Life and Work with Rachel Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Park.

Rachel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My brother and I were raised by a single mother. She worked two jobs, and the only times we would see her was when she would do pickups and dropoffs from home and school. It was hard not being able to connect with my mom especially at a young age, and later I would find it difficult to create a relationship with her. My mother worked hard and never showed how much she was suffering and struggling to keep food on the table, pay for bills, and even send her children to a private school for the majority of their lives. She kept these struggles from me because she wanted me to enjoy my youth without worrying about what-ifs.

Unfortunately, things wouldn’t be easier at school. The majority of my memories of elementary school are filled with the struggle of trying to fit in and make friends. You see, this is due to the fact that the school was in a dominantly Latino community, and the kids who went to school with me were not afraid to be harsh. From 1st grade to freshmen year of high school, I was on the heavier side, and I would get made fun of for it. I also was made fun of because my eyes were considered small. The kids would pull their eyes to make them super tight and would ask me if I could even see. And if that wasn’t the case, they would call me names like “king kong” and say that I would just destroy everything in my way. Those things hurt and definitely left a scar in my heart.

After a few years things started looking up, I grew a thick skin, found some amazing friends that I could trust, and my mom was able to start working less and be at home more often. But then, when returning to school from summer break for sophomore year, I came back a completely different version of myself. I had lost 40lbs over the summer and had been catching the attention of boys. Unfortunately, these boys were the ones that some of my friends had crushes on, and ultimately this is where the bullying began. It hurt the most because there were a few of the friend that I considered to be like sisters, and now I hear them spreading rumors about me, ignoring me during lunch, and doing other things to hurt me emotionally. I became depressed and started to find ways to relieve the crazy amount of sadness and anger I felt inside. My mother saw that this was a problem, and looked for ways to help. That is when she signed me up for my first pageant. Crazy to think that she thought a pageant would really help me, and I hated the idea of it. I just wanted to stay low key until after I graduated and forget about everything, but my mom saw something else.

After my 1st pageant. I gained so much confidence and understood that those people who intentionally wanted to hurt me were not my friends and there were more people outside of school that I can connect with. Ever since then, I have competed in Miss Korea USA, Miss Asia USA (where I won the title), and recently Miss Global which was held in the Philippines. Every stage was different, but every stage had new lessons that needed to be learned. Throughout each pageant, I’ve become proud of not only my Korean heritage but my American heritage as well. With that being said, it has created a spark in me to make multiple non-profit charities to help both here in the U.S. and in S. Korea. One actually has to do with my amazing best friend, Wil. He had just recently been in a terrible mo-ped accident that has left him, a quadriplegic. This charity would work with people who are in a similar position as Wil and work with them to find ways to provide certain things that they need such as wheelchair accessible vehicles. Another charity I would love to create has to do with helping those who suffer from mental health issue and animals who long for a second chance. My puppy, Remy, came into my life when my mental health issues were at its peak, and ever since she joined our family, I have seen the amazing benefits that have come out of having a furry companion. The goal of this charity would be to work with psychologists and animal shelters/charities to bring together a human and animal who are looking for the same things, love as wells as companionship.

Has it been a smooth road?
I believe that every journey has its ups and downs. The journey for my life has been full of its share downs, but those downs made the ups so much sweeter. My advice to young women would be that even though you go through a storm don’t just concentrate on the downside of the situation. Try to be optimistic, even though it seems like you cannot because everything feels like it is falling apart. Try to take a step back and breathe so that you can observe the situation as a whole instead of the one part you’re going through. Don’t think that you need to have everything together, just understand that there need to be growing pains in order for you to grow that way you see how far you have come. Another piece of advice I would give is to not just stick to doing the things you’re comfortable with. Do something different and challenge yourself. You never know what amazing things you can unlock inside of you and/or a great lesson you would have never learned if you didn’t take the chance.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with your business – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Currently, I am a student, but I had to take some time off of school in order to prepare and compete in pageants. Other than being a pageant participant, I also help other young women who are either starting their pageant journey or continuing it. My goal as a pageant coach and as a pageant participant is to empower women. This is because the girls that come in for the first time start off with the confidence that they suppress, what my job is to create a relationship with them and understand who they are. This way I can help them bring out that light in a way they feel comfortable and confident.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Not to sound cliche, but I believe that all women can succeed at any opportunity that is placed before them. I feel as if these days we actually only do concentrate on the challenges, but no one has said I’m going to conquer the challenges. As a communication and journalism major, I have set a goal before myself to become the 1st Asian American female to be a broadcaster on ESPN for the NBA. Sports journalism is a male-dominated field and though there have been some women who have broken through, I wish to make my mark as well. With that being said, again, I believe that if we as females concentrate on conquering the challenges as opposed to the challenges themselves we can make our mark and be an example for the future.

Contact Info:

• Email: rachel.a.park10@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_remyray_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelapark10/

Image Credit:
* BLACK DRESS photographer; Dookie Ducay, outfit : The Gina Frias Collection, mua: Nervie Roots, *BLUE DRESS (HAIR UP), photo & MUA; Nervie Roots, hair: Joohee Lee (at Hills Beauty Club), dress: Vince Sityar, *PINK COAT outfit: Grace Moon, Photographer: David Kwan, sunglasses : Anark Eyewear, *RED DRESS: photographer: Huy Khiem, Hair: Jenny Yoon (at Hills Beauty Club), MUA: Christine Lo (at Hills Beauty Club), *WHITE DRESS: Photographer: Young Lee (at Tomato Wedding), Hair: Jenny Yoon (at Hills Beauty Club), MUA: Christine Lo (at Hills Beauty Club)

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