Best and Brightest: A desire to impact, influence and empower
When she first started school, Dana Ko was labeled for two reasons: She spoke no English and was identified as gifted and talented.
Now, she sees the designations, formally known as “twice-exceptional,” have contributed to who she is today. She found her voice and uses it to advocate for others. She is a student liaison for the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (CAGT), where she represents more than 60,000 students around the state.
She was enrolled in an ESL (English as a Second Language) program at the age of 5, shortly after moving from South Korea to Colorado Springs with her family. Her role with CAGT evolved out of her participation in gifted and talented programs. Following her sophomore year at Pine Creek High School, she applied and was one of two students statewide accepted to serve as a student liaison. In that role, she attends monthly meetings and retreats, organizes events for gifted and talented students and their parents.
Among Ko’s interests are speech and debate tournaments. She acknowledges that it may seem counter-intuitive given her early efforts to learn English. “I think because I struggled I pushed myself to learn,” she said. “At first it wasn’t fun. It started as a challenge and grew into a passion.” For her efforts, Ko has won numerous awards, including being a two-time finalist in international extemporaneous speaking in the State Speech and Debate Tournament.
It’s not enough for Ko to excel in speech and debate, she founded the Pine Creek Speech and Debate Middle School Summer Camp so younger students could learn the tools needed to speak up on issues important to them. She said the camp’s primary goal was to make speech and debate accessible to all.
When she was a middle schooler, a teacher encouraged her to participate in CAGT’s Legislative Day in Denver. Ko admits she was less than enthusiastic. “I had no interest in it,” she said. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do.” However, the event, where she shadowed state Sen. Bob Gardner, was a turning point. It was then, she said, she decided all of her endeavors would be motivated by “a desire to impact, to influence and to empower.”
Ko plans to attend either Yale or Harvard to study international relations or political science. Her legislative experience includes working with lobbyists to pass state-wide legislation, ensuring all students are tested for gifted identification.
Ko was appointed by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet to serve as a page in the U.S. Senate in 2022. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions the program was canceled. This led her to seek an alternative summer activity, which is how she became involved with the Borgen Project. This national political organization uses politics to help further reduce poverty abroad. As an advocate with Borgen Ko contacts state representatives, writes articles and lobbies for the organization’s initiatives.
PCHS college career counselor writes of Ko, “Dana’s extracurricular involvement has everything to do with giving others a voice, especially when it pertains to those most at risk for not having one: the vulnerable — the poor, our immigrants, and English as second language learners.”
High school: Pine Creek High School
College plans: Yale University
Parent(s): Rachael Han and Brandon Ko
Other: U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegate, U.S. Senate Page, Colorado Girls State Governor, National Speech and Debate Tournament
Dana Ko