Press Release – For Immediate Release

Contact:
Lint Center for National Security Studies
PublicRelations@LintCenter.org
Phone: (202) 236-7304

 

Lint Center Launches Scholarship Fund for
Pioneers of Unfettered Freedom, Excellence, and Entrepreneurship

Lint Center for National Security Studies Announces Scholarship Honoring The Achievement of Pioneering Legacy’s
Foremost Pioneers: Eekwon Lee and Jongja Byun

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 03, 2009 – The Lint Center, a non-profit charity, focused on supporting the educational pursuits of the next generation of America’s Counterintelligence (CI) and National Security Workers, today formally announced the creation of the Eekwon Lee and Jongja Byun International Relations and Cultural Awareness Scholarship as part of the Center’s unveiling of the Pioneer Fund for Unfettered Freedom, Excellence, and Entrepreneurship. The newly established Pioneer’s Fund recognizes the contribution of individuals who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to freedom, a devotion to excellence, and an unbridled enthusiasm for entrepreneurship.

This scholarship will award $500 to the winning applicant to assist with tuition and other educational costs. The scholarship is open to both U.S. citizens and citizens of countries around the world. The deadline for scholarship consideration is January 31, 2010.  This scholarship competition will be done annually, and award a new scholarship each year for new winners.

Lee and Byun, the former a South Korean native noncombatant and the later, a born in North Korea woman who would become a refugee and internally displaced person during the Korean War (ca. 1950). Prior to being evacuated from the Chosen Reservoir to Pusan, Korea by U.S. military personnel, Byun’s father, a civilian, was summarily executed by Communists forces. Byun’s mother was able to ensure that two of her four daughters were evacuated to safety. In the end, Byun’s mother and two other sisters were forced to remain in Communist controlled North Korea. They have not been heard from since.

“I was taught at a very young age by my parents that education was a vital component of success,” said Soojoon Lee, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Kyung Hee University and the son of Lee and Byun. “My father learned English in order to supervise construction projects in Korea and he served as an inspiration for my own studies. My parents sacrifice is a testament to their faith in freedom and their dream to see me succeed. Their actions allowed me to live free of fear and want, overcome  adversity, and secure the dream afforded by opportunity. This scholarship is intended to empower another who aspires to have a similar dream and who needs only a helping hand to have the opportunity afford by education to excel confidently..”

“The Lint Center is pleased to be creating the Pioneer Fund and we are proud to dedicate the first scholarship to commemorate the legacy of Eekwon Lee and Jongja Byun,” said James Lint, Chairman of the Lint Center for National Security Studies. “Those who revere freedom, demonstrate an unbridled enthusiasm for liberty, and strive through hard work to secure the promise of opportunity – are the individuals whose legacy shall be honored as a Lint Center Pioneer. Lee and Byun took the hand circumstance provided and through hardwork, perseverance, and dedication to their personal cause became a success story; pioneering in the face of near insurmountable odds to overcome the daunting challenges life posed to them after the Korean War. Both Lee and Byun epitomize these characteristics and the Center is delighted to venerate their contribution, as a beacon of hope to all who aspire for freedom, excellence, and self-made success. They have set the example for others to follow and personally inspire me.”

The children of Eekwon Lee and Jongja Byun are the legacy of selfless sacrifice and the success of those who seize the opportunity of freedom – one is a Ph.D professor, another is a Bank Manager with two Masters Degrees, and two are administrators.

About the 2010 Lee and Byun International Relations and Cultural Awareness Scholarship:

The Eekwon Lee and Jongja Byun Scholarship seeks to identify and recognize the most outstanding applicant who displays a passion, understanding, and appreciation of international relations, cultural awareness, and the impact pioneers for positive change can achieve.

About the Lint Center:
The Lint Center for National Security Studies, Inc., founded in 2007, is a non-profit IRS 501 (c) (3) organization created to award merit-based scholarships for Counterintelligence and National Security Workers, their children and scholars, and to advance the study of National Security, cross-cultural studies, and global understanding. The Center, an IRS approved charity, is Veteran and minority operated and managed. For more information, please visit www.LintCenter.org.

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Our Mission:

Mission Statement: “Empower, Enhance, Enable”
The mission of the Lint Center for National Security Studies is to foster and further the educational development and opportunities for the next generation of America’s Counterintelligence and National Security Workers.  The Center focuses on empowering individuals, enhancing the study of national security issues, and enabling emerging leaders to be mentored by established current-and-former industry experts.

Description:
The Lint Center for National Security Studies, Inc., founded in 2007, is a private non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization created to award merit-based scholarships for Counterintelligence and National Security Workers, their children and scholars, and to advance the study of National Security, cross-cultural studies, and global understanding.
The Center aims to:

1. Identify promising individuals and assist in educational pursuits through scholarship initiatives
2. Provide talented individuals with a meaningful leadership development mentoring program by current-and-former Counterintelligence and National Security Workers
3. Create a forum for the dissemination and discussion of National Security Studies through the Center’s online Web-portal

All donations and contributions to the Lint Center are allocated solely to the Center’s scholarship funds. All actions and activities by the Lint Center are conducted by unpaid staff and volunteers. The Center is Veteran and minority operated and managed.