On April 4, 2001, two-time gold medalist in platform diving, Dr. Sammy Lee, addressed a room of twenty students at the inaugural Asian Pacific American Leadership Luncheon on the USC campus.

Born to Korean immigrants in Fresno, California, Sammy Lee took a break from competing after winning the United States national title in springboard and platform diving in 1942, to earn his medical degree at the University of Southern California. He then proceeded to become the first man to win diving titles at two consecutive Olympics when he brought home the gold medal in platform diving in 1948 and 1952.

During his talk, Sammy Lee showed a video of a recent interview by NBC’s Olympic Show covering Dr. Lee’s impressive career. In the video, Dr. Lee mentioned the adversity he faced as a son of Korean immigrants during a time of hostility against the Japanese, which led to the subsequent internment of Japanese Americans. He also talked about the influence of his family, and his father’s dream for him to become a medical doctor.

Employing his warm sense of humor and wit, Sammy Lee engaged the students about the importance of staying focused on one’s dreams, and having the will and determination to see them through. He shared stories about his experiences traveling and competing around the world after World War II and during the Korean War. Eliciting laughter and questions from the audience, Dr. Lee emphasized that it wasn’t one’s IQ that necessarily determined success, but one’s mentality of "I will." Lee is a member of USC’s Asian Pacific American Support Group, the university’s only support organization for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends who want to directly impact the quality of APA campus life. The APASG’s major programs are in the areas of scholarship, career mentoring, and community outreach.

"The luncheon was to thank APASG members for supporting the organization. The APASG works so hard to make sure that alumni and community members are actively promoting the interests of students and it is important that students know and appreciate that fact," said Alden Chiu, a fourth-year pre-med student who serves as a student representative to the APASG Board of Directors.

For more information about the Asian Pacific American Support Group and its programs, please contact Jennifer Hong at 213.740.9573 or visit the USC Asian Pacific American Student Services website at: http://www.usc.edu/apass.