"Wanting to Honor Daughter Lost in Korea": American Parents Send Scholarships for 8 Years

Native Teacher Passed Away in Accident While Working at Yeompo Elementary School
Parents Have Donated in Memory of Their Daughter for Eight Years

The story of a foreign teacher's family, who has been sending scholarships to an elementary school in Ulsan for eight years in memory of their daughter who passed away in an unexpected accident in Korea, has come to light.

A tribute to the late Sarah Dinel, a native English teacher at Yeompo Elementary School in Ulsan, who passed away in an unexpected traffic accident in 2016. Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education

According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education on May 28, Yeompo Elementary School in Buk-gu awarded the 'Sarah Dinell Scholarship' to students on May 24 to honor the wishes of the late native English teacher Sarah Dinell.

Dinell, who was from the United States, worked as a native English teacher at Yeompo Elementary School from August 2015. However, in November 2016, she unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 24 due to a traffic accident.

Since then, her parents have been donating $1,000 (approximately 1.36 million won) every year to Yeompo Elementary School under the name of the 'Sarah Dinell Scholarship' to commemorate their daughter's love for Korean students and her passion for education. The scholarship, which has been awarded since 2018, marks its eighth year in 2025. At the time of the first donation, her parents reportedly promised to send the scholarship for ten years to benefit the students at Yeompo Elementary School, the last place where their daughter worked.

This year, the scholarship was awarded to seven students at Yeompo Elementary School. The recipients wrote letters of gratitude to Dinell's parents. One student wrote, "I am grateful to teacher Sarah Dinell and her parents," and added, "I want to become someone who does not forget the warmth I have received and can share it with others."

Previously, in 2018, Dinell's parents also donated 295 English books to support the students' English education. Yeompo Elementary School established the 'Sarah Dinell Bookshelf' in its library, using it as a space for students to learn about the world through English and books, thereby honoring the wishes of the bereaved family.

A representative from Yeompo Elementary School stated, "The love and dedication left by the late teacher continue to provide valuable lessons to students every year," and added, "We hope that the students will grow up to be individuals who practice love and sharing with a grateful heart."