 "Photo: The Phoenix/Chandler West")
Three years ago, if you asked graduate student Paul Lee what a normal day would be like in the future, he would never include PTA meetings, or two six-foot-tall teenagers.
In January 2007, Lee’s family had a serious emergency that left him with two teens to care for.
His aunt and nephews were living in Wilmette, while his uncle stayed in South Korea. His aunt didn’t have a bank account and she paid for items in cash. She purchased a car in cash, which brought attention to the family, and they were followed for about one week by a group of offenders, Lee said.
In early January 2007, three masked men entered the home with guns. They took a suitcase that held all of the family’s money.
Upon hearing this news in South Korea, Lee’s uncle collapsed. He was placed in a hospital for two months and Lee’s aunt needed to return to care for him, however, her sons were still in school in the U.S.
Both children were attending Christian Heritage Academy in Northfield, Ill. at the time. The school helped to care for the family, but they needed a permanent place for the boys to stay.
That was when the 32-year-old Accounting and Finance student and his wife stepped in.
In November 2008, Lee applied for full custody of the children until the adoption was finalized. On Sept. 15, 2009 the adoption was official.
Lee is now the legal guardian for his nephews, Shawn Kim, 16, and Adam Kim, 15. He finds his roles as both a student and a parent tiring and conflicting at times.
“By living with them I’ve changed my lifestyle and personality, too,” he said.
Lee relates well to his nephews because he came to the U.S. when he was 16-years-old.
He is proud of how they have adjusted to living in the U.S. and with him and his wife.
Shawn Kim now attends Loyola Academy, where he is on honor roll and a Clavius Scholar. He is also tutoring club president, and plays tennis.
“If he has a test, he will stay up to two or three in the morning,” he said. “Sometimes I have an assignment I don’t want to finish, but this guy does it.“
Adam Kim attends North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, Ill. He is a pianist and the 2009 youth audition winner for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. When he doesn’t play piano, he likes to play football, too.
“He puts his emotions into his piano playing,” Lee said. “It’s not only his technique, but how he feels about the piece.”
Although Lee calls Shawn and Adam Kim his nephews, they are his aunt’s sons.
“Sometimes when I go to PTA meetings they call me Mr. Kim, but that’s not my name,” Lee said. “I don’t tell them, I just say O.K.”
Lee and his wife juggle taking the kids to and from school. The couple wakes up around 6 a.m. Adam’s classes begin at 8:10 a.m. and his wife drives him to school. Lee drives Shawn to school for 7:45 a.m. class, and then he drives to the Lake Shore campus for class. At 4:30 p.m. he picks Shawn up and they drive back to Glenview, Ill., where they live. His wife prepares dinner, he serves the food, does the dishes and tells Adam to practice piano.
“Not that many people know about the adoption,” he said. “If they find out, then they wonder how I handle school, parenting and my part time work.”
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