Recognizing Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant Yoon Kim '16

In this series, the Rockefeller Center features our Student Program Assistants, student staff who contribute significantly to the success of the Center’s events, programs, and activities.

Yoon Kim ’16 began working for the Rockefeller Center during 14F under Joanne Needham’s supervision as a Student Program Assistant for Public Programs.  Yoon had always known about Rocky programs, but had never interacted with the Center until she began working.  “If I were a freshman, I would definitely get more involved in other Rocky programs such as First-Year Fellows and the Rockefeller Global Leadership Program,” Yoon said.  While working with Public Programs, she designed a few posters, and the following term was asked if she would be interested in doing graphic design for the Center’s broader communications. 

Since then she has designed multiple advertisements, pamphlets, and posters for Rocky. For the next two terms, however, she’s been given her own project: designing a student guide for the Rockefeller Center. “This is something the Center’s been wanting to do for some time now, but the project takes more than just design skill,” explains Elizabeth Celtrick, Assistant Director. “Yoon is a hugely talented designer. After working several terms with her I knew she was the right person for the project, because along with her design skills, she is quite capable of managing the project as well. She’s been such an asset to the Rocky team.”  

Yoon has enjoyed graphic design as a hobby for a long time, but Rocky has shown her that she also loves to do it in a workplace capacity.  She appreciates that supervisor Elizabeth Celtrick gives her guidance but lets her explore opportunities herself, calling it “rewarding” to work for her.   Yoon said that working at Rocky has made her more organized, as deliverables have to be produced weekly and professionally.   Yoon appreciates that Rocky treats all staff, including student program assistants, as real, professional staff, and believes it adds to the value of the experience.   

Yoon said that working for Rocky feels “like a job, instead of just something you do on campus,” especially enjoying the professional development component of the work.  Her favorite part about Rocky is the leadership programming—student staff are required to take the Management and Leadership Development Program and to attend termly group meetings, making it feel like a professional environment. “It made me very proud when Elizabeth told me that working with me was like working with other professionals,” Yoon said. 

On campus, Yoon majors in Neuroscience and Economics modified with Japanese.  She also spends her time serving as a member of the Student Assembly executive board and the president of the Korean Students Association.  After graduation, Yoon will head to Tokyo to work for JP Morgan.