Chae Kim ’22
Recipient of the Anthony Helies Scholarship and the Glomb Family Scholarship
When she came to Lehigh from San Jose, California, Chae Kim ’22 knew she was joining a prestigious institution that she had already visited and loved — a decision made possible by a generous financial aid and scholarship package.
She also knew she wanted to study abroad. But she hadn’t yet imagined how an internship with the Pathways Development Initiative (PDI) in Uganda, supported by a Grant for Experiential Learning in Health from the College of Arts and Sciences, would provide opportunities for growth, connection, and mentorship.
In Uganda, Chae’s primary role assisting a local teacher at the village education center soon expanded to involve a sports clinic — an after-school soccer program for high schoolers designed to empower them, through athletics, as individuals. But Chae noticed: Very few girls participated. The coaches and Chae created a plan for integrating young women into the program and discovered a nearby village with a group of girls eager to join the team.
“Opportunities that are right in front of me at Lehigh can be used to make a greater impact in the real world.”
And then, one day, the headmaster took Chae aside and said: “I hear you’re on the track team at your university.” There was a girl in the school — very fast, very talented — but without the resources to support her growth as an athlete. “So we decided,” says Chae, “Okay: Start building up this program of track, specifically for girls.” She developed a coaching plan, drawing on skills she’d honed as a scholar and athlete at Lehigh, and before long, three other girls had joined.
In the spring semester of 2021, Chae received a Davis Projects for Peace award, which funds student-led grassroots projects around the world. She’ll use the award remotely in the summer of 2021 to create a sustainable tutoring model for PDI athletes and will continue to work with the program throughout her senior year.
Engaging with young athletes was the highlight of her trip — and the work, and Chae’s experience and expertise, only continues to grow. “Knowing that these opportunities that are right in front of me at Lehigh can be used to make a greater impact in the real world,” says Chae, “that is what inspires me.”
Photo Gallery: Chae’s Story
