Samuel Kwon — Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Award
CBEN, Applied Math
Post-graduation plans:Finishing Applied Math BAM Program
"This award recognizes undergraduate students who make substantive contributions to JEDI work on- or off-campus."
What is your favorite memory from your time at CU Boulder?
One of my fondest memories is from my first year in the dorms. Each nightI would visit my friends in the Brackett common room to study. During our study breaks, we would take short trips to the engineering center and various other buildings on campus, exploring random rooms along the way. The memories we created together during that year are ones that I will always cherish.
What accomplishment are you most proud of, either academically or personally?
I am proud of my academic progress and the community I built. My path during my undergraduate education was nonlinear and required a lot of dedication and persistence. I frequently took 18-19 credits while working two jobs. I am proud of my academic progress despite the difficulties I faced during this journey. In addition, I am also proud of the supportive community I built during my four years here. My fellow BOLD peers, chemical engineering friends and applied math friends made a huge impact on my journey, and I strongly believe I wouldn't have made it this far without them.
Tell us about a moment (or moments) when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.
I felt like an "engineer" during my senior year participating in the chemical engineering senior design project. The majority of my undergraduate education was full of learning theoretical material, and there were limited hands-on and application-based experiences. Participating in the year-long senior design project exposed me to various possibilities in chemical engineering and biopharmaceuticals. Meeting with industry liaisons and discussing projects was the main moment that made me realize that I am an engineer. The ability to contribute my thoughts and opinions based on my engineering knowledge helped me realize my growth as an engineer.
What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education? What did you learn from it?
The largest academic and social challenge I faced was during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic started the second semester of my first year, meaning I spent most of my undergraduate education online. During the online period, it took a lot of work for me to gain proper academic help because of the limitations presented by the pandemic. Furthermore, the isolation I felt from my classmates and the inability to communicate with my friends further placed barriers to my social and academic success. As a result, I struggled to succeed academically online. I overcame this by forcing myself to leave my comfort zone. Even when asking for help, I realized it was important to seek multiple resources instead of just the professor. It was important for me to seek tutoring when I needed it, and it was important for me to ask for help actively. Through this challenge, I learned the importance of asking for help and that it is okay to ask for help. I learned how to advocate for myself and my success.
What is your advice for incoming engineering students?
Some advice I would give is to embrace your culture and background. Allow yourself to be different from others and learn to enjoy yourself. You will face many difficulties and failures during your undergraduate education, but remember that growth occurs during these times. Please do not be afraid to ask for helpand remember the community that helped you during difficult times. Also, spend less time worrying because as long as you try your best, everything will work out.