female silhouette of head and shoulders

Ivan Kim

River Hawk Scholars Academy (RHSA) Peer Leader

College
Kennedy College of Sciences

Biosketch

  • Name: Ivan Kim
  • College: Kennedy College of Sciences
  • Major: Chemistry (Concentration: Biochemistry)
  • Hometown: Lowell, Massachusetts
  • Favorite hobbies: Any sports (especially Volleyball), working out, spending time with friends and family.
  • What is your favorite thing about UMass Lowell (UML)? My favorite thing about UML are the staffs and professors! I love all of my professors one way or another and UML has so many amazing staff members that are there to support all of us throughout our college journey.
  • What are your future goals? I want to graduate from UMass Lowell and become a doctor! I want to grow as an individual to be able to become a person who can help others within the medical field.
  • What has having been involved with the RHSA meant to you? RHSA is my family at school. Filled with amazing people and role models, the RHSA team always has someone you could talk to, and they are there to answer questions that may arise.
  • Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself in your first year of college? Make more time for yourself. Enjoy a day off. Don’t overload yourself with too many responsibilities. It is easy to get overwhelmed in your classes and other obligations, but everyone deserves a little treat for yourself once in a while.
  • What advice would you give fellow students? The first year of college is a rough experience for everyone because there is so much happening around you. It is best to have a strong routine and some type of planner to help keep you organized with due dates, meetings, and events. Make sure somewhere in the planner has a day for yourself whether it is doing something you enjoy or doing nothing at all.
  • Why did you choose to attend UMass Lowell? I chose to attend UMass Lowell because it is close to home, provides various support services which includes the RHSA, and is an R2 research institution. I saw many opportunities at UML and found it to be the right decision.
  • What does it mean to you to be a first-generation college student? Being a first-generation college student is being the one to break the barriers within your family. It is also a time of struggle, unknowingness, and self-growth because this is a huge step in your life, and you decided to take that step anyways.
  • What inspires you to want to help first-generation students in the RHSA? I want to help first-generation students in the RHSA because being in the RHSA for my first year in college, I was provided with all the help I needed with an amazing mentor, faculty advocate, and the rest of the RHSA team. I want to offer the support I received to other first-generation students in the RHSA. I also genuinely love helping others!