Name: Michael Kang
Age: 19
Hometown: New York for the winter, Montauk during the summer
Favorite thing about Bucknell: The small town feel of Lewisburg.
Major: Management and Engineering
Why Management and Engineering?: My family is in finance and I want to continue their legacy. At the same time I want to try something adventurous and new which is why I also chose management as well.
Dream Job: Army officer, hedge fund manager and ultimately a bed and breakfast/bar owner
Relationship status: Complicated
What he looks for in a girl: Someone who is smart and has the perfect smile
Perfect date: The perfect location is Manhattan. I’d take her to my favorite restaurant and then the Highline Park and later I’d kiss her goodbye at Washington Square Park.
Favorite place in the world: Montauk, New York
Favorite Book: This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Interesting fact: I grew up in four different states- NY, TX, CA, and KY and 3 different countries- Switzerland, Korea, and America. I also know 3 languages.
New York or LA: New York
What made you want to join ROTC?: I grew up in New York. When 9/11 happened, my step-dad rescued people on ground zero. My sister told me she didn’t know if he would come back. Luckily, he did. Lots of people didn’t. After this experience I realized I wanted to help people and made the decision to go ROTC.
What else do you do on campus?: Student government
3 words to describe yourself: New Yorker, sarcastic, generous
Most influential person in your life: My older sister Kara. Seeing her be a bartender, coming home at 6 am, experiencing harassment and working hard as a female bartender left a big impression on me. She became the second female partner at her restaurant company and owns a bar. She is one of the most hardworking women I know.
Proudest accomplishment: I went on a mission trip to Haiti two years ago. I was exposed to my privilege and the bubble I live in. But this changed me for the better and I realized not everyone is so privileged.
To get a deeper look into who Michael is, I asked his roommate Dirk how he feels about him: “Michael has a heart of gold and is the best roommate I could ask for. He is honestly my best friend. Mike is extremely likable, charismatic, and friendly. Honesty is important to him and all people need to have his level of integrity. He is extremely dedicated, smart and involved. Not only is he smart, he has an incredible level of emotional intelligence. He understands when anyone is sad and how to make them feel better. He just has a big heart.”