Hello! My name is Arin Kim Wise. As one could tell just by my name, I am of mixed descent, and my upbringing has been largely influenced by this fact. My mother is Korean, from the Naju Kim clan, which has been on the Korean peninsula since the second century. My father is American, and grew up in San Francisco. My parents met when my dad went to Korea to become a teacher. From their happy union I was born, a chubby, boisterous little baby, on December 7th, or Big Snow Day, in Seoul, South Korea. I lived in Korea for the first four years of my life, and was blessed with five aunts and four uncles, two loving grandparents, and quite a few cousins. Then, my parents decided to move to America, as my mom was offered a better nursing job. My upbringing can be described as a unique meld of my two cultures and identities. Though I greatly value my independence and ability to think for myself, I also have a very communal mindset. The Confucian beliefs instilled in me from when I was a child remind me that for an individual to succeed, they must think of themselves as part of a greater unit. And I find that I tend to lean this way; I love to lead but only when I feel each individual is contributing, I look out for the well being of friends as well as strangers, often to a fault, and I wish to pursue a career that most definitely promotes the success of all: education. My idea of success is also not one just for myself, rather, my success is my family’s success, from my immediate family to the ancestors that I never knew.

However, this meld of my two cultures did not come without its obstacles. When I first moved to America, I did not know a word of English. I went to an inner-city public kindergarten, and none of my classmates were like me at all. Yet, I remember that as a sociable and outgoing child, I desperately wanted to fit in, even though I felt different and out of place. This entirely new and unfamiliar environment made the melding of my two cultures difficult, and I became convinced of the idea that I had to choose one side or the other.  Then, when I was eight, we visited Korea for the first time in four years. I found I couldn’t properly communicate with my relatives or understand the culture. I realized that this place was home as well, and that all along I had been refusing to embrace a fundamental part of myself. Now, I have learned to speak freely and confidently in both languages, no longer afraid of judgement from either culture.

I have also faced some personal obstacles, outside of my cultural reconciliation. My grandparents passed away during my freshman year, my grandmother of a heart attack during finals week, and my grandfather of colon cancer six months after. It was a sudden and jarring shock, and I had never faced such loss in my life. It was especially difficult considering I wasn’t able to visit them often when they were alive, and couldn’t attend their funeral. However, my personality of being a very bright person who desires to make the people around her feel happy and comfortable prevented me from properly processing my emotions. I began to understand, from this period of grief, that I had major mental issues that I had never addressed. It took two years to acknowledge this truth about myself, and another year to be honest with my parents and seek out therapy. I have now only just begun to take advantage of therapy services at my school, a reality that I am making efforts to be more comfortable admitting to my peers. I always presented myself as the person who would help you shoulder your burdens, and I forgot to shoulder my own, or how to ask for help. I am proud of myself for taking initiative to put my mental well being as a priority in my life.

I have quite a few passions in my life, so many that I’ve earned the nickname “renaissance woman” from a few friends. My first love is most certainly music. I listen to so many genres of music, and my computer and phone are running out of space due to the massive volumes of music I add each week. I also am a songwriter; I am releasing my first album in the coming months. I play guitar, violin, piano, and some clarinet, and I also sing and dance! I enjoy baking, and I specialize in pies, bread, and muffins. I also love to paint and draw, and usually paint oil paintings. I love to read and write poetry or short stories, explore and be out in nature, bike around the city, and thrift with friends. I also have recently started acting, I auditioned and got the lead role in my school play last year without prior experience, and currently have a role in the musical! I have a passion for politics and social activist causes as well; I try to stay up to date on societal and political issues, I founded a club called Students Against Mass Shootings at my school, and regularly become involved in activist groups. However, my liberal and perhaps somewhat radical leanings do not prevent me from doing my utmost to keep an open mind and engage in good discussions. Finally, I love to meet new people and make friends, and experience new experiences whenever I can.

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