... do more than what's expected of you.
Jae-On Kim
Jae-On Kim does not strive to do what is expected of him. He seeks to do more.
"Learn to think independently, seeing things and doing things a little bit beyond what's conventionally expected of you," said Kim, a sociology professor at the University of Iowa since 1970.
Born in 1938 in a South Korean village where many children were buried before their first birthdays, Kim has always risen above expectations.
Kim's parents waited nearly six months to register him as a baby until they were sure he would survive. That's why Kim has several birth dates: His actual birthday (Jan. 11), his registration date (May 27), and the date his parents celebrated his birthday on the solar calendar (Dec. 11).
At 24, Kim moved to the United States as a graduate student and set high goals for his education and career.
"Intellectual independence comes from studying, observing and a great deal of reflection as well," he said.
After earning his master's degree in 1964 from Southern Illinois University, Kim went to the University of California-Berkeley. There, he completed his Ph.D. and met his wife, Sukie.
After marriage, the Kims waited several years to have children, which was unconventional in Kim's family. Sukie gave birth to a baby girl in 1972, followed by a son, Jonathan.
The Kims' daughter, Miera, now with two children of her own, lives just several blocks from Kim's office in Iowa City.
"That's the best part of my life right now," Kim said of his grandchildren, ages 5 and 3. "Learning to appreciate what you have is one of the good things you can acquire in your life."
It is the same with people, he said. "You always deal with the positive side of people you meet and you're going to be OK," Kim said.
Kim gained insight about people from years studying, researching and teaching sociology. He has contributed to more than 17 books and has written at least 24 scholarly articles. In addition, Kim is director emeritus of the UI Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.
Besides a "minor" goal to continue to promote cultural and economic exchanges between the UI and countries in East Asia, he said he has no major ambitions left to fulfill.
"I had a very satisfactory life," he said.
— Megan Carney
