My educational background and experience have provided me with a strong foundation for ecological research and teaching. Born in a small seaside village, I realized the importance of addressing environmental issues by observing water pollution firsthand. As a high-school student, I participated in a national essay-writing contest on an environmental topic. To prepare myself, I read many books concerning various environmental issues, such as ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson. Soon, I focused on studying biological sciences with the goal of becoming an eminent and professional ecologist to solve environmental problems. I was admitted as an undergraduate student to the School of Biological Sciences at Seoul National University, where I gained basic knowledge for ecological studies, including ecology and experiments, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, microbiology, environmental biology, evolutionary biology, soil geography, basic statistics, and experimental design.