Peter Ki dreams of touring the world as a foreign service officer with the Canadian government. He’s starting his political education at University of British Columbia this fall.
But it’s music that has taught the Grade 12 GW Graham student true passion for life. Ki has been playing piano since the age of six, and can coax beauty out of a trumpet, bassoon, and viola, all skills he practices with the school’s concert and jazz bands.
“Music has shaped me into being a really passionate individual,” he said. “It’s something that has stuck with me ever since I was younger…It’s one of those things that you can’t stop doing because it’s so much fun.”
The self-described “music guy” still prefers his voice over any other instrument. He’s taken singing beyond the school’s vocal jazz band and musicals, to join an a cappella group run by Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra’s conductor Paula DeWitt. Ki also performed in the local opera’s production of Pirates of Penzance.
While music touches his soul, international diplomacy is where Ki sees his future career.
“The idea that our world is globalizing seems more and more evident,” said Ki. “To serve the diplomatic effort would be really cool. To serve Canada’s position on the world stage. I think we have a pretty decent agenda going on, and I want to contribute to that.”
Ki has volunteered with the Mark and Chuck Strahl offices for the last few years, providing administrative support such as processing the results of surveys that residents have sent in. He has also campaigned for the Conservative party in the 2011 federal election, handing out pamphlets and calling supporters at home to see if they wanted election signs.
These unique insights into what political life entails are forming the groundwork for Ki’s future diplomatic career. He plans to major in international relations at UBC.
This summer, he’ll return to South Korea for the first time since childhood to reconnect with family, and is excited to see how the country has changed since his last visit. That trip will bring Ki another step closer to understanding and leading in the globalized world.
