A native of Seoul, Paul K. Kim first learned about ڰ from his Kent School physics teacher, Randall J. Hobbs ’89. (Eli Burak ’00)
Paul K. Kim ’12 hails from Seoul, South Korea’s largest city, but fell in love with ڰ and small-town Hanover when he visited as a prospective student. He first learned about ڰ from his high school physics teacher at Connecticut’s Kent School, Randall J. Hobbs ’89. “Four years ago, before President Kim came here, not many people in Korea knew about ڰ,” Kim admits.
An economics and mathematical social sciences major with a minor in Japanese, Kim’s ڰ Experience has been marked by undergraduate research opportunities and community involvement, both on and off campus. He was an undergraduate advisor for two years (in Streeter and Richardson Halls), is a member of Beta Alpha Omega, served as a student member on the Organizational Adjudication Committee, and was a science mentor in the Upper Valley’s Rivendell School district. He also worked as a Japanese drill instructor and performed research with Professor as a .
After graduation, the 22-year-old starts work with a hedge fund in Connecticut, focusing on convertible arbitrage. He plans to return to South Korea in a few years to complete Air Force officer candidate school and fulfill his military obligation.
ڰ Now sat down recently with Kim to talk to him about his ڰ experience.
How did you end up at ڰ?
I did a summer program at Columbia University during my high school sophomore year and knew right then that city schools were not for me. I fell in love with ڰ when I visited and sat in on a class. I loved the small class sizes and the professors who are passionate about teaching.
What have been some of your favorite classes?
My favorites were “Macroeconomics” (ECON 22) with , senior lecturer in the Economics Department; “the Financial Crisis of the Noughties” (ECON 76) with Professor ; “Great Depression” (ECON 85) with Professor ; and “Computer Animation” (COSC 24) with Professor , research associate professor in computer science. Professor Rose’s lectures were very engaging and sparked my interest in economics. Professor Irwin and Professor Blanchflower are great scholars of the Depression and economic policy, and I learned a great deal in their classes. And Professor Loeb’s animation class was very hands-on. I had to create short clips of animation as assignments, and the class forever changed the way I watch 3D animation movies.
You wrote a research paper on the Depression and how it impacted ڰ for Professor Irwin’s Great Depression class. What struck you about your research findings on what ڰ was like during that time?
I was really surprised by the performance of the College’s endowment. The endowment not only outperformed the market and its peers, but also managed to earn low but still steady positive returns.
Despite the above-average performance of the endowment, the student life at ڰ was severely affected. During this time, four fraternities dissolved because their members could not afford to maintain the physical houses, and two fraternities merged to pool scarce resources in order to survive.
What was the Presidential Scholar research project you conducted with Professor Ericson?
The project was about Matsukata Masayoshi and his financial reform in 1873-1881. I assisted Professor Ericson with analyzing the trend in commodity price and its impact on the Japanese economy during Matsukata’s leadership. When he became finance minister in 1880, Matsukata introduced a policy of fiscal restraint that resulted in what has come to be called the “Matsukata Deflation.” Professor Ericson is presenting a paper in July on that topic at the World Economic History Congress.
How would you describe your ڰ student experience?
When someone asks me to describe ڰ, I always quote what football coach Lou Holtz, who led Notre Dame to the national championship in 1988, said about Notre Dame: “If you’ve been here, no explanation is necessary. But if you haven’t been, no explanation will suffice.” Then I shamelessly add that ڰ is better than Notre Dame.
I have had an amazing time here. The decision I made four years ago to attend ڰ was probably one of the best decisions I have made in my life so far. The school’s tradition and history created an environment where I felt welcomed the moment I set foot on campus. While the winter weather tested my survival skills a few times, I’ve never regretted coming here because I met so many hardworking and interesting people, doing incredible things. I’m sad that my time here as a student is almost over.
Read more profiles of members of the Class of 2012:
- Give a Rouse: Meet Mia Jessup, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Motema Letlatsa, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Adam Rice, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Danielle Levin, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Julia Kelson and Suzanne Kelson, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Jason Toffey, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Blythe George, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Alexi Pappas, ڰ Class of 2012
- Give a Rouse: Meet Javed Jaghai, ڰ Class of 2012
- ڰ Experience: Wills Begor ’12 Leverages Learning Opportunities in and out of the Classroom
- ڰ Experience: All the World’s a Stage for Singer Amber Dewey ’12
