I started my Admissions Office career as a Tour Guide. Even though walking backwards on icy paths for J-Term campus tours would never be my workout of choice, I realized I loved speaking about the school (and myself!) on a daily basis. I also enjoy meeting people whose interests are different from my own, and prospective students always bring such great energy and enthusiasm. They’re contagious! Talking about Middlebury always refreshes my love for this place and humbles me too. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be here.

I served as an intern at Alice Waters’ office in California. Alice is the owner of Chez Panisse and the founder of The Edible Schoolyard. She has always been such a huge inspiration to me with her uncompromising stance on food, health, and education. Not only was it amazing to meet Alice in person, but everyone at Chez Panisse was so welcoming as well. I instantly felt like I was a member of the CP family. Of course, the daily lunches at Chez Panisse weren’t too bad either ;^)

It was surprisingly smooth. I attended three high schools in the span of four years (I’ve moved back and forth between Korea and the U.S.)Having been on both sides of the education system spectrum, I knew right off the bat that my own efforts would always be just as important, if not more than, the environment itself. Frankly, I was going to get into at least one college. I really tried to use my application process as a way of self-reflection. Organizing my high school career on paper helped me discover patterns in my own interest. I learned things about myself that I otherwise would not have known! The close-knit community that a small liberal arts college provides was attractive, so I focused my search on those schools. 

Biggest challenge in transitioning to college

          I’ve never been homesick. I guess the biggest challenge was pacing myself. There are so many exciting events happening at Midd constantly, and it is impossible to attend them all.

Greatest surprise or least expected aspect of life at Middlebury

          I was astonished to see how friendly Vermonters are. In Seoul, making eye contact on the streets is not considered normal. In Middlebury, even strangers on bikes smile and wave as they pass by me. At first, I had a hard time believing everyone was for real.

Choosing a major

          I came in thinking I was going to major in Philosophy. I took four reading/writing intensive courses my first year, and I soon learned - the hard way - that I could not survive without using both sides of my brain simultaneously. Literature has always been a passion of mine, and Mathematics provides an entirely different, and refreshing, way of analyzing information. I have no idea what I want to do after I graduate, but I have the basis covered. Reading, writing, and crunching numbers will get me somewhere, right?

Favorite Class or professor

          Ah! Such a hard question to answer. My favorite class at Midd has actually been Special Relativity and Quantum Physics with Professor Ratcliff. I initially signed up for it, because it gave me a science credit without lab requirements, but found myself becoming fascinated by the material. Concepts we take for granted, such as time, mass, and size, no longer seemed to be so concrete. It was a mind-boggling exercise.

Favorite Vermont-based activity

          Dropping by Vermont Cookie Love on Route 7 on my way back from Burlington. “Fall in Love,” a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, is my favorite by far! I can finish a baker’s dozen in one sitting.

Favorite winter activities

          Trekking through the snow-covered TAM (Trail Around Middlebury) in my boots. I swear the woods could pass off as a backdrop for the Narnia movies in the winter! It’s magical.

Favorite spot off campus

          The Farmers Market, held every Wednesday and Saturday, is always a fun place to go to. So many samples of cheese and baked goods to try!

Favorite dining hall concoction

          Top curly fries with Snow Bowl chili and cheddar. Microwave for thirty seconds. The best chili cheese fries. Word.

Sunblock has become my religion. You wouldn’t believe how easy is to get a tan (and my pet peeve, freckles) even in the winter with all the snow reflecting the glorious sunlight! On a more serious note, being constantly surprised by what the Middkids have accomplished has both humbled me as well as renewed my sense of amazement. 

 I think everyone should go for a midnight jog on a weekend night (of course with the appropriate fluorescent gear). Or puddle jumping in the pouring rain. In case you haven’t noticed, my sense of fun is comparable to that of a five-year-old.