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| “We should provide more scholarships to
qualified students to help them benefit
from all the wonderful opportunities that
this university has to offer.”
- Keith Kim, |
Alumnus Keith Soon Kim received his degree in mathematics in 1962 before forging a prestigious career in the electronics industry. His strong university connection began during his undergraduate years, leaving a lasting impression that has helped him understand the importance of supporting students as a donor today.
“The educational and campus life experiences I had as a student at Cal Poly Pomona are some of the most memorable in my life,” says Kim, who was named Cal Poly Pomona Personality of the Year in 1961 and founded the International Student Club. “Cal Poly Pomona is in my heart.”
After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he enrolled in the electronic engineering graduate program at UCLA and soon began working as a digital computer design engineer for National Cash Register. Kim subsequently began a career spanning more than three decades with Xerox Corporation, advancing from project manager to manager of reliability. Just as he prepared for retirement, he was avidly recruited by Samsung Electronics Co. in Korea. Kim put off his retirement plans for another five years, joining Samsung as executive vice president of corporate quality.
Throughout his distinguished career of more than 45 years, he always
remembered Cal Poly Pomona, offering financial support for scholarships
and student programs to enhance the learning experience. He is also active
as a member of the University Educational Trust and the President’s
Council. To date, his donations top the $45,000 mark. Kim encourages
other donors to step up to the plate and students to take advantage of every
opportunity to excel. That’s why he and his father have funded a perpetual
merit-based scholarship in the College of Science for deserving students,
like Russell Angeles, who graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in
biology and is now attending medical school in Hawaii.
“We were very excited when Russell received a scholarship,” says his mother, Helen Angeles. In keeping with the philanthropic spirit that Kim exemplifies, Angeles also hopes to follow in these footsteps, according to his mother.
“Russell told me that one day he will provide scholarship opportunities for Cal Poly Pomona students and that he would like to give back to the school that supported him as an undergraduate,” she says.
Kim strongly believes that supporting state-funded universities is a way to support America’s future. State universities do not receive the same level of donations as prestigious private colleges and universities that field nationally ranked Division One athletic teams, yet state universities are the backbone of the country’s technological workforce.
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| The university’s learn-by-doing philosophy is clearly in motion in the science labs, where students learn through hands-on experiments. | |
“Since Cal Poly Pomona is a state university, funds are limited,” he says. “We need more support from individuals and corporations to ensure the continuity of the university’s quality education for all students.”
For Kim, Cal Poly Pomona’s practical learn-by-doing method of teaching provides a unique educational experience that eventually translates into valuable employees. Receiving hands-on training in a student-learning environment helps students understand the nuts and bolts of their potential careers in engineering and the sciences.
“I strongly support Cal Poly Pomona’s teaching methodology and its role
in the advancement of technology in all fields,” says Kim. “We should
provide more scholarships to qualified students to help them benefit from
all the wonderful opportunities that this university has to offer.”
For more information about the
College of Science
Mary Jo Gruca
Director of Development
(909) 869-5070
mgruca@csupomona.edu
©
2005 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
3801 W. Temple Ave. Pomona, CA 91768