Manchester Student Andrew Kim Reflects on East Catholic Experience

As with all of life's opportunities, school is what you make of it.

For Andrew Kim, student body president of East Catholic High School and one of 176 seniors who , he made a lot out of the opportunities given him.

"I was a representative for the freshman class and then sophomore class president the next year," said Kim of his high school political career. In his junior year, Kim said he ran for the student council vice president position and won. This year I was the president," he said, adding that the council plans student activities such as the Homecoming Dance and the Senior Farewell. 

Kim was also co-captain of the school's United Nations team, also known as the World History Affairs Club that serves as a model United Nations program. 

His roles in both student politics and on the school's United Nations team appear to be a precurser for his post graduation plans. Kim received a full leadership scholarship from the University of Connecticut and plans to major in political science and international relations.

"Since I was a little kid, it's been my childhood dream to work for the government or for the United Nations," he said. He hopes to serve someday as a diplomat or as an ambassador to another country.

"Andrew is the real deal," said Laurie Janecko, Campus Minister and coordinator of the school's service-learning program STRETCH (Service That Requires Engaging The Compassionate Heart).

Janecko said she has many fond memories of Kim, but one that will always stand out for her is the time when he approached her and asked if she would like some clothes to give to the men at the shelter where the students were serving meals.

"I said sure, and the next day and many days after that Andy brought boxes of clothes in. NEW clothes. He explained that his parents had a store and these were from there. Brand new clothes with the tickets still on," said Janecko.  "He required no praise and no credit. He didn't even come to the shelter to see where his family's generous donation was going. This is Andy.  He sees a need and acts on it," she said.

"I have rarely met a student with as much dedication, maturity, concern for others, politeness and sheer kindliness as Andy Kim has," said East Catholic's English Department Chair Daniel Dowe. "And he showed this from the day he walked in as a 9th grader. He was and is a leader, a natural born one – willing to lead not only by his example but also by his own ability to motivate and direct his fellow students," Dowe said.

Part of that leadership was exemplified in Kim's role as a student ambassador with the school's Peer Ministries.

"We were a group of students picked as religious leaders to go out and tell others about [East Catholic] and to give them a basic overview," said Kim, adding that the group would also arrange retreats and other student activities.

No one can claim that Kim is not a well rounded student. Besides his Student Council and United Nations club activies, he served as co-captain of the school's Mock Trial Club, a group which simulates court procedures and where students can act out cases playing the role of attorneys, victims, or witnesses. Kim also played for two years on the school's varsity tennis team.

"East Catholic is so much more than a high school," said Kim. "I'm so thankful to the school, to the teachers, to the administration. They've given me so much and taught me so much. They've done so much for me," he said.

"Many teachers used to joke that if we didn't have a principal, Andy Kim could probably run the school without any problem! He was that good and capable," added Dowe. "Next year, his presence will sorely be missed."