Meet AJ WooYoung Chun
Not so long ago, AJ WooYoung Chun was subjecting his feet to the horror of jumping out of moving airplanes. Now at TUSPM, his time here might be best viewed as a pit stop on a fascinating journey of self-discovery. Born in Busan, South Korea, AJ attended elementary school in Australia before moving to Boston. From there, he attended Penn State before serving in the US Army as an administrative officer. Stationed anywhere from Texas to South Korea, AJ was air assault certified and witnessed the high rate of foot and ankle injuries from skydiving first hand. On account of this, he described the foot as “the wheel of the body” and gained an even greater appreciation for its importance while studying at Kentucky’s Ft. Campbell army medical center under a Dr. Wortman. Dr. Wortman piqued AJ’s interest in medicine—particularly a holistic approach to healing—but Wortman’s impact on the soldiers who relied on him was the push AJ needed to join the TUSPM community.
AJ’s transition from officer back to student was a difficult one. The mindset necessary to revisit a life of homework and lectures was a bit different than the one needed to skydive. But AJ caught on quickly, positioning himself not only as a student fit for podiatry, but as a student fit to represent his colleagues in podiatry as well. AJ is especially grateful for this role, as it has given him insight into the administrative side of TUSPM, a somewhat holistic approach to being a student in itself. As for why he’s been trusted with this responsibility of representation, AJ said, “My principle is kindness over me being right.” He recognizes the value in working with people vs. telling people how things should be. Leadership is an offset of this kindness and fairness oriented approach that he’s harbored since he was a kid, in large part due to the array of cultures and people he’s encountered on this journey: “If you understand people, you can bring them together and help them reach their full potential.” This potential is rooted in cooperation, he said. He’s actually been president of each student government representative he’s been a part of since that Australian boarding school, including Penn State. This is no accident.
To younger prospective students, AJ wants you to take care of yourselves. “School teaches us how to take care of patients, but we never learn how to take care of ourselves.” Nevertheless, AJ’s future goals are far from self-centered. He wants to bring podiatry to South Korea, a place his parents and sister still call home. From there, he’d like to see podiatry expanded internationally so all can enjoy the benefits, or perhaps necessities of this profession he’s devoted his career to. It’s quite the goal, and here’s to one more jumping off place for him.