By John Kim
- Hometown: Portmore, Jamaica
- Current position on campus: Assistant Professor of Chemistry
- What is it about being a Chem professor that so greatly enjoy? My favorite part of teaching is that look on my students’ face when they finally understand a concept. I also enjoy the dynamic we build each semester in class and in lab.
- Role Model: My uncle – Aaron Isaacs and Neil Degrasse Tyson
- Education: Undergraduate – Holy Cross, PhD – University of Pennsylvania, and Postdoctoral studies at UC Berkeley
- Hobbies: Tennis and karaoke
- Favorite Subject: Chemistry
- Least Favorite Subject: I like the challenge of all subjects!
- Favorite Animal: Giraffe
- Favorite Book: Lost Prophet – The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin
- Favorite Color: Blue (Team Mystic!)
- Favorite Movies: Spirited Away, Maria Full of Grace, Billy Elliot
- Favorite Songs: “Controlla,” Drake; “Cranes in the Sky,” Solange; “Silent Shout,” The Knife (right now I’m playing these three constantly)
- Favorite Sports Teams: I don’t really follow teams. But I LOVE Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal.
- Favorite TV Shows: Stranger Things, Rupaul’s Drag Race, Game of Thrones, House of Cards
- Favorite On-Campus Meal: Turkey Naan – Science Café
- Favorite Off-Campus Meal: Basil Spice – Anything on the Menu!
- Favorite Aspect of Occupation: I find mentoring students to be quite gratifying! I like to challenge them because I believe in and care about them deeply. I also like to build empowering relationships.
- One Thing on Your Bucket List: I really want to go to Asia.
- Unique Talent: Singing
- Proudest Moment at Holy Cross: Stepping into class on the first day I returned as a professor. It was a very powerful experience.
- Something Your Students Do that Frustrate You: Telling me they don’t know how to do a problem when it’s right in the notes.
- Advice to Your Students: Be the best version of you, not a copy of someone else. Make sure you are working toward your dreams and not someone else’s. Give yourself a chance to succeed by preparing well. Don’t be so down on yourself if you fail a test. Failure is a part of life; learn from it and keep moving. Lead a balanced life. Balance your academics and your co-curricular activities. Most importantly – take time to build friendships!
- Your Mantra: If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?
- What do you admire most about Holy Cross? Commitment to diversity.
- Funny Holy Cross Story: One winter in my sophomore year it was pretty icy and I was walking to Kimball and wiped out in front of a bunch of people in a tour. Then I got up and went down again. Pretty embarrassing.
Categories: features
