Elim Kim stays busy as a student with a part-time job, but she still finds time to help others in many different ways.
From Daegu, South Korea, Kim attended Catholic University of Daegu and is here at the university on a two-plus-two agreement. The political science major has been at MSU since January 2012 and plans to graduate this December.
Kim also works at the Sanderson Center's front desk, where she assists the students, faculty, staff and other patrons of the recreation center. Her outgoing personality and passion for helping others led to her selection as the Department of Recreational Sports Welcome Center Employee of the Year for 2012-2013.
As an elementary school student, Kim and her family moved to New Jersey for her father's studies. When the family experienced some hardships, an act of kindness from strangers made a permanent mark on the young girl.
"As a child, I felt very grateful for them and this has been an unforgettable memory for me even until now. Through this memory, I decided to set a goal to help people who I can help as much as I can," she said.
Kim said she also learned to "pay it forward" from her father.
"My father being a pastor, I have always watched him helping the poor while growing up and learned from it," she said.
Kim has volunteered with organizations including the American Red Cross, Building Bridges and Habitat for Humanity. In fact, this spring Kim received the bronze President's Award from the Maroon Volunteer Center for volunteering more than 100 hours. She also was named a "Starkville Volunteer Superstar."
Kim enjoys traveling the U.S. and has visited Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon and Atlanta. This love of traveling and other cultures has spurred her desire to work for South Korea's Olympic office after she graduates, and she is grateful to be able to say the university has played a role in helping her achieve her goals.
"Mississippi State has given me so many different opportunities, and I am thankful for that," she said.