A Guamanian story of resilience and perseverance
published September 11, 2025
Guam, USA
Imagine coming to Guam from South Korea as an 11-year-old, barely able to speak or write in English, and 17 years later graduating from one of the top law schools in the country. This is Jace Lee’s journey from an immigrant boy to Juris Doctor.
Jace attended L. P. Untalan Middle School in Barrigada when he first came to Guam. He picked up the flute in the school band and excelled in his academic coursework, graduating as the salutatorian of his class. Determined to optimize his opportunities in America, Jace sought to attend St. John’s School, a college preparatory school. Jace corresponded with the school and applied over the summer. His boldness and drive in looking out for his future paid off. For the next four years, Jace attended St. John’s on a scholarship.
The transition from Untalan Middle School to St. John’s was far from a walk in the park. He still remembers the grade on his first math quiz: a C. He also remembers some of his peers doubting his ability to keep up, especially with him coming from a public school. But Jace faced the challenges head on. During his freshman year, he would stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning to study and improve. He also sought mentorship from his math teacher, Tom Pearson. A year later, Jace received near perfect marks on Mr. Pearson’s infamous final exam that few students had managed to even finish.
Schooling at St. John’s became somewhat easier for Jace as the years progressed. He was also active in several school clubs and sports. Among his most memorable extracurricular activities was joining the Guam Territorial Band. He travelled with the Band to Carnegie Hall in 2012 where the ensemble performed a superb showcase concert for the New York International Music Festival. Jace also participated in the Tumon Bay Music Festival and received gold medals in both individual and group performances. Eventually, the once struggling public school boy graduated as the valedictorian of St. John’s class of 2013.
With a menu of colleges to choose from, Jace chose to attend Swarthmore College, a top liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, on a full ride scholarship. Swarthmore has a reputation for being one of the hardest schools in the country, with its well-known motto: “Anywhere else it would have been an A.” Professors have extremely high standards for their students, most of whom were, like Jace, top graduates from their high schools. But Jace applied the lessons of hard work and resilience he had learned on Guam. He completed his bachelors in 2017 and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa society for finishing in the top 10% of his class.
Tragedy struck Jace shortly after graduation with the passing of his father. He describes this period as one of the most difficult times in his life. He had intended to attend graduate school but instead took a hiatus from his academic pursuits and tried his luck working. He tried teaching in Boston and researching in a psychology lab at Harvard, but neither kept his interest.
An opportunity came for Jace to work in New York for a law firm specializing in criminal defense. If music was his first love, the law stole his heart. Working for that law firm made him fall in love with the legal profession. In this twist of fate, Jace took the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and was accepted into the University of Chicago Law School, one of the top three law schools in the country.
The first year of law school was academically the most intense experience he had ever had. He lost nearly 20 pounds that year. The law was an unfamiliar language for Jace, with not a single lawyer from his family. But again, Jace persevered. And as he adjusted academically, he used his legal skills for the less fortunate. As a law student, he went to trial against the government to defend a refugee from deportation—and won. Like he demonstrated at St. John’s and Swarthmore College, Jace finished with honors from one of the most rigorous law schools in the nation.
This story is not about celebrating accolades of great academic successes; it is to demonstrate what resilience and perseverance can do to anyone, especially anyone living in Guam. For the outsider looking in, it’s easy to look at Jace and expect that he will be great. But for those who know him, they know his entire life journey was far from smooth sailing. Jace wishes to inspire the students of Guam, especially those in the public school, that you can be whatever you put your mind to:
“I’ve failed as many times as I’ve succeeded. And frankly, a lot of things in life just happen outside your control. But when things get rough, you still get to make a choice – either you can give up, or you can try to make the best of your situation.
I try to choose the latter.”
In speaking about taking control of your destiny, especially when the Guam public schools can appear neglected, he shares:
“I want kids on Guam to feel empowered. You can be your own advocate.
Don’t wait for the opportunities to come to you. Go seek them, and put in the work.”
Since law school, Jace has obtained a prestigious clerkship with Judge Kevin G. Ritz, a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Memphis, Tennessee. This month (September 2025), Jace will conclude his clerkship and will return to his homebase of New York, where he will join a global law firm as a litigator.
Guam, USA
Imagine coming to Guam from South Korea as an 11-year-old, barely able to speak or write in English, and 17 years later graduating from one of the top law schools in the country. This is Jace Lee’s journey from an immigrant boy to Juris Doctor.
Jace attended L. P. Untalan Middle School in Barrigada when he first came to Guam. He picked up the flute in the school band and excelled in his academic coursework, graduating as the salutatorian of his class. Determined to optimize his opportunities in America, Jace sought to attend St. John’s School, a college preparatory school. Jace corresponded with the school and applied over the summer. His boldness and drive in looking out for his future paid off. For the next four years, Jace attended St. John’s on a scholarship.
The transition from Untalan Middle School to St. John’s was far from a walk in the park. He still remembers the grade on his first math quiz: a C. He also remembers some of his peers doubting his ability to keep up, especially with him coming from a public school. But Jace faced the challenges head on. During his freshman year, he would stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning to study and improve. He also sought mentorship from his math teacher, Tom Pearson. A year later, Jace received near perfect marks on Mr. Pearson’s infamous final exam that few students had managed to even finish.
Schooling at St. John’s became somewhat easier for Jace as the years progressed. He was also active in several school clubs and sports. Among his most memorable extracurricular activities was joining the Guam Territorial Band. He travelled with the Band to Carnegie Hall in 2012 where the ensemble performed a superb showcase concert for the New York International Music Festival. Jace also participated in the Tumon Bay Music Festival and received gold medals in both individual and group performances. Eventually, the once struggling public school boy graduated as the valedictorian of St. John’s class of 2013.
With a menu of colleges to choose from, Jace chose to attend Swarthmore College, a top liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, on a full ride scholarship. Swarthmore has a reputation for being one of the hardest schools in the country, with its well-known motto: “Anywhere else it would have been an A.” Professors have extremely high standards for their students, most of whom were, like Jace, top graduates from their high schools. But Jace applied the lessons of hard work and resilience he had learned on Guam. He completed his bachelors in 2017 and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa society for finishing in the top 10% of his class.
Tragedy struck Jace shortly after graduation with the passing of his father. He describes this period as one of the most difficult times in his life. He had intended to attend graduate school but instead took a hiatus from his academic pursuits and tried his luck working. He tried teaching in Boston and researching in a psychology lab at Harvard, but neither kept his interest.
An opportunity came for Jace to work in New York for a law firm specializing in criminal defense. If music was his first love, the law stole his heart. Working for that law firm made him fall in love with the legal profession. In this twist of fate, Jace took the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and was accepted into the University of Chicago Law School, one of the top three law schools in the country.
The first year of law school was academically the most intense experience he had ever had. He lost nearly 20 pounds that year. The law was an unfamiliar language for Jace, with not a single lawyer from his family. But again, Jace persevered. And as he adjusted academically, he used his legal skills for the less fortunate. As a law student, he went to trial against the government to defend a refugee from deportation—and won. Like he demonstrated at St. John’s and Swarthmore College, Jace finished with honors from one of the most rigorous law schools in the nation.
This story is not about celebrating accolades of great academic successes; it is to demonstrate what resilience and perseverance can do to anyone, especially anyone living in Guam. For the outsider looking in, it’s easy to look at Jace and expect that he will be great. But for those who know him, they know his entire life journey was far from smooth sailing. Jace wishes to inspire the students of Guam, especially those in the public school, that you can be whatever you put your mind to:
“I’ve failed as many times as I’ve succeeded. And frankly, a lot of things in life just happen outside your control. But when things get rough, you still get to make a choice – either you can give up, or you can try to make the best of your situation.
I try to choose the latter.”
In speaking about taking control of your destiny, especially when the Guam public schools can appear neglected, he shares:
“I want kids on Guam to feel empowered. You can be your own advocate.
Don’t wait for the opportunities to come to you. Go seek them, and put in the work.”
Since law school, Jace has obtained a prestigious clerkship with Judge Kevin G. Ritz, a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Memphis, Tennessee. This month (September 2025), Jace will conclude his clerkship and will return to his homebase of New York, where he will join a global law firm as a litigator.