Release date: 16-May-05
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark at 404-712-8780 or beverly.clark@emory.edu

Leadership and Service Net $20,000 Award for Emory Graduate

Service and leadership have defined the college career of Emory University senior and past student government president Jimin Kim. Her dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed by the university, which named Kim the 2005 McMullan Award recipient - $20,000, no strings attached. She received the award during the Emory College diploma ceremony May 16.

The Lucius Lamar McMullan Award, endowed by Emory alumnus William L. Matheson in honor of his uncle, is given to a graduating senior who exhibits "outstanding citizenship, exceptional leadership and potential for service to his or her community, the nation and the world." The donor's intention is to allow a student to do something he or she wouldn't otherwise be able to do.

"I was incredibly shocked to receive the McMullan Award. There are so many great people in my class. It's a tremendous honor and I am deeply humbled by it," says Kim.

As president of Emory's Student Government Association during the 2004-05 school year, Kim oversaw a 13-person cabinet, a three-person staff and $1.7 million budget, and represented 11,000 students to the university community and administration. The year before, she served as executive vice president of SGA.

During her tenure as SGA president, Kim worked to develop the Emory Pact, a proposed financial aid program that would allow highly qualified students from low-income households to enroll and graduate from Emory debt-free. She also was successful in negotiating an agreement with students, administrators and Emory neighbors to resolve a seven-year-old conflict regarding outdoor concerts, and helped push Emory to form a mental health task force.

Next year, Kim will be teaching English in a public high school in South Korea as a Fulbright Scholar. As part of her Fulbright fellowship, Kim, an economics major, also plans to do research on the political and economic development of North Korea. She also worked as an instructor last summer in Korea, teaching English.

"The subject is a where my passion lies and is very close to me," says Kim, whose parents immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1979. "Right now I want to direct my energy toward finding ways to facilitate peace on the Korean peninsula."

Touted as a life-long leader, organizer and mentor by one of her nominators, Kim also served on the

Atlanta Collegiate Council, an advisory board to Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, and the campus life committee for the university's board of trustees.

An outstanding student who also held down a part-time job at the university's bookstore, Kim is a member of the Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Epsilon and John Gordon Stipe honor societies, and is a National Merit Scholar. In addition to her community service work and scholarship, Kim paints, plays piano and writes poetry.

After next year, Kim plans to study international law and hopes to eventually develop a non-governmental organization to promote human rights and social justice, economic development and education, particularly geared toward East Asia. "For the long term, as long as I am an active citizen causing change, I know I will be happy."

Kim is the daughter of Sura and Elizabeth Kim of Madison, Ala. (35758), and a graduate of Bob Jones High School.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For nearly two decades Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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