Name: Sharon Kim
Age: 20
Hometown: Middletown, New Jersey
Major: Psychology
Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump, Jump Street 21, She’s the Man, Les Mierables
Favorite Food: Mom’s Kimchi Chigae and New Jersey Pizza
Favorite Music: “I’ve been through phases of everything, so I’m really hard to disappoint with music.”
What is your spirit animal?
“My spirit animal is a seal! I would say a dog, but I love the ocean, and seals to me are like the dogs of the ocean.”
What’s something you’re most proud of?
“I think that I am most proud of how far I’ve come with accepting myself. I used to be the complete opposite of who I am today even just a few years ago, and if you told me in 8th grade that someday I would have friends, laugh everyday, and be happy with my life, I probably would have retorted with something like “You’re a liar, shut the door on your way out, bye’ or something along those lines. I never thought I could be happy with myself, and most people (especially at Pepperdine) don’t know that I’ve actually come a long way in terms of my personality and character.”
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?
“France and Iceland.”
Who’s your inspiration?
“Leslie Knope (from Parks and Rec) and my mom. If I could be as fun-loving and passionate as Leslie and wise, patient, and God-fearing as my mom, I would be set for life.”
What’s your love language?
“My first love language is quality time, then acts of service.”
What’s been your favorite class at Pepperdine?
“My favorite class is Interpersonal Behavior (aka the Crying Class), which I’m taking this semester. There really is no other class like it because everyone in my class started out as a stranger to me at the beginning of the semester, and now they all know deeper aspects of me that most people wouldn’t really get the opportunity to know, even if they’ve known me for years. It throws me out of my comfort zone to be open about who I really am and trust classmates I’ve only encountered a handful of times, but it has been SO rewarding and I really appreciate the people and the dynamic of that class. Being in this class made me see past the “Pepperdine facade” that everyone puts up, and it woke me up from this “everyone is perfect” trance to realize that everyone comes with scars and baggage. I definitely think that we tend to forget that while we are at Pepperdine, and sometimes we even try to forget our own past and burdens. I’ve learned that life becomes so much easier to process when you find people to release that to, and being vulnerable only displays strength, not weakness.”
What’s something people don’t know about you?
“I can clap with my arms. I’m actually kind of embarrassed that this is the first thing that came to mind.”
If you could take a picture of anything what would it be?
“I would want to take a picture of my family, with each person holding a chicken in each arm for two reasons. 1) I don’t think my family has that many pictures together, and 2) We actually have chickens at home, plus I think it would be such a hilarious and ridiculous photo. Even if I lost the photo, I could never forget that moment.”
How has Pepperdine shaped you?
“So far, being at Pepperdine has shaped me to be more present minded. I know that the goal of college is to figure out the future, but I find life so much more enjoyable when I can take each day full throttle. It has taught me to appreciate what I have right now because I know that these moments are fleeting. I’ll worry about the future when I get there.”