Preoccupied with preparing for four exams, the last thing Roy Kim, senior, expected to happen on March 29 was receiving a $50,000 check from Edison International made out in his name.
Kim was one of 30 students, out of 812 total applicants, from Southern California to win an Edison Scholars Program scholarship, an award for aspiring science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) students “to advance their education and take part in shaping a Clean Energy future.”
Representatives from Southern California Edison visited the schools of each winner to surprise them with an oversized check.
During second period, Kim’s AP Calculus BC class was called to the Career Center, where Brinda Leon, BOUSD superintendent, Paul Ruiz, school board president, and Cecilia Story, assistant principal, were waiting.
“We were all curious why we were called,” Kim said. “Then I saw the comically large check enter the room with my name on it.”
To be eligible for the award, senior applicants within Edison’s service territory must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and an intention to pursue a STEM major at an accredited four-year college or university. Applicants were required to describe their extracurricular activities, list awards, and provide an impact statement.
Days after the submission deadline on Jan. 24, Kim received notice that he was one of 50 students to advance as a finalist.
From there, judges narrowed down the finalists to 30 winners based on YouTube video submissions about how the applicants intended to make a difference in the world. In his video, Kim described how he hopes “to make the world an amusing and happy place [and] break the monotonous cycle of school or work and sleep” by using a brain-computer interface technology (a current experimental technology that uses the brain’s electrical activities to function computers and robots) to develop advancements in video games.
“I think it’s great that a big company like Edison is recognizing students with large dreams and [helping] them to step closer to their goals,” Kim said. “The scholarship will definitely assist with [my] tuition, which will allow me to focus on my personal interest in game development during [and] post college.” This fall, Kim will attend the University of California, Irvine and major in software engineering.
Kim’s achievement “speaks to the determination of our students who seek out those resources so that they could reach their goals,” Cecilia Story, assistant principal, said.
