7 Questions for Dr. Kim

1) What degrees have you earned to date?
Ph.D.—English, Wayne State University; M.A. –English, Wayne State University; B.A.—English Honors, Wayne State University. Further information about my academic background and the many hats I wear at HFCC, including the last English class I had the joy to teach, can be found on my home page: http://users.hfcc.edu/~pkim.

2) As Coordinator of HFCC’s Learning Lab, what are your responsibilities?
The Learning Lab Coordinator is responsible for administering all services in the Learning Lab, including online resources, testing services, reference materials, three computer labs, and providing resources and administrative support for the Math Lab, English Lab, and World Languages Lab. The Learning Lab coordinator’s role has been expanded as of this fall to now include coordinating tutoring services, putting in place many of the recommendations of the joint Tutoring Task Force, including centralizing and expanding tutoring services and creating a nationally certified tutor training program. The report for the Tutoring Task Force can be found on the “About Us” tab on the Learning Lab website: learnlab.hfcc.edu.

3) What was your experience like as an undergraduate student?
I made the most of every opportunity as an undergraduate, starting with Wayne State’s Presidential Scholarship that brought me to Wayne State University, then enrolling immediately into its Honors Program, which at the time still had remnants of its days of being Montieth Honors College, particularly faculty who applied the interdisciplinary approach to many of the first college courses I had.
One professor that really stood out was Dr. Uhr, who taught Honors Art History. There was a 15 minute quiz at the start of every class session, and if a student arrived even one minute after the quiz started, the student received a zero for that quiz. That class really taught me discipline and rigor; the quizzes were challenging in of themselves, but I really remembered every detail of the paintings. That class truly elevated my appreciation not only of art but of the cultural milieu that informs the values and ideas between and across cultures.
A similar experience was had in most of my Honors courses, and I have to say, the Honors Program at HFCC is just as impressive, not just because I’ve had the wonderful chance to teach a few of them, but by the excellent track record in helping students achieve beyond their own expectations. In addition to the coursework, I involved myself actively in campus life, volunteering for Children’s Hospital at the time, and even working a Crises Hotline.

4) What was the most difficult challenge you faced while in college and how did you manage it?
I had gotten into a serious car accident that totaled my car and required that I move to an apartment downtown that I could ill afford. After I used up all my savings, which depleted very quickly, I lived on ramen noodles and water, and would look under the cushions in the Student Center for loose change to buy lunch on some days. That was a hard time, but I truly grew from not having to really appreciating what I did have. Thankfully, I landed a campus job as the Honors student advisor, and in the summer I worked as an orientation counselor. Once I graduated with my BA, I landed a graduate Teaching Assistantship as well as a Fellowship that paid my way through my grad degrees. I also freelanced for the Michigan Citizen, writing editorials and movie reviews.

5) What do you believe are the rewards of your education?
The rewards are too numerous for this article, but generally speaking, I would not have known how best to capitalize on the opportunities that came my way and that continue to be presented to me had I not also made the most of the education I received.

6) Did and do you have mentors in your life?
I had dozens of mentors who helped me through every hurdle and step in the obtaining of my degrees as well as the choices I made, and almost all of them are teachers in their own right.

7)As advice to students regarding pursuing their dreams, what roles do you believe charity, gratefulness, self-determination and forgiveness play in the success of a person’s educational pursuits and a productive life?
These four values work in conjunction to help a person succeed, and while one value may be called upon at any given moment, learning charity, gratefulness, self-determination, and forgiveness are all ingredients for a well-rounded approach to most of life’s challenges.