What is your background and how did it lead to Calvin University?
I was born in Seoul, South Korea. We immigrated to Indonesia when I was three. My parents enrolled us in the international American Christian primary school, which made western culture very familiar to us, even as a diverse student body.
We knew of Calvin through our school. In my sophomore year of high school, we had dinner with our family friends whose son was a freshman at Calvin and was home for winter break. I had so many questions about what college in the United States was like. I wanted to hear what it meant to go out into the “real world.” I was struck with how happy he was and how close he was with professors, even going to their homes for dinner. He said he felt so welcome. I wanted to go Calvin from that evening on.
Because our school was American, there was no real culture shock in terms of interacting with people when I arrived in Michigan, but I do remember my first visit to a Meijer grocery store. I couldn’t get over so many cereal options.
I was interested in science, business, and international relationships. Because of that, I wasn’t sure where to start. Calvin was a great place to explore classes to see what I actually enjoyed. I had a set of skills that could be utilized in business, and I loved learning about leadership, which was a main theme in my business classes. I also became close to those professors; Bob Eames, Cal Jen, Tom Betts, Brian Cawley, and the Stansburys. In fact, just recently, here I am across the ocean, and I was thinking about future goals. I wanted Jason Stansbury’s input. I emailed him and he said let’s get on a call. Even now, he was glad to share his perspective.
What was the greatest challenge you faced during your Calvin experience?
My junior year was overwhelming. I am very disciplined and wanted to do everything well. I had so much happening with an internship at Steelcase, while also attending class full time. I had been elected as student body president, as well as leading several campus clubs. Calvin also had a new president come on board at that time, so there were many changes. Juggling all of that was a lot and it was hard to find balance and feel like I was doing my best.
What was most rewarding?
Looking back at the challenges of junior year, it is rewarding to realize that my current life is a positive reflection of that challenging time. Calvin was a safe place to stretch myself and exercise the values that I wanted to build on. Because of that year, my ability to manage many demanding things grew exponentially. It didn’t stop there. As a result, I can now do what I did then on an even greater scale.
How was your faith affected through your college years?
Faith is integral at Calvin. For me, it was notable that the Christian Reformed Church is conservative and traditional, but we were encouraged to ask tough questions and challenge answers. We explored sensitive topics with each other. Calvin encourages things to be pulled from dark into light, and even if we don’t have answers to everything it’s still ok to talk about it.
How did your career path develop?
During senior year, we were encouraged to think about who we were and what direction we want to go. I love the Midwest and I was getting opportunities there. When Steelcase gave me a job offer to work in Korea, I had no plans at all to go to Asia. My family wasn’t in Korea—it was basically a foreign country to me. So, I stayed in Grand Rapids. But Calvin had taught us to explore new things. I thought maybe this is the challenge I need, and ultimately, I went to Seoul.
At first, I felt awkward, being in Korea as a Korean who was completely unfamiliar. I knew the language basics but had never worked in the language. I didn’t even know how to joke in Korean! Since I looked Korean, people were confused as to why I struggled to speak in professional settings. It was so humbling. It took six months of intentional personal development and pushing to understand the corporate world, how people communicated and the cultural norms, both personally and professionally. Even the conversation topics here are different than the U.S. But it was rewarding and paid off. Nine years later, people now ask how I speak English so well.
I still juggle a lot of priorities. I am a mom of two and have my career. I am strategic account manager for Steelcase Korea. My internship at Steelcase started my career, and I’m grateful for that. I also appreciate how the strong emphasis placed on asking difficult questions without fear was more than just about learning, it is a valuable part of great leadership.
My company is asking what I’d like to do and where I’d like to be. This is the kind of thinking Calvin teaches, and so my family may take on other challenges; we may move on, whether to Asia, U.S., Singapore, or Australia.