still have to take a lot of the sciences and they just really take it to you sometimes haha. I love how you find the time to volunteer and everything as well! I also volunteer downtown in OKC at Good Shepard on the medical side, which is an awesome experience each time! I love how you travel so much, and hope to be able to do the same when I am done with my studies!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna!
ReplyDeleteWOW!! You go girl, I am so impressed with your schedule and how hard you work. I am a pre PA student and I am also trying to get as much volunteering and working hours in the medical field as possible, it can get stressful! I've volunteered with Manos Juntas before, it is so rewarding. I didn't know there were volunteering opportunities at Norman Regional! That is so awesome. I hope you have a great semester! Good luck with everything!
Hi Joanna! Your dog is beautiful, and it's good that he's been a good influence on you (hleping keep you active, encouraging you to keep your room tidy, etc.)! It's great that you've lsready found your passion, and such an honorable passion at that. It's neat that you've been to so many national parks, including the one in my home state of Wyoming. My favorite national park is Arches. Have you been there?
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I want to say that Rocky looks like super good boy. I think is really cool that you develop a passion for helping people, especially babies. It's also nice to see that you take time and go on adventures with you family, must be really fun.
I look forward to reading your stories this semester!
Best,
Kevin.
Wow cool dog! He looks REALLY cool in that car. Have you ever heard of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure? It's about a big buff guy who punches the HECK out of people!
ReplyDeleteAlso it'
s super cool that you listen to A$AP Rocky. I really like Travis Scott's song SICKO MODE!!! Mo Bamba is really good too, it's so catchy!
Nice post! I look forward to reading your stories.
Hey Joanna! Wow it sounds like you stay very busy! It's awesome that you have such a passion for infants! I can't imagine how rewarding it would feel to save the life of an infant who is facing medical complications. It would be amazing to get to know an infant once they grow up and see how your life saving efforts changed the world through that person.
ReplyDeleteWow Joanna, you have such impressive aspirations. Your experience in neonatal care seems like a great indicator of your ability. Also, your dog looks so cute in that picture. What kind of dog is it? It is very cool that your family travels all over the place together. All of those national parks are so fantastic. I have only been to Big Bend.
ReplyDeleteHi JoJo!
ReplyDeleteYour dreams are so needed. I hope you achieve them! You volunteer so much that I can tell it is something you really care about. Your dog is so cute, and I'm so glad that he is ok after eating the caramels. My dog has gotten into a pack of gum before and gave me a very similar scare.
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ReplyDeleteHi Joanna~
ReplyDeleteOr JoJo... I never know if it's okay to use nicknames when I don't personally know someone. Anyway it's awesome that you know what you want to do as a career. There are so many things I find interesting and want to do it makes me sad I won't be able to experience it all in one lifetime. No time like the present though to start doing what you like. I hope you have fun with the rest of the semester!
Woa~ South Korea!! 안녕하세요! 만나서 반갑습니다. I'm learning Korean as a hobby, hehe. I think Korea and Korean culture is really interesting. It's great that you travel a lot. I've always wanted to take a long cross-country road trip and visit those national parks - Yellowstone, Zion...One day I'll do it.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna!
ReplyDeleteYour dog is really cute and it's true, having a pet as part of the family is a lot of responsibility. You seem to have a lot of volunteering and work going on outside of school, and I hope you're enjoying them even if they keep you busy! Have you ever had the chance to visit South Korea and do you still have family there? It was nice to meet you :)
Hi Joanna!
ReplyDeleteWow, it is awesome that you want to be a neonatal doctor! I volunteered at a hospital in high school and got to see how each department function, and I definitely that the NICU was one of the hardest specialties that I got to learn about. Also, it is so cool that you and your family travel so much! Have you guys ever gone to visit your home in South Korea?
Hi Jojo, every time I read your name I think of the show "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" which is just about these big buff dudes and later effeminate dudes that punch people, or get their ghosts to punch people for them. It's a really good manga/anime. Right now the part 5 anime, Vento Aureo, is airing. I have yet to watch it, but I've heard good things about it. Anyways, take care!
ReplyDeleteHi Jojo,
ReplyDeleteIt is very nice to meet you but holy cow! Girl you have so much going on! I am so impressed with all you do on top of being pre med. I think I would pull my hair out with all the stress so kudos to you! I love that you get to share this journey of going to OU with both of your siblings. It is always nice to be able to so easily turn to your family when school or work get hard. Your pup, Rocky, is also so adorable! His breed seems like a fantastic and very smart breed.
Fantastic picture of your dog in your car! I love it so much! I also like to chill and nap, but who doesn't? That's really cool that your family takes time to travel. I usually don't make it outside of Oklahoma, but maybe one day! It sounds like you're pretty busy, best of luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna! It’s very nice to finally meet you! I think it’s so cool that you found your dream job. I have a lot of respect for people who know exactly what they want out of life. With that being said, I think your dog is absolutely adorable! I also have two dogs, and I wouldn’t know what I’d do without them.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna I enjoyed reading your introduction post! Sounds like you have a crazy busy but exciting life every day! I am sure your dog, Rocky, contributes to that exciting life. He is super cute, and making me miss my dogs at home. Want to wish you the best of luck juggling all your activities, jobs and school work. You sound like you have everything fairly organized and have a bright future!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanna,
ReplyDeleteIt is so great to meet you. I hope you have enjoyed your time in this class so far. Your major sounds so exciting and you seem so passionate about the work that you are doing. I cannot imagine juggling two jobs because I can barely manage juggle my one job.Your ambition and determination are going to get you very far places. Also, your dog is absolutely the cutest! I hope you have a great semester and get to relax some.
Hi Joanna!
ReplyDeleteIt is so wonderful to meet you. I have occasionally heard of you from your brother! I am so excited that you are pre-med. I hope that you have enjoyed the classes you have taken so far. It only gets better from here! You sound like such a fun person, and I hope that you achieve your goals! Have a great rest of the semester!