Grace Lee Pak

“Every time I support a family through tutoring, sharing words, or providing household items, I feel a purpose for my life,” says Grace about One Parent Home Foundation (OPHF), an organization she founded four years ago to help and empower young adults of single parent households. Fueled by her own experiences and those of other single parent students, she was determined to challenge the feelings of shame that so many felt due to their circumstances. While the foundation is her greatest passion, Grace has also created her own opportunities in life and has earned the Congressional Gold Medal Award, plays the violin and piano, was the editor of her school’s paper, Treasurer of her student government for four years, and currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest typist of a Smartphone the she set in 2011. She will major in Physics and hopes to work in NASA or other space organization while growing OPHF’s outreach internationally. Grace is from Willow Grove, PA and will attend University of Pennsylvania this fall.