Now a freshman at the Ivy League institution in Connecticut, the soon to be 18-year-old made her mark in high school fighting for racial equality and environmental issues as a student leader. Recently selected to join Yale鱿鱼视频app Title IX Advisory Board, which tackles sex and gender discrimination, she hopes to continue to use her voice in the journey towards a more equal society.
Dallin, who graduated from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, says her mother, Gloria Yoon, a Toronto high school teacher who emigrated to Canada from Korea at age 16, helped to ignite her passion for service.
鈥淢y mom coming (to Canada) and starting new with no money or knowledge of English and now dedicating her life to helping other people has been such a huge inspiration for me,鈥� said Dallin.
Her own experience as a biracial person 鈥� her father is white 鈥� 鈥渁nd reconciling the different microaggressions has allowed me to live life with that extra lens.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鱿鱼视频app just always been natural to me to just like look out for people who are in need 鈥� the marginalized people who aren鈥檛 having their voices heard.鈥�
鈥淚 think maybe telling her stories of me coming to a new country and facing different challenges, I think she sort of took that to heart,鈥� said Yoon, who has been teaching for 19 years. 鈥淎s she grew up, she became aware of other issues in society and we always encouraged her to speak up, speak out and stand up for others.鈥�
In June, Dallin as student trustee brought forward a motion on dismantling systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in schools.
Dallin lives by a principle she calls 鈥渞adical compassion,鈥� and says her Catholic faith has been essential to her character development and social justice advocacy.
鈥淟ooking at the life of Jesus and the different prophets and saints, and looking at their work, has definitely been inspiring,鈥� said Dallin, a parishioner at St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app so important to me to put faith into action and really practise the values that we preach.鈥�
On the Title IX Advisory Board, she鱿鱼视频app working to fight gender-based discrimination and harassment. She recognizes this type of work has become even more relevant given the global pandemic and reports of those trapped in abusive relationships. Her priorities on the committee include making sure people feel comfortable coming forward and are supported.
Majoring in ethics, politics and economics, Dallin hopes to become a lawyer and pursue a career in advocacy relating to human rights and social justice.
鈥淚 feel like that鱿鱼视频app not a huge surprise when I tell people, based on my past work,鈥� she laughed. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app been my dream for a little while. We鈥檒l see where my path takes me. I know that social justice is certainly going to be a part of whatever I end up doing.鈥�
Yoon believes her daughter鱿鱼视频app exceptional work ethic and humility in taking nothing for granted will continue to bring her success as she pursues her studies at Yale.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen only a few kids in my (teaching) career who might work as hard as she does and for that I鈥檓 very proud,鈥� said Yoon. 鈥淲hat she will decide to do in the future, or how much impact she鱿鱼视频app going to have on other people鱿鱼视频app lives, I鈥檓 not sure. But I know that she will always work hard to make things right for a lot of people in this world. I鈥檓 happy to stand by her and be there for her whenever she needs support.鈥�