Daniel Ha, a high school student at The King’s Academy in California, has already been passionate about community service and research.
He has founded The King’s Academy Chapter of the National Council for Social Studies, serving over 582 high school students. Additionally, he holds an Executive Board Member position at the International Young Leaders Council, where he has organised international outreach efforts to support specific countries, including India and Ukraine. His fundraising efforts include piano performances in his community to benefit Ohmatdyt National Specialised Children’s Hospital.
Daniel’s philanthropic initiative, “Soap Made with Hope,” operates as a social enterprise. He personally crafts organic soaps and sells them at local Farmers’ Markets, with 100% of the proceeds dedicated to Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH), aiding children with cancer. His dedication led to the official approval and listing of LPCH at Shop for Packard. Furthermore, he expanded this initiative internationally to support paediatric causes in South Korea, founding a Korean chapter with all proceeds benefiting Seoul National University Children’s Hospital.
Daniel’s interests lie in international relations, particularly in understanding how nations maintain treaties and navigate tensions. He has examined the impact of South Korea’s recent presidential change on its security relationship with North Korea, resulting in a peer-reviewed publication titled “Impact of the Recent South Korean Presidency Change on Security Relationship with North Korea” in the Journal of Student Research. His research also involved interviews and a year-long study of Korean clay art, culminating in publishing his book titled “Clayarch: The Fusion of Korean Art, Ceramics, and Architecture.”
As a student in the CCIR Academy, Daniel conducted a research project titled “Navigating the Post-Cold War Disorder: Examining NATO Enlargement and Nuclear Proliferation.” His research paper delves into the intricate relationship between NATO enlargement and nuclear proliferation in the post-Cold War era, aiming to analyse how NATO’s expansion may have influenced or been influenced by nuclear proliferation dynamics and broader geopolitical shifts. His paper has been accepted to the 26th Annual Meeting of the GPPSA.
In a recent episode of CCIR Academy Student Spotlights, Daniel generously shared insights from his research journey, expressing gratitude for the support provided by his professor and the CCIR Academy throughout his research endeavours.
