In 1979, my Mother in Korea sacrificed her ties with me and sent me to America to find a better life in this "land of opportunity" through adoption to a family in Washington. I was ten years old. My sister and I came together. You can imagine the culture shock and adjustment starting with basic English language acquisition. This experience gave me the drive to make the most of my life. I know what hard work is. I know how to persevere and see barriers as an opportunity to find a solution. These lessons were learned from my new parents as well as with the help of incredible mentors in my life who reached out to me – kind hearted teachers, pastors, and coaches. As an adult, I became a public speaker and mentor to youth in my community and developed programs to help them connect.I was later chosen by a successful Real Estate Broker and investor for a mentoring relationship, the fruit of which became the start of my own brokerage Urban Properties with the help of my gifted wife Rachel Badgett who also has a background in education, administration, and counseling.