He pretty much had his future set up for him. But he took a huge gamble and even though it must have been difficult, I'm so so thankful he chose this path. He's had such a positive impact on my life.
It may sound ridiculous to some people but Jackson helped me get through some tough times in my second year of university. And he's helped me build self-confidence and for me to believe in myself again. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't come across Jackson Wang and all of his positive energy and big heart and love that he has for people.
Don't say that, it's not ridiculous at all! I think people have become so skeptical about human emotion that they fail to appreciate the beauty of loving someone and learning from them despite not knowing them personally. I know people look down on the fandom culture because they think it's "immature" (and I can understand considering the age and actions of them asses), but many of the people I have met through the years are anything but. I think Jackson would be incredibly happy and humbled to hear that. I often wish there were ways to convey this to them with a guarantee they'd see it, just to have the satisfaction of knowing they are aware of the impact they have made in some people's lives. It always makes me incredibly happy whenever there are fanaccounts of fans telling them^^
The amount of shit I've had people say to me regarding my love for got7 has made me a little defensive. It's not like I'm hurting anyone idk why people can't just mind their own business.
I guess writing letters is the closest we can get. The boys have been seen to read the fan letters they receive. But yeah it is always nice to read fanaccounts of fans telling them in person :)
Full ride to Stanford is no joking matter, even from someone that comes from an affluent background like Jackson. Training to become a Kpop star vs. becoming a representative for his home country and holding a prestigious title. It's a huge gamble and if it was my kid taking the risk I think I'd be worried, so I can fully understand his parents.
Jackson really is a representation of chasing your dreams and taking risks despite the possible downfalls. He almost didn't make the cut for GOT7, but look at him now. As a pessimist, individuals like him give me a smidgen of hope for myself.
I'm not surprised he received an offer from Stanford considering he was a gold-winning, Olympic contender. I am amazed that he gave up fencing/his Olympic dream as well as the opportunity to study at one of the most prestigious schools to become a trainee. Not an easy decision at all, and props to his parents for letting him? He's very brave. I'm also glad, because I think he's born to be an entertainer and he's able to reach a lot more people (make them happy) in this field than he would have as a fencer, I guess.
wow, he actually went back during his trainee period but they couldn't accept him back into the fencing team anymore? i completely understand where his dad was coming from. seeing your son do so amazingly well in a sport, so well that he's training to compete in the olympics at such a young age is something extraordinary. i truly commend jackson for choosing to do what he wanted even though his future was so uncertain because it's definitely not the safe route to take. it's terrifying and i'm happy to see he made it because what a joy he is. he's just genuinely such a sweet and caring guy and i do hope more success comes his way.
I think the translation might be off or Jackson didn't explain it well. There was a time when Jackson was in a slump and had doubts if he chose the right path (when JJP were chosen to debut). He probably thought of coming back to fencing but at the same time he knew it was too late for him to prepare for London Olympics for example. There's a rumor that JYPE would't debut another boygroup for a long time if JJP did well.
ah okay, thanks for clearing that up! i can only imagine how stressful that must have been. being trainee alone already requires a lot of effort and hard work and on top of that being explicitly told that him debuting depends on if his fellow trainees are successful must be nerve-wracking.
It still blows my mind that he basically gave up a guaranteed spot in the Olympics to go into an industry that's so incredibly uncertain about basically everything (not that Olympic-level sports aren't cutthroat too, but at least that was something he'd been doing for a long time and knew he was good at.) He's worked so hard and deserves all the success tbh
oh my god. that's crazy. he took such a huge risk. i admire jackson so much for that. he could of had it all but he turned it down to chase his real dreams. i respect him so much. i'm so glad he's finding success in korea and now in china. he really was born to entertain. he's had such a positive influence on my life and so many others. he really is special and deserves all the happiness.
his parents, despite de shock, supported his decision (considering that they let him go to korea to be a trainee and all). not sure if I would be this supportive if I had a kid with a future pretty much secured like jackson had.
knowing how much jackson risked with his decision gives a lot of sense to his mindset of working non-stop while he can. at first I thought it was more from his athlete background, but I can see him "living his dream" but also making sure that his decision pays off, not just with money but also proving that he was right and he's also good doing this "new" thing.
I still feel like he could do it. Like, get back on your fencing regime, talk to the team, talk to the coaches and go to the Olympics or coincide your entry with your members going into the army. He wouldn't be the oldest contender at all or out of shape considering the idol life and how much working out he does on his own. LIVE BOTH YOUR DREAMS, JACKSON BB.
edit: also if i remember correctly, i think his parents only allowed him to be a trainee after he won his junior asian medal?
good for him for doing what he wanted. it's stanford, but then he would've really only done fencing for life i guess...
he still has a really special job, but i guess it's easier to branch out from what he's doing now into other fields, especially since he has the fencing background, too. oh and all the language skills.
Wow he must have been really passionate about music, to choose a risky career over his olympic dream. Maybe he was considering the longevity of his career after competing for the olympics, what he would be missing out on if he pursued fencing for the next 10 years of his life vs. being an artist.
I look at everything Jackson had ahead of him, and I want to shake him. Like, how could he give that all up? Yeah, in hindsight it's easy to save good for him and good for his parents supporting him, but man. what if he'd failed? What if he never debuted? I mean, he probably still could have gotten into a good school and maybe tried the Hong Kong entertainment industry, but what if it all went belly up? I think it's absolutely amazing, but at the same time, what if he hadn't landed that leap?
Yes, it was such a risky decision. I wouldn't be able to do what Jackson did for sure. And Korea was a foreign country, he probably heard how demanding being a trainee was, and knew that there was no guarantee that he could debut, and yet he still chose to leave everything to pursue his dream.
I think training for an olympic sport really helped shaped his mentality for this industry as well. For sure his competitiveness and sportsmanship helped a lot in making decision on how to carry himself and in front of others for this industry.
I only read on tumblr he gave up a full ride but omg Stanford??? Maybe just because I come from a highly competitive high school where everyone (including myself) would do anything for a chance liked that - but I don't think I could ever see anyone giving up a chance to Stanford for anything.
At the same time - this just makes me respect him even more. Like, he basically had his life planned out for him in a sense - chance at the olympics, a pretty well known school scholarship - and like I could definitely see him making it big in the HK industry. But instead he took a chance and followed a dream he didn't know would materialize - and I can only hope he's not looking back with regrets.
Also, It's almost surreal to think that if he had stayed on the HK team id have known about him in a completely different way then I do now.
I know people here seemed to be okay with his decision but if he were my kid, I will be totally disappointed -- like I could cry all day lol. I mean, as much as I love Kpop and everything glitter that comes with it, I know how dirty the industry really is. To give up prestigious school for something as uncertain as K-pop, it was not a wise decision at all. Even if you failed in the Olympic, but at least you tried your best and going through a prestigious school while doing that -- its not exactly a failure when you managed to get yourself into that prestigious school in the first place -- its already a accomplishment in your life. I mean, to give up something certain for K-pop is just.. Even if you made it in the industry, will it make you truly happy? Just looked at all the hardship that all those K-pop idols who made it go through.
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Date: 2016-05-25 03:59 pm (UTC)It may sound ridiculous to some people but Jackson helped me get through some tough times in my second year of university. And he's helped me build self-confidence and for me to believe in myself again. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't come across Jackson Wang and all of his positive energy and big heart and love that he has for people.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 04:23 pm (UTC)I think Jackson would be incredibly happy and humbled to hear that. I often wish there were ways to convey this to them with a guarantee they'd see it, just to have the satisfaction of knowing they are aware of the impact they have made in some people's lives. It always makes me incredibly happy whenever there are fanaccounts of fans telling them^^
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Date: 2016-05-26 09:32 am (UTC)I guess writing letters is the closest we can get. The boys have been seen to read the fan letters they receive. But yeah it is always nice to read fanaccounts of fans telling them in person :)
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Date: 2016-05-25 04:05 pm (UTC)Does he talk about going back to school at some point?
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Date: 2016-05-25 04:11 pm (UTC)Jackson really is a representation of chasing your dreams and taking risks despite the possible downfalls. He almost didn't make the cut for GOT7, but look at him now. As a pessimist, individuals like him give me a smidgen of hope for myself.
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Date: 2016-05-25 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 05:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 05:35 pm (UTC)he's a lucky guy, considering how everything still worked in his favour.
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Date: 2016-05-26 12:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 06:38 pm (UTC)knowing how much jackson risked with his decision gives a lot of sense to his mindset of working non-stop while he can. at first I thought it was more from his athlete background, but I can see him "living his dream" but also making sure that his decision pays off, not just with money but also proving that he was right and he's also good doing this "new" thing.
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Date: 2016-05-25 06:39 pm (UTC)edit: also if i remember correctly, i think his parents only allowed him to be a trainee after he won his junior asian medal?
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Date: 2016-05-26 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 07:48 pm (UTC)he still has a really special job, but i guess it's easier to branch out from what he's doing now into other fields, especially since he has the fencing background, too. oh and all the language skills.
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Date: 2016-05-25 08:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 08:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-26 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 08:48 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2016-05-25 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-25 09:08 pm (UTC)Get them yuan baby.
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Date: 2016-05-26 02:20 am (UTC)At the same time - this just makes me respect him even more. Like, he basically had his life planned out for him in a sense - chance at the olympics, a pretty well known school scholarship - and like I could definitely see him making it big in the HK industry. But instead he took a chance and followed a dream he didn't know would materialize - and I can only hope he's not looking back with regrets.
Also, It's almost surreal to think that if he had stayed on the HK team id have known about him in a completely different way then I do now.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-26 04:14 am (UTC)