1. Greater Diversity, Greater Awareness, Greater Results
Presented by:
University of Minnesota
Crookston
Kenneth L.H.O. Johnson,
Dae Yeul Lee Dae Yeul “Danny” Lee
Dae Yeul “Danny” Lee of Seoul, South Korea has led the Pauly
Business Department
the Potato Chip project to new heights by recruiting the best
talent from across campus, improving the assessment methods
used, and enhancing the project in creative new ways that are
appreciated by elementary school children and teachers alike.
University of Minnesota Crookston
Always determined to ensure the students truly learn, Danny
Lhakpa Gurung and Yangchen “Sunny” Gurung has worked tirelessly to align the project with appropriate
educational standards, consulted with Early Childhood
Mustang, Nepal is truly an idyllic paradise. Known to many as Education students and faculty at UMC, and cherished the
the legendary “Shangri-la”, its untouched beauty remains feedback the children give him at every presentation.
preserved because of its relative isolation from the rest of the
world. Yangchen “Sunny” Gurung and Lhakpa Gurung Pauly the Potato Chip, however, is just
recognized that educating the country’s most precious one project Danny has revolutionized.
resource, its children, will ensure that Danny also spearheaded UMC’s
not only the quality of life improve in recycling efforts on campus, brought
Nepal, but that its rich cultural new energy and ideas to the
heritage be retained in an increasingly presentation team to showcase at
globalized world economy.
CROOKSTON/ competitions, and coordinated cultural
TURKMENISTAN awareness and recycling training at the
Lhakpa and Sunny translated the RED LAKE Red Lake Reservation school system.
Pauly story into Nepalese and taught RESERVATION Dae Yeul “Danny” Lee’s passion for SIFE
his exciting journey to elementary
school children in one of the poorest
CHINA is only surpassed by his passion to
encourage other international students
villages of Nepal. The children not only learned a valuable to join him in his efforts to live up to
lesson about free market economics, but gained valuable SOUTH
SIFE’s motto of “Changing the World”.
insights into how to better their own futures which will KOREA
transcend many generations. NEPAL
PROJECT IMPACT
NIGERIA
PAULY PROJECT
Nepal 30 kids
S. Korea 15 kids
America 80 kids Wemimo Abbey
RED LAKE RESERVATION Visionary. Inspiring. Passionate. These are just some of the
words that have been used to describe Wemimo Abbey from La-
Over 300 K-12 students gos, Nigeria. Wemimo came to UMC seeking an education which
would allow him to return to his home country and improve the
CLEAN WATER FOR EVERYONE standard of living of residents there.
Nigeria 120 people
Nepal 800 boarding school students Wemimo lived up to the title of “visionary” when he foresaw
that the clean water purification packets he helped UMC SIFE
send to Nigeria, Haiti, Ghana, and the Dominican Republic were
merely addressing the symptoms of a greater problem in his
UNIVERISITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON (UMC) hometown: unsafe drinking wells. With a vision in mind to drill
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) a bore well and ensure its sustainability, Wemimo started “Clean
Nari Kim Water for Everyone” which has helped hundreds of people
around the world access safe drinking water, with thousands
Nari Kim came to UMC from Seoul, South Korea seeking The diversity of the Regional Champion University of Minnesota more to come.
knowledge as many students do. What she did not ex- Crookston SIFE team has increased dramatically in recent years. From
pect to find, however, was a passion for teaching chil- a time in 2001 when the entire team was composed of domestic stu- He also lives up to the title of “inspiring”
dren both in the U.S. and in her home country of South as his ability to speak eloquently about
Korea. Nari took the initiative to translate the Pauly the dents to today with over 60% of the team hailing from other countries, the need for clean water has resulted in
Potato Chip story into Korean and pre- SIFE has indeed internationalized. hundreds of people contributing to the
sent his story to a classroom of elemen- cause. And the term “passionate” is re-
tary school students in Seoul. Aziza Berdiyeva flected in his positive attitude and abil-
This internationalization has afforded the team new perspectives, ity to overcome all challenges and nay-
Pauly’s extensive international travels may Growing up in Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan, increased awareness of opportunities for change, and increased the sayers who stand in his way. Visionary,
have began with Nari taking him to Korea, Aziza Berdiyeva never dreamt she would impact the SIFE team has made around the world. inspiring, and passionate indeed.
but as of today he has also been to China, one day change the lives of Native American
Canada, France, and Nepal with plans to students half a world away. Yet when the
visit South America and Russia soon. Nari Red Lake Recycling opportunity arose, there Various projects created and led by international SIFE students
Kim exemplifies what an international stu- was no stopping her enthusiasm and deter- working in harmony with domestic students are showcase.
dent in SIFE can accomplish both in the mination to make this project successful.
U.S. and abroad. The Pauly the Potato Chip storybook has been translated and Tashi Gurung
Aziza connected with the students through taught in China, Nepal, Korea, and other countries. Wonjin “Treasure” Ahn and Xiaowei Zhou
sharing examples of her own tribal cultural Tashi Gurung came to UMC to major in Environmental Science
heritage. The Native American students
A delegation of international students built relationships As members of the Red Lake Recycling project, Wonjin "Treasure" Ahn from with the hopes of one day returning to his home country of Nepal
were enthralled by her tales of life in Turk- and taught recycling to middle school students at Red Lake Seoul, South Korea and Xiaowei Zhou from Chongqing, China built meaning- and applying what he learned. Little did he know that he would
ful relationships with the Ojibwe natives of Red Lake, Minnesota. Treasure
Xixi Zeng
menistan and the differences and similari- Reservation. and Xiaowei found that the elementary and high school students were fasci-
have many opportunities to better the lives of Nepalese people
ties with their own culture. while still studying at UMC.
The numerous projects of Clean Water for Everyone have im- nated by their explanations of how the philosophy of recycling in Korea and
Perhaps none have ever shined so bright, so quickly, and Through interactive games and a poster con- proved the life's of thousand of people around the world China is very congruent with the reverence Native Americans have for na- Tashi has been the liaison between UMC
for so short a time at UMC as XiXi Zeng. Originally from test, the children left that day not only hav- ture. Although Korea and China are separated from Red Lake by thousands SIFE and the Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding
Wenzhou, China, XiXi came to America intending only ing made a new friend, but with a passion to of miles, Treasure and Xiaowei found themselves right at home on the reser- School in Mustang, Nepal. With his help, a
to take classes not offered at her home university and to better their
Pauly Project (America) vation and knew they were truly welcomed when dozens of students had water filtration system is being installed
improve her English for one semester. However, a community them autograph their arms in Chinese and Korean. which provides clean, safe water right out
chance invitation to a SIFE meeting changed everything.
She loved UMC SIFE so much she even tried to get per-
through im- Pauly the Potato Chip is a project that has an inherently American story. How- of the faucets for the first time ever at the
proved recy- school.
mission to stay longer, but unfortunately was unable to cling efforts.
ever, this story has best been told by several international students of UMC
obtain permission from the Chinese Aziza Berdi- SIFE. Pauly the Potato is a project designed to teach elementary school children The students are overjoyed, and without
government. Undeterred, XiXi became yeva is yet an- basic free market economics and value-added agriculture concepts through a sto- Tashi’s education at UMC, his connections
as active as possible during the short other shining in Nepal, and his determination to excel in
time she had at UMC. rybook, play, and interactive presentations showcased by UMC SIFE members. UMC SIFE, this project would not have been
example of an
international possible. Tashi epitomizes what passionate
XiXi not only created an international student break- Not only have these phenomenal international SIFE students been warmly wel- international students can accomplish
cultural awareness program and pre- through SIFE.
sented it throughout the campus and
ing down bar- comed by hundreds of American elementary students, they are also preparing to
riers and ac-
community, but found the Pauly the complishing take Pauly overseas to their home countries and beyond. Pauly may be Ameri-
Potato project especially rewarding. great things can, but thanks to these students his appeal is universal. The Pauly the Potato
Not wanting to leave UMC SIFE behind,
she packed her suitcase full of Pauly
through UMC team: Greater Diversity, Greater Awareness, Greater Results.
SIFE.
the Potato Chip coloring books while VISION
giving away her personal belongings to make room. She
carried not only coloring books back to China, but
memories, dedication, and enthusiasm which has in-
spired many other international students to follow in
Pauly Project List of Characters
her footsteps. COMMITMENT HARMONY
Story of Pauly the Potato’s thrilling adventure from a field outside of
Crookston, Minnesota all the way to grocery store as a potato chip in a Third Annual UMN
play designed to enhance the story book’s message. Red Lake Reservation Project Internationalizing the
Consisted of recycling awareness and Curriculum &
Name From Role building relationship between cultures Campus Conference
Chengyu “Coco” Mo Jiaxing, China Narrator PASSION Carlson School of Business
Fangjing Pan Shaoxing, China, Narrator Aziza Berdiyeva, Dae Yeul“Danny” Lee,
Yun “Ashely” Zhou JiaXin, China, Pauly as a Potato Xiaowei Zhou, Wonjin Ahn, Wemimo Abbey
Chen “Ann” Jin Shaoxing, China, Pauly the Potato Chip (left to right) March 23, 2012
Moysey “Moses” Kutsev Erskine, MN Farmer Ted
Hionia Kutsev, Erskine, MN Grocery store owner
Beomseok “Bob” Kim South Korea Support
Dabitna Chung South Korea Support Co-created by: D.M. Malarkey
