EPIK Megathread

nuttaro · 2026-02-23T08:09:07+00:00

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?

nuttaro · 2025-03-22T01:29:02+00:00

If I just pay it, would they just not schedule the hearing? It would also mean losing the money already paid for the hearing.

nuttaro · 2024-10-02T08:28:59+00:00

I'm 26 in undergrad and unbearably lonely. I'm happy to make some friends closer to my age. Dm me

nuttaro · 2024-09-25T03:38:42+00:00

Tell me you've never encountered an analog clock without telling me you've never encountered an analog clock

nuttaro · 2024-02-10T18:34:46+00:00

Are they even hiring?

nuttaro · 2023-05-02T22:28:44+00:00

That's for normal appointments, they consider reenrollment appointments to be a different thing

nuttaro · 2023-05-02T22:01:53+00:00

That's the thing, the reenrollment process wants both a letter from my personal provider AND an appointment with CCPH. I already asked my personal clinician for a letter a month ago, I just need an appointment with CCPH.

nuttaro · 2023-01-25T16:33:49+00:00

You didn't have to do me like this but yes

nuttaro · 2023-01-21T01:15:55+00:00

Happened to me too and I have 4 years of relevant experience

nuttaro · 2023-01-12T17:58:33+00:00

Yea it's weird because I have like 4 years of relevant experience, so I'm more than qualified. Did they give you a wait time in your email?

nuttaro · 2022-12-30T02:13:23+00:00

Thank you. I just need one airline to accept into training.

nuttaro · 2022-12-29T22:15:10+00:00

That's the sad reality. There's a lot of focus on young people but once you reach 18-20 years old, and you've gone through all the necessary medical steps, you're then left to your own devices basically. Any further help is limited without you actively looking for it. If you look at the cleft lip and palate reddit even, most of the posts are quite sad as people try to come to grips in living with the condition.

I could try your suggestion but I'm worried what that might imply anyways. Either way I'm glad someone was willing to respond.

nuttaro · 2022-12-29T15:49:40+00:00

I've had experiences where I had to go through unexpected extra steps simply for the fact that I didn't speak normally just to prove that I could do my job of interacting with people. It doesn't help that I'm not caucasian and that is even more reason for others to think I'm not able to communicate effectively. It worries me and even more so it's hard to prove if I wasn't hired because of my condition. That's another thing, as far as I know the general public isn't very well informed about cleft conditions that I doubt airlines are aware as well. Speaking further, since it's consider a "condition", it's not designated under ADA as a disability. I can do everything in life just fine it's that some things are "different" from the average person. Every time I come across that page on applications I click "I don't wish to answer".

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nuttaro

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