Fall — 2010

Young Park

Science/Dentistry

“Foreign students usually hang out with their own people. I advise them not to do that. They need to meet local people, and the best way to do that is in the student clubs.”

When contacted for this profile, Young Park was in Koreatown. “In fact, I’m in a Korean restaurant, because I just had to have some good kim chi,” she said with a delightful laugh. “To tell you the truth, I do miss my culture and my parents and my family back home. But I’m also very happy to be at SMC.”

Two things that have enormously helped Young acclimate to her new California ‘home’ are SMC’s excellent counseling, and her involvement in the club scene. “I joined the Alpha Gamma Sigma club—the Honors society—and that’s been very important to me. I did, like, over 100 hours of volunteer work last semester, and that was great, because it got me in touch with so many kinds of people. Mostly,” she continues, “we were out there setting up marathons and helping the runners out. They’re all running for something important, and one day soon I plan on running one myself.” But Young’s current ‘marathon’ is the long haul she plans on making through SMC’s Sciences, a transfer to UCLA, and then on to dental school. “And that’s where the counseling at SMC has really helped me,” she says. “I think most of the counselors here are very aware of what international students need, and they really help you to focus on what you have to do to move on.”

Young states, “The Sciences at SMC are very competitive, and the programs are great. But sometimes it’s hard to get into a class… and I’m impatient!” she says with a laugh. “I have wanted to be a dentist ever since I was little. I’m a very extroverted person, and dentistry will allow me to interact with people and help them out. I just can’t wait to have my own practice, and help people to brighten their smiles.”

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