Kirkwood Scholarship Makes Huge Impact for Connie Kim

It goes without saying that getting a scholarship can be a difference maker, but for Connie Kim, it was an affirmation in a tough time for her and her family.

 In March of 2010, the spring of her senior year of high school, Kim’s mother was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer, where the life expectancy was about 15 months After surgery to remove one-third of her lung and three months of chemotherapy, her mother was making progress toward recovery, that is until doctors discovered she also had a brain tumor and had to go through surgery and several more rounds of radiation.

That kind of experience would be challenging for any daughter, but Kim, from suburban St. Louis, had the additional trial of attending college some 200 miles away at the University of Illinois in the highly respected general engineering program.

Kim chose the major to follow in the footsteps of her parents, who are both engineers and general engineering because of its strong ties to business and the fact the she had strong people skills. However, the stress of her focusing on excelling at school while her mind was at home, made her contemplate delaying her college years and finishing her degree later.

“It’s been tough on me to be away from home and focus on school,” Kim said. “My parents had financial burdens and I didn’t know if I could finish my degree because I would prefer to be home with my parents.”

It took the initiative and personal interest of a staff member to help ease part of the burden. Lynnell Lacy, Assistant Director of Alumni and Student Relations for Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, has helped Kim deal with the tough situation and supported her for nomination for one of our Kirkwood Scholarships, a $15,000 award given to female students with strong dedication and service to the College of Engineering.

Despite her personal hardships, Kim is far more that just a student. She has been heavily involved in the ISE department, co-founding and serving as president of “Diversity in ISE,” an organization that strives to celebrate all aspects of academic and professional diversity.

“Having a diversity group within the College is important because we have such a large international population here with such wide backgrounds and experiences that I think it’s something to explore.” Kim said. “I’m proud that I got to bring something like that forward.”

Kim is also vice president of the Illinois Society of General Engineers (ISGE) and treasurer of Theta Tau professional engineering fraternity. She has had internships each summer, two years at Courion Doors, a St. Louis-based freight elevator company, and last summer at Yaskawa  America, a manufacturer specializing in AC drives and motion control systems with a base in suburban Chicago.

"Connie Kim is an exceptional young general engineering student who has faced some extraordinary challenges during her time on campus." Lacy said. "In spite of overwhelming worry, Connie dutifully attended classes and tended to her academic responsibilities. She also continued to perform the numerous leadership roles in the organizations for which she has served ISE, the College of Engineering, and surrounding communities. In all situations, Connie is a polished, professional young woman, and a most deserving recipient of the Women in Engineering Kirkwood Scholarship."

 Kim earned one of those Kirkwood scholarships and during homecoming weekend got to meet the scholarship’s benefactors, Linda and Bruce Koe, both University of Illinois alumni.

“I don’t know how to express how grateful I am towards the scholarship and the Koe Family,” Kim said.  “They are not just people who give money. Their goal is to help and inspire students. By getting to know them on a personal level, it was definitely clear. They have inspired me to give back.”

Kim’s mother is again doing well and the scholarship gave Kim the motivation to press on toward her degree.

“Sometimes during my freshman and sophomore years, it was rough on me to be motivated in school when I was dealing with things back at home,” Kim said. “There have been certain points where in my head, I thought I should take a semester off and focus on being at home.

The scholarship definitely will take a financial load off of my parents, which takes a burden off of me. More importantly, however, it was the affirmation to my contributions to the College of Engineering and the confidence I needed to stick it out.”