Author Archives: matthew.kim1

Well during this workshop I was enlightened by the various options we had to better ourselves and to learn of what classes are needed. Furthermore, I was reminded about the importance a “first impression” makes on a future employer. Learning what attire to wear and to have a well formatted resume has made me a ready trooper when I enter the big world of working.

Oh and on a side note I also learned the various ways that people sleep while sitting up with no support for the neck.

Well i would just like to start off by saying that I never seen an author of a book up close! It was very interesting to see Charles N. Li and my only regret was that I did not get his autograph!!! Anyways, this workshop was interesting because I was able to hear the stories of four distinct people and their struggles as well as conquests. Although my only interest in attending this workshop was to see Charles N. Li, I was very intrigued by Tashi Chodrom and the work she does by the end of the workshop.  Being the founder of the Voices of Tibet Project, my friend was also looking to help out her country in ways she has already done. Maybe she (my friend: Tenzing) can meet with and corroborate the efforts of Tashi. Overall this workshop was very informative and enlightened me with the stories of individuals and their life’s work.

During my senior year of high school, I was part of an ROTC program. We were known as the Francis Lewis Patriots. Each year, the seniors are given a specific title (that we earned) through hard work, motivation and leadership. Ranging from the class leaders, also known as the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant, to the battalion commander who was like the president of the entire ROTC program. I, myself fell under the category of a captain of a staff. This title may not seem like much and the idea that it was just in high school may bring up a few laughs but the time spent on earning the role of captain was well worth it along with the little perks. It was a time I felt empowered as I walked through the halls.

When it came to the ranking in power, it was the one battalion commander that led all of us; second was the major in charge of staffs and then came the thirteen different captains which I happened to be part of. AS one of the members of the command and staff class, we were given the power to inspect the other 600 cadets in the battalion. Walking down the halls with this power was the best because everyone would try to get in a few good words to ease the tension between cadet and inspector before we got up in their faces with knowledge questions. Everyone pretty much sucked up to us. And I forgot to mention that they had to call me “sir” whenever they addressed me. I was given such an immense power as a captain. All 13 of us felt like royalty when we finally got to work as delegates rather than the participants. However, with great power came a lot of responsibilities. For example, we also partake in making their grades, tests, physical activities and the planning of all events for the battalion. Working for the three years aiming for a spot on the elite 13 (as we all called it) was the only thing worth waking up every Wednesday wearing our uniform all day through the rain or shine. Being known as Cadet Captain Kim was one moment in my life when I felt empowered.

Hello, my name is Matthew Hyung Ki Kim but better known as Matt Kim. I was born and raised in Queens, New York where I lived my entire life. I am an American-Korean who grew up hearing that I am too dark for my race; probably because I spent a few summers in Hawaii and never came back the same color. My hobbies are “rolling” with people (a term used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), playing the ukulele, swimming and biking. When it comes to what gets me out of bed and keeps me going, it would be my family. They are the reason I am who I am and drives me to succeed. They have always been there for me and I love them dearly. However, from all of the members of my family, my brother would be my biggest inspiration. Wanting to be the best older brother figure for him, I set my self to live by good morals and be that guy he can look up to. From what people can probably see from my reactions to things, I am a fairly jocular person who just likes to live life laughing.

As of right now, my top concern would be my transition into the college lifestyle. Spending many hours reading, writing and reading (again) makes the newly discovered freedom of having fewer classes not that liberating. More or less being a luxury to be free to roam around while the idea of doing homework is lingering in the back of my mind. Another concern is trying to juggle around work, school and other activities (for example, Jiu Jitsu, church service, babysitting, and hanging with friends). The life that used to be my childhood is no longer existent because of all the new responsibilities towards future success. In addition, because of the many activities everyday, finding the time to get a goodnight sleep is becoming a big problem. Not getting enough sleep makes it difficult to stay awake in class making it another one of my concerns as a freshman trying to pass my classes in college.

Compared to my years attending Francis Lewis High School, it is a lot better here in Baruch in terms of the atmosphere and environment. It is less crowded than my high school which was populated with over five thousand students in a building made for four thousand. Also, having smaller class sizes makes the Baruch life much better than forty in a room learning from one teacher. But aside from the crowded school, I can’t help but miss the idea of having six hundred cadets in the JROTC program calling me “sir” every Wednesday when we wore uniform. From being one of the elites in high school to a freshman in college, the only place to go now is up.

This first year in college is going to help me shape my future. Finally discovering somewhat of a solid foundation for what my major is going to be, I am just waiting on getting through the year of core classes. Unlike the old Matt Kim, finding shortcuts to work is not going to be an option and this year is going to corroborate my efforts at becoming successful; leading me to pursue my passion in …