International alumnus establishes scholarship for business students

Northwest alumnus Seon M. Ahn (right) and his wife, Soo, recently established a scholarship at the University that is named for their twin children, Sole and Hui. (Submitted photo)

Northwest Missouri State University alumnus Seon M. Ahn had wanted for a long time to give back to the University in recognition of the education he received.

Now, he is fulfilling his wish through a monetary gift to establish the Sole and Hui Ahn Scholarship to support international students studying business-related subjects at Northwest. Seon and his wife, Soo, established the scholarship, which is named for their twin children born in 2014, Sole and Hui, through the Northwest Foundation.

“I have received a great deal of positivity (at Northwest), including education, people and environment, so I naturally thought of giving back to the school,” Seon said.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who exemplifies positive contributions to Northwest through campus involvement, solid academic performance and leadership contributing to diversity and inclusion. To be eligible, students must be classified as an international student and be enrolled full-time. In addition to academic achievement and financial need as leading criteria for the scholarship, preference will be given to students majoring in business.

“We greatly appreciate Seon’s continued involvement with the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business at Northwest,” said Dr. Ben Blackford, the director of the Booth School. “In addition to his engagement with students, this scholarship will provide additional support for business students to be involved on campus and pursue the many opportunities available to them.”

Seon graduated from Northwest in 2005 with a degree in public accounting. A native of the Republic of Korea, he began attending Northwest during the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis. Despite financial difficulties, he found a home at Northwest and developed appreciation for the campus culture while working in the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Students Affairs.

“I really enjoyed the school life in Missouri, not only from the educational aspect but various other factors,” he said. “I built my finance and accounting backbone so that I can apply the framework of the business in the financial institutions. Moreover, President Dr. Dean L. Hubbard was one of my mentors, and I really enjoyed the interaction with the president. Last but not least, the experience, working in the human resources and student affairs offices for two years, was another differentiated experience.”

By receiving his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business in 2018, Seon expanded his banking knowledge to the insurance industry, focusing on digital capability in Hong Kong. Today, he is employed with FWD Group in Hong Kong, where he works on the life insurance company’s digital platforms.  

The Sole and Hui Ahn Scholarship is an endowed scholarship and remains open to accept future contributions from other donors. To contribute to the scholarship, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/giveonline or contact Northwest’s Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248.