Why fly when you can soar? Yoona Kim’20 is a student who embodies this regularly used IHA motto. Besides being academically and athletically gifted, Yoona serves as an example for all IHA students because of her dedication and determination in all aspects of her life.

One of Yoona’s many talents is her passion for golf. She was a member of the Varsity Golf team at IHA, where she served as captain her sophomore through senior years. She also travels frequently, as she competes in national golf tournaments. Her biggest accomplishment was qualifying for the USGA US Girls’ Junior four consecutive times. In addition to these notable achievements, Yoona was named 2019 New Jersey Girls’ Golfer of the Year. Last year, she won the 2019 Bergen County Girls’ Golf Championship and the 2019 State Championship as well. Yoona earned First-Team All League, First-Team All County, and First-Team All-State honors for golf from 2017-2019. As a result of all of her hard work on the golf course, Yoona will be attending Harvard University in the fall, playing for their women’s Varsity Golf team!

Yoona is also gifted in the classroom. She maintained Distinguished Honors all four years at IHA and was also named a National Merit Scholar and an AP Scholar. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society. Yoona’s favorite subjects included English with Mrs. Pecora and Personal Finance with Mrs. Capizzi. Yoona remembers Mrs. Pecora’s class as “engaging and interesting” and loved Mrs. Pecora for her willingness to help and kind heart. Looking back at her best memories from IHA, she remembers this class as one of her favorites! Mrs. Pecora feels the same toward her. “Yoona is one of the most tenacious and passionate students I have ever had the pleasure to teach,”  Mrs. Pecora said. “She is unafraid to think outside the box and take learning risks!” Additionally, Yoona said that Personal Finance helped her become genuinely interested in business. Because of this class, she plans to major in economics in college and work in the business industry in the future, potentially in banking or finance. Yoona won the Soaring Eagle Award for Math/Business the first semester of her junior year, proving her true passion for these subjects.

Yoona is clearly extremely busy, but she never fails to find the time to give back to her community. She participates in multiple service activities, inside and outside of IHA. Her volunteer work includes working in the Salvation Army Foodtruck and volunteering at the Korean Community center.

Yoona looks back on her years at IHA fondly. Her favorite memory was the first day of senior year, showing up to school in the much-anticipated green sweater to meet up with friends and take pictures. She remembers it as simply a fun and happy day that she had long awaited. Yoona also has some advice for current IHA students. She said that if she could go back in time, she would remember to appreciate every little moment she had at IHA. While sometimes school might seem stressful and difficult, she now wishes she appreciated it more. “I would do anything to put on my uniform and walk into IHA one more time!” she said. Yoona, on behalf of the entire IHA community, you will be especially missed! We wish you the best of luck at Harvard next year!

By: Olivia Landolfi’21, Opinions Editor