Seoul, South Korea. Many people don’t realize that this capital city is the second largest metropolitan area in the world and is home to almost 23 million people. About one quarter of South Korea’s total population lives in Seoul.
Peter Kim, 19, was once a resident of this city until he and his family moved to the United States. “My grandmother helped us come to the US about six years ago,” Kim said. Peter came to America with his parents, Yongmook and Jaesoon, and his older sister, Sooyoun, who is currently a sophomore at James Madison University.
Peter’s sister vividly remembers life back in Seoul. You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but “Peter was very naughty when he was young,” she said. “He didn’t listen to anyone…but basically he was playing.” This is likely to be the origin of the many fights that ensued between Peter and Sooyoun. And just how ferocious did these fights get? Not anything too serious she said, just your typical sibling rivalry.
But Peter has certainly matured significantly. He is described as being both a very valuable friend as well as a smart, thoughtful brother. Now, instead of arguing and fighting, his family is what is most important to him. “Peter is very respectful to his others…and always makes people around him enjoy their time. He is [also] generous, especially to younger people, and sometimes surprises them by doing something nice just because,” John said. This is merely one of numerous examples of Peter’s charity and selflessness.
Peter is someone who is intelligent, warm-hearted, and cheery, but don’t let this fool you; he is after all a college student.
To the common eye, Peter is a simple college kid: he loves eating, playing video games, and just hanging out with friends. Peter has already gained the infamous “Freshman 15” and he doesn’t plan on stopping there with the nations top cafeterias at his fingertips. “I love all kinds of food, but my favorite is chocolate.” He likes to play tennis, soccer, and basketball, as well as work out.
His favorite sport out of the three is tennis and he is an avid player. He used to play in high school and has a lot of speed and a fast reaction time, two things that a good tennis player requires. He plans on joining a tennis club here at Virginia Tech. Peter also played in the band at his high school, Grafton High, which was state champion.
But you have to get to know him to find out that there is much more to Peter than what is first observed.
One of his best high school friends, John, remembers hanging out ("and skipping school!”) with Peter during their high school years. John recalls going fishing with Peter and two of their other friends on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Except for Peter, “we had no idea how to fish, so he had to bring all the tools and do all the preparations.” The best part? Peter never complained about not being able to fish and helped his friends learn, saying that he could go fishing anytime he wanted.
With all of these activities, it is a wonder how Peter keeps up with his schoolwork. “I honestly think he does not try, [and] most of the time he does better than others,” John said. One thing Peter does miss about high school is the tests and papers. “Now that I’m in college, high school was much easier.” He is currently majoring in biology, but his career goal is to go to medical school and become a doctor.
He chose to come to Virginia Tech because one of his friends, who now attends VCU dentistry school, went here and loved it. Peter also thinks that the strength in academic status is right for him to start on his way to a medical degree.
But Peter is not only smart when it comes to school, he is also very observant. When he gets into a new environment, he is has a knack for knowing what is going on around him. As John has found out many times, it is hard to keep things from Peter.
One of Peter’s dreams is to visit China. Not only do some of his friends live there, but also the countryside has captured his interest. He particularly wants to see Beijing; who wouldn’t want to see this amazing city after the recent Beijing Olympics? I don’t think Peter is alone in his aspirations to visit this city, for many people were captivated by this competition.
But the most intriguing part of Peter’s life is his bond to his native country. “I belong to an organization called the KCSA (Korean Catholic Student Association). I joined it as soon as I came to Tech.” This is an interesting organization because it brings Koreans together who have a common religious denomination to talk about life at school and to expand their faith. Faith is a very important part of Peter’s life, so he was adamant about getting involved once he arrived in Blacksburg.
Korean heritage is very important to Peter. He has strong ties with his family back in South Korea and says that the biggest influence in life is his grandmother. He also wants to keep his Korean name, Donghwan, as his middle name once he becomes a citizen of the United States. This seems like a very important time in any person’s life and wanting to keep his Korean name shows a lot about Peter’s character and the pride he has for his home country.
Peter has always wanted a dog, but his parents wont let him get one. Perhaps he will use his medical degree to advance our own knowledge of the human body, or to help out our four-legged friends, who knows? The life of Peter Donghwan Kim has only just begun, and there are plenty more meals to be eaten, games of tennis to be played, and tests to take.
-Sam Hays
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