Korean student graduates summa cum laude from Harvard

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Mon, December 11, 2023 | 04:20

Korean student graduates summa cum laude from Harvard

하버드대 수석 졸업한 한국인 진권용씨

Posted : 2012-05-27 17:14

Updated : 2012-05-27 17:14

For the first time a Korean student has graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University.

Jin Kwon-yong, 20, stands smiling at his graduation ceremony at Harvard University, Thursday, where he was the first Korean to graduate summa cum laude from the Ivy League school. / Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

For the first time a Korean student has graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University.

Jin Kwon-yong, an economics major, was one of the two highest ranking undergraduates out of 1,552 graduates at the commencement ceremony at the prestigious Ivy League school, Thursday.

The 20-year-old graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average after completing the four-year course in three years.

Together with the honor, Jin received the John H. Williams Prize, awarded to the student in the economics department graduating with the best overall record.

Jin also received the Hoopes Prize, Harvard’s highest honor for undergraduate writing.

It is the first time for a student with Korean nationality to graduate as the highest ranking undergraduate at Harvard.

Jin said the key to his outstanding academic achievements was his diligence in attending classes. Because the classes at Harvard cover extensive amounts of class work each time, if one were to miss even one, significant time and effort would have to be spent on catching up.

According to Jin, he was able to earn his grades by focusing while in class and taking detailed notes.

Although an economics major, he has proven excellence in other fields as well.

The essay he wrote for a biology course, “The Risk of vCJD Transmission by Blood and Suggested Public Policy Response,” was awarded first place for the Conant Prize, given to the best essay on a subject of scientific interest, for a general education course in natural sciences.

The essay was selected to be in a textbook for freshmen at undergraduate level.

While still an undergraduate, Jin took courses at Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government, receiving top grades for all four courses.

After leaving Korea, Jin arrived in the United States during 6th grade of elementary school to pursue his studies abroad.

The valedictorian added that his inquiring mind and sense of independence came from his parents, who have emphasized the importance of self-motivation and responsibility.

Jin, who was accepted into Yale and Harvard’s law schools in December, has decided to attend Yale, to be able to experience varying academic traditions.

When asked about his future dreams, Jin said he hopes to be a lawyer that represents Korea’s interests in suits between countries involving finance and international trade.

Another Korean student is to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy with honors and become a state scholarship recipient at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Choi Woo-suk, aged 22, will graduate at the top of the economics department with a grade point average of 3.93. He also qualified for Graduation with Distinction, which is awarded to those within the top 100 out of the total of 1,200 graduates.

He was included as the only Asian in the top 20 that are given the privilege to pursue a master’s degree at distinguished universities across the nation, and he will study public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School starting August.

하버드대 수석 졸업한 한국인 진권용씨
올해 미국 하버드대학교 수석졸업의 영광을 한국인 유학생이 차지해 화제다. 주인공은 경제학과 진권용(20)씨. 그는 지난 24일 있은 졸업식에서 졸업생 1천552명 가운데 2명인 전체 수석(the highest ranking undergraduate)을 했다. 졸업학점은 4.0 만점에 4.0. 진씨는 남들이 4년 걸리는 학부 과정을 3년 만에 마쳤다. 진씨는 최우등 졸업생(summa cum laude)에 선정됐고 경제학과 수석상(존 윌리엄스상), 최우수 졸업논문상(토머스 ?스상)도 수상했다. 하버드대 학부에서 한국 국적의 유학생이 전체 수석으로 졸업한 것은 진 씨가 처음이다. 진 씨는 높은 성적의 비결로 수업에 충실한 점을 꼽았다. 하버드대 수업은 진도가 빨라 한 번만 수업에 빠지더라도 따라잡는데 시간이 오래 걸리기 때문에 수업에 집중하고 수업 노트를 자세하게 작성해 좋은 학점을 받을 수 있었다. 진 씨는 경제학 전공이지만 다른 분야에서도 두각을 나타냈다. 교양생물학 수업에서 쓴 에세이 '수혈에 의한 변형크로이츠펠트야곱병의 감염위험과 정책대응'이란 에세이로 교양학부 최고 에세이상인 코난트상(Conant Prize)을 받았다. 이 에세이는 학부 1학년 교재로 채택되기도 했다. 또 학부생임에도 불구하고 하버드 로스쿨과 케네디 행정대학원 수업도 신청해 4과목 모두 최고학점을 받았다. 진 씨는 서울 대치초등학교 6학년 1학기를 마친 뒤 미국으로 와 홀로 유학 생활을 했다. 공부만 열심히 한 것이 아니라 학교의 온갖 스포츠 클럽에 가입해 운동을 했기 때문에 외로움을 느낄 틈도 없었다. 그는 다양한 분야에 대한 탐구심과 오랜 유학생활을 가능케 한 독립심은 평소 자율과 책임을 강조한 부모님의 교육철학에서 나온 것이라고 말했다. 작년 12월 이미 예일대와 하버드대 로스쿨 합격을 통보받은 진 씨는 다양한 학풍을 경험하기 위해 올 9월 예일대 로스쿨에 진학하기로 결정했다. 진 씨는 금융과 국제통상 분야의 국가간 소송에서 한국의 국익을 대변하는 변호사가 되고 싶다고 밝혔다.

bkim@koreatimes.co.kr