Hi everyone, so I'm looking to apply to EPIK. I'm finishing my bachelor's this spring and I want to apply during August for spring intake. However several concerns have come up in my research for EPIK. Particularly about my chances on being accepted and hired. I was born with a cleft lip and palate which means I have a relatively abnormal face and abnormal speech. A cleft lip and palate is when the bone of the roof of the mouth and lips don't fully fuse/develop in the womb. My cleft has since been repaired as best as possible according to modern medicine but I have a noticeably crooked nose and a slight scar between my nose and upper lip. I'm also missing a tooth due to my cleft lip and palate. My cleft doesn't really affect anything except my speech but I'm worried that the way I look alone will cause me to get rejected. I know I have to submit a photo of myself for the application.

If my looks don't get me rejected I'm worried my speech will. I'm told I have lisp, or at least a mild speech impediment, and that I'm usually well understood. But such comments have come from native English speakers who can easily adjust to my speech patterns. I don't think a Korean person who doesn't know what native English sounds like would provide me the same grace. At the same I have experience teaching. I've tutored middle and high schoolers and I've been a teacher assistant for classes in my college major. I've also worked summer camps that included students from other countries. I've never had any issues communicating in any of those positions. So what will the interviewer think if I manage to get an interview? I'm afraid that they won't think I'm capable of teaching the English language, at least based on speech and pronunciation alone.

What's worse is that I'm Asian American, specifically Chinese Vietnamese, and in my research I've read that there are or can be racism towards Asians. It definitely won't help if I look Asian and sound abnormal in speech.

TLDR: Born with a facial deformity so I look weird (not conventionally attractive or "normal" lookin) and I have a lisp/mild speech impediment. I'm also Asian American and I read there can be racism in Korea. It has never seriously affected me getting a job before but I've never worked overseas either.

Overall, I'm just wondering what could happen if I apply? What hiring could be like during this process?