Donggyun (Kevin) Woo

Donggyun (Kevin) Woo is no stranger to studying far from home. Born and raised in South Korea, Kevin left his fine arts high school in Seoul to finish his secondary schooling in Canada. When he graduated high school, Kevin set his sights on going to college in the United States. He initially chose Chicago because he expected warmer weather than what he experienced in Canada. Though he concedes he might have been a little off-base with that assertion, Kevin quickly fell in love with his new home.

Looking for a college offering a convenient location at an affordable price, Kevin picked Harold Washington College sight unseen. In fact, Kevin arrived in Chicago on the first day of his first semester. Thanks to the dedicated help of an international student advisor, Kevin was able to enroll in a full-time schedule and begin classes immediately.

Kevin got involved on campus as soon as he arrived, taking a role as a Student Government Association Senator in his first semester, and then becoming Harold Washington’s SGA Vice President in his second semester. During his first year, Kevin frequently attended the Transfer Center workshops to figure out his post-graduation route. While attending those events, he discovered the concept of valedictorian and transfer requirements of selective universities. In his second year, he was elected as SGA President for Harold Washington College, a role that allowed him to work and interact with students on a daily basis. Having served as SGA president and being selected as valedictorian, he feels grateful for the many opportunities CCC offered. “Being able to represent my college in various ways was something that I’ve wanted to accomplish from the start,” he said. “So in that sense, it is literally my dream coming true.”

Having earned his associate degree in Mathematics, Kevin is heading to Columbia University in New York to pursue his bachelor’s degree.