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Vivian H. Chen

Biography

Vivian Kim describes herself as "a product of globalization." She was born in L.A., and her parents moved to Seoul, Korea when she was 13. She traveled, attended international schools, and was exposed to many different people. For two consecutive years, she went to the Philippines for one-week projects with Habitat for Humanity. This exposure to poverty, in combination with her background, spurred her interest in global issues.

In college, Vivian worked for the Community Liaison Office of the American Embassy in Seoul. While working for Lehman Brothers in Seoul, she was introduced to the concepts of international trade. She wrote a report on the future market possibilities of North Korea and the economic ramifications of reunification, using East and West Germany as a basis for analysis.

Vivian is pursuing a law career because it will enable her to learn the intricacies and technicalities of international relations. Her long-term career plans are on two fronts: international and domestic. Vivian wants to be part of the efforts towards reunification of North and South Korea. She believes trade relations are a viable way to pave a smoother transition and a peaceful means of communication.

Domestically, Vivian wants to be an international trade lawyer and represent the U.S. in Korea and use economic trade negotiation tactics to encourage peaceful relations. She also wants to represent Asians in America, and mobilize them to be more involved in politics. Her senior honors thesis is about the political and economic contributions of Koreans in America.

Vivian is already experienced at mobilizing. She organized the largest canned food drive on the Hopkins campus for the 2002 holiday season. As vice president of the Golden Key International Honor Society, she found service opportunities for 400-plus members, on and off campus. She obtained corporate sponsorship, which increased the society's reach and resources. Vivian also created the Hampden Tutorial Project, which develops relationships between Hopkins students and disadvantaged children.

In addition, Vivian became a volunteer at the Greenmount Senior Center and participated in an independent study with the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, a non-profit group of city-wide organizations dedicated to providing good, reliable data and information for strategic decisions that can improve the quality of life in city neighborhoods. As she puts it, "I have always been an active member of my community and environment."

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