As a senior on the King Street Chronicle Staff, Ms. Sydney Kim ’20 served as Managing Editor, Opinions Editor, Podcast Editor, and Content Editor.  During her time at Sacred Heart, she was also a member of the Jazz Band and co-captain of the Robotics team.  Now a junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Ms. Kim studies Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Biological Engineering.  In addition to her studies, she participates in an on-campus lab, where she works on microfluidics research, and is a part of MIT’s solar electric vehicle team.

What is the most important skill you learned during your time on the KSC Staff?

“I am most grateful for the leadership experience I gained during my time on the KSC.  I still remember how uneasy I felt on my first day as Managing Editor, but by graduation, I was comfortable and confident in my leadership skills.  Of course, I had (and still have) so much to learn, but my experience on the KSC empowered me to jump into new, challenging, and rewarding leadership positions in college.  In retrospect, the newsroom was like a leadership lab for me: it was a space where I could experiment, make mistakes, and actively learn, all while growing as a person.  I am very thankful to have had that opportunity.”

Although you are not pursuing journalism in college, how has what you learned while on the KSC Staff continued to serve you in your studies?

“Aside from leadership experience, I have come to appreciate the strong written and verbal communication skills I developed while on the KSC Staff.  As an engineering student, I find that scientific information is especially difficult to communicate because the terminology is so specific.  Even across scientific fields, the vocabulary does not translate well—when I ask graduate students to explain their research to me, my ability to understand their responses can vary wildly.  While on the KSC Staff, I learned to use clear, concise language and to be mindful of my audience, which has helped me to understand, write about, and discuss scientific work in college.”

What piece of advice would you give to current and future KSC Staff?

“It’s less important to have the right answers than it is to ask the right questions.  This applies to journalism, especially in the context of interviews, but it also relates to other academic disciplines and to life more generally.  Ask lots of thoughtful questions—embracing curiosity is an excellent way to learn, both inside and outside of the classroom.”

The King Street Chronicle thanks Ms. Sydney Kim ’20, former Managing Editor, Opinions Editor, Podcast Editor, and Content Editor, for her contributions.