Expert Bio: David Kim

Due to my father’s business, I grew up in a Taekwondo studio and was thus surrounded by a myriad of colorful people.  While they all hailed from an impressive variety of backgrounds, these individuals were all honest, hardworking, and driven.  Several of them became early mentors to me and I can still recall their impact on my life to this day.  For instance, there was Richard, a medical student from Harvard, who would take time to talk to me about science and how things worked.  Then there was Rudy, a foreman at a prominent steel company, who was a history buff and would discuss military history while also learning self-defense.  Bunky was head of a local biker gang but he taught me the importance of attending college by giving me a savings bond strictly to pay for my future education.  Finally, there was Carol, a financial analyst, who would take me to the library and read books to me.  I feel blessed that at such a young age, I was able to witness this disparate group of people come to our martial arts studio with a common goal: to aspire to be better people.  This idea of being “better” went beyond mere physical health or an increase in confidence; it changed the way these people lived.  Although they were from different backgrounds and walks of life, they were knit together into a community that cared for each other, supported each other and trusted each other.  I saw that there was true goodness in people.

Being in the business of education is the fulfillment of my passion and potential.  The most common denominator of all my mentors growing up was the exhibition of curiosity.  I believe that if you wish to teach and to learn you must be constantly curious.

Another thing I learned from the people at my parent’s martial arts studio was the importance of education.  I was able to notice the difference between those who had gone to school and those who had not…and even those who had not continued their education were adamant about the importance of it.  Thus, I worked hard at school and was accepted to Harvard.  While there, I focused on Economics, especially the policy and economics of education.  I am sure that it was no surprise when I began to tutor fellow students out of my dorm room and then to follow that path after graduation.

My excitement about my job can best be summed up in the Mission Statement for C2 Education.  “At C2, we believe in our students and in their potential for greatness.  We take students towards their dreams.  C2 helps our students and their families benefit from a better education, now and always.”  Here at C2 Education, we have been instrumental in not only increasing SAT/test scores and helping students getting into their preferred college, but we have also helped lead countless students to better fulfill their potential. Plus, the growth of our company leads to creation of jobs and to being able to touch even more lives.

9—Success requires a balance of discipline, flexibility and luck which, I believe, I was able to fulfill.  As Seneca once stated, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” After reconciling what I believed in along with feedback about my chosen profession, it was then important to gauge the marketplace for receptivity of my idea.  New ventures are always fraught with immense risk but at various points in history, the public’s needs and the inventor’s/entrepreneur’s available services coincide.  C2 began at just such a moment—college admissions had become increasingly more difficult while the concept of “tutoring” began to lose its stigma of being strictly for remedial help and more for advancement. However, though the process began under auspicious circumstances, it was still an uphill battle and took hard work, dedication to my ultimate goal, and surrounding myself with key individuals to realize my dream.

Success is the courage to do the right thing and to set a good example for others.

To be effective in my specialty area, I believe that one of the most important things is the need to be disciplined.  It is vitally important to have the right habits, stick to the process, and nail the basics if you really wish to succeed.  I know that it is not “sexy,” but if the fundamentals are taken care of then the rest will come naturally.

• The growth of the company in general—we have over 100 centers with over a thousand employees.
• A few years ago, we brought in an outside partner and this helped increase our growth and our impact in our chosen field.
• New SAT—we were the first company in our field to have New SAT curriculum. We are also excited about the impact the new SAT will have on student learning and college admissions.
• Common Core—again this is a huge change in our field and we look forward to providing the necessary help to our customers.

Ideally, I would like to see the current obsession of having to measure everything changed.  Albert Einstein said it best when he stated that “Many of the things you can count, don’t count.  Many of things you can’t count really count.”  Basically, some things can’t merely be boiled down to a number.

I would like to change the way society thinks about competition and the winner-takes-all attitude.  I would like to contribute to a more sustainable world.

Be disciplined. Be curious.  Be courageous.