This winter, the bi-college Korean Students Association staged its first student/alumni networking event, hosted by Michael B. Kim '85.
Seoul, Korea, was the locale for a gathering of Fords this winter, as the bi-college Korean Students Association (KSA) held its first student/alumni networking event.
Approximately 25 students and alumni from Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges met at a wine bar called Osteria Eo in an upscale Seoul neighborhood in December. The gathering was hosted by Michael B. Kim '85, member of Haverford's Board of Managers and founder of the Seoul-based private equity firm MBK Partners.
“Opportunities to catch up with fellow alumni and to meet students are rare in Asia, and I thought an event was overdue,” says Kim, who offered to host as a way of encouraging greater participation.“I hadn't realized there were that many alums and students in Seoul!”
It took KSA president Jinny Hwang '10 and vice president Eunice Yoon '10 more than a month to plan the event. They invited 80 alumni from both colleges, particularly reaching out to those who live in Korea.“We thought it would be good to start something like this,” says Yoon.“We've had informal events in the past, but we wanted something more formal, and more inclusive of alumni in different fields.”
The gathering was deemed a success by all involved, as current bi-co students became acquainted with Korean alumni in business, marketing, communication, the natural sciences, and law.
“What made this gathering special,” says Kim,“was that it included both Haverford and Bryn Mawr people, alums and students alike, making for an integrated bi-college, cross-generational experience.”
The KSA hopes to plan similar events in the future, most likely stateside. The group is also creating a network of Korean students' organizations among local colleges.
