Sweet Briar College Magazine - Spring 2017

Connie Kim ’12, Lee, A Joo Kim ’14
and Rani Jang ’15
Beijing
Amman,
Jordan
Nicole Jeamin Lee ’13 came to
Sweet Briar from Korea and
has just settled in Beijing with
her husband. She works as a
part-time researcher and plans
to start her own company.
How she found
Sweet Briar: One of my
dad’s friends who graduated
from the University of Virginia
encouraged me to visit.
During my tour at Sweet Briar,
I remember finding myself
pleasantly surprised by the
opportunities to speak out, ask
questions, and engage with
professors and classmates in
and out of classrooms. It was
exactly what I was looking for
in a college campus.
Why she went back:
After graduation, I packed
away to pursue a master’s degree
at Northwestern University.
My initial career plans were
to move to San Francisco. But
only two weeks after moving to
San Francisco, I urgently had
to travel to Korea for personal
reasons. For two years, I lived
in Seoul working as a full-time
analyst for food marketing,
which involved frequent travel
to the U.S., Europe, and Asia
networking with buyers and
manufacturers. After my wedding
in December, I moved to
Beijing, where my husband has
been working.
How she keeps up
with Sweet Briar
friends: Honestly, I was
alarmed by the idea of losing
touch with friends while traveling
and living overseas. But
I’ve come to a conclusion that
the miles don’t make a difference
when they are your sisters
from college. We may not be
seeing each other as often as
we used to, but we’ve expanded
our bubble into a global scale.
When Jackie Montero ’13 had
business trips in Seoul last fall,
I had the pleasure of showing
her around and indulging in
Korean BBQ at one of the finest
restaurants in Gangnam. Having
sisters around the world
makes your friendships richer
and flavorful—literally!
How she managed
her wedding: I wasn’t
going to become a “bridezilla,”
requesting friends from
the States travel all the way to
Korea for just one day. I got
my dream venue, Vogue-like
engagement pictures, and an
elegantly tailor-made dress, but
it seemed like a bridal shower
with my close friends wasn’t
likely to happen. However,
the day before my wedding
ceremony, Connie Kim ’12, A
Joo Kim ’13 and Rani Jang ’15
managed to fly in to throw me
a quick, surprise bridal shower.
Nicole Jeamin Lee
SWEET BRIAR MAGAZINE | SBC.EDU 29