My name is Lauren Kim, and I am a junior at Mass Academy. I live with my mom, dad, and little brother Leo in Lexington, MA.

Although I was born in Pennsylvania, I have moved 11 times throughout my life. I moved to Illinois at a young age, then to Shrewsbury in 2nd grade, Southboro in 3rd grade, and finally Lexington in 8th grade. Here is a link to my sending school!

In my free time, I listen to a lot of music – everything from rap, to pop, to rock. My current favorite artist is Flipturn. If you have music recommendations, feel free to reach out at lkim@wpi.edu! Here is a link to my Spotify.

I have always loved food, and my favorite foods include peaches, korean cold noodles, and shaved ice. In my free time, I like to read and watch different shows. My all time favorite movie is The Great Gatsby. My other hobbies include going to the gym, playing the clarinet, and Taekwondo.

Music:

I started my musical career in Illinois, where I started learning the piano in kindergarten. After moving to Massachusetts, I started playing the violin, but ended up quitting both instruments after starting clarinet in 5th grade. I have been in various ensembles, such as the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, the New England Conservatory Youth Program, and the Lexington High School Wind Ensemble from 6-10th grade.

Hobbies:

Other than the clarinet, I also enjoy doing Taekwondo. I started in 8th grade and I am currently a black belt. At my sending school, I was a part of a variety of extracurriculars, like Science Olympiad, Math Team, Model UN, Debate, Powerlifting, and Red Cross club.

Community Service:

In the Red Cross club at Mass Academy this year, we participated in the Youth Action Campaign relating to International Humanitarian Law. During meetings, we planned for upcoming events, campaign ideas, and studied outer space.

In addition to the school club, I also volunteer as a member of the National Support Team. I hold interviews for potential volunteers across the nation, and this year I have interviewed around 100 volunteers in the US. Although the position is fully virtual, I enjoy the strong sense of community there is among fellow volunteers found in communication and bimonthly meetings. Finally, I get community service hours from volunteering at my local Korean school. I started attending Korean school in Illinois, and have continued to do so after moving to Massachusetts. I am volunteering as an assistant teacher, teaching children from first to second grade. This year, I volunteered as part of a program for teacher training. I enjoyed the process and learned a lot of new things, especially about communication among younger audiences. In the past, I have also volunteered as a counselor at the Munroe Art Center Summer Camp. I have also volunteered as part of a pit orchestra, which I found to be fun as well.