I’m
Jimin, a Junior majoring in
Data Science with a minor in Sociology and Music.
My passion lies at the intersection of data science, human-computer interaction, education, and mental health, where I’m driven to use technology to analyze and address societal challenges.
I began my academic journey as a pre-med student, driven by a desire to study computational neuroscience. This path led me to research at an MRI imaging lab, where I manually labeled different areas of the brain, and to a microbiology lab focused on HIV. Last summer, I undertook an independent project, developing a deep learning algorithm to automate the quality-check process of induced pluripotent stem cells.
While I thrived in the rigorous environment of scientific research, my interests gradually shifted from biological sciences to addressing societal problems, particularly those related to mental health and education.
My family history includes the legacy of my parents as first-generation college graduates in Korea, who navigated challenges like economic hardship and gender inequality. As the first in my family to study in the U.S., I arrived here alone, facing the complex task of building my identity and finding my place in a new environment. My three years at WashU have been transformative, allowing me to engage in civic dialogues, support groups, and diverse communities that have helped solidify my purpose: to use my skills to improve educational experiences for disadvantaged groups and promote awareness of mental health issues.
My interdisciplinary interests form overlapping circles in a Venn diagram, with intersections representing the public issues I am committed to solving. For instance, I aspire to merge human-computer interaction with psychology to develop tools that make learning more effective for those who struggle with motivation or memory. I hope to create web visualizations that highlight youth mental health, literacy challenges, and other public health issues. Furthermore, I am drawn to developing interactive tools to help trauma patients process past memories, as well as creating large language models that foster honest conversations between parents and children. I also aim to make math more engaging and relatable by placing learners in the roles of professionals solving real-world problems. And as someone deeply comforted by classical music, I hope to design online tools that offer interactive ways to understand its structure and beauty.
There is much I hope to achieve, and I am excited to embark on this journey. The struggles of those facing challenges in mental health and education resonate deeply with me, and I am grateful to be in a position where I can make a meaningful difference in their lives.
