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#23 FIT Graduate, Haeun Lee, Embarks on Startup Journey with 'GREENEST' On Wednesday, October 25th, Haeun Choi, an FIT Alumni, visited SUNY Korea to deliver a talk as part of the FIT Alumni Talk series. During her presentation, she shared her journey, from her educational background to her current role as the CEO of GREENEST, emphasizing her dedication to sustainable fashion, and offering valuable advice to aspiring students and entrepreneurs. Here is an interview with Haeun Choi. 1. Can you introduce yourself? Hello, my name is Haeun Choi, CEO of Greenest, which is a sustainable fashion brand based in South Korea. I got an AAS degree in FIT Korea, and a BS degree in FIT New York campus, both with Summa Cum Laude. I majored in Fashion Business Management. 2. Why did you choose to study at SUNY Korea FIT? The reason I chose SUNY Korea FIT is because it was the most optimal choice for me, as I wanted to gain experience not only in New York but also in the fashion industry in Korea. In fact, to work in the fashion industry, understanding consumer psychology and staying attuned to market trends is crucial. FIT offers the advantage of obtaining both an AAS degree and a BS degree from different countries, which has been very helpful in my current business pursuits. 3. Can you introduce your business and explain how you started it? GREENEST is a fashion brand that promotes responsible and refined fashion while aiming to make sustainable fashion more widely accessible. We prioritize sustainability throughout the entire process, from sourcing raw materials to production and shipping. The brands' collections are a fusion of expert craftsmanship, attention to detail, and classic and elegant silhouettes, all designed to enhance the natural beauty of every person. GREENEST's commitment to sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. "Sustainability is a top priority for GREENEST in every stage of the process, as evidenced by the strong emphasis on sustainability in the design of all our collections, including the materials used and overall design." I had the opportunity to take courses on sustainability and the fashion industry at both FIT Korea campus and FIT New York campus, and I realized that the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry was more significant than I had initially thought. Wanting to make a positive impact within the fashion industry, I aspired to launch a sustainable fashion brand to help realize this goal. 4. In what ways did your academic experience at SUNY Korea FIT and FIT New York influence your ability to manage your own brand? I majored in Fashion Business Management at FIT. As a result, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the fashion industry, learned about textiles as part of my general education, and acquired knowledge in marketing and merchandising, which are essential for running a fashion brand. In particular, during my studies, I engaged in numerous case studies of fashion companies, providing me with indirect experience of the challenges that fashion companies face and the opportunity to propose solutions through various projects. These indirect experiences have proven to be invaluable in running my current brand. 5. How do you cope with fear and doubt in your professional journey? In reality, running a business is often navigating the unknown, and in the early stages, I was frequently plagued by uncertainty and experienced significant emotional fluctuations. However, once I accepted that these uncertainties are something all entrepreneurs encounter, I began to find my anxiety diminishing. I believe that managing these anxieties is also an integral part of entrepreneurship. Trusting in my choices and persevering in the way I've chosen to go, I have faith that I will eventually reach the goals I aspire to achieve. 6. What advice would you offer to students pursuing their academic and professional goals? I hope that you won't hesitate to pursue what you want, even if you lack experience or knowledge. Whether you have a wealth of experience and knowledge or not, continuously learning and growing is a common journey. If you have passion or desire, I encourage you to take the first step without hesitation. And always remember that by giving your best effort in every moment, you will eventually see the fruits of your labor. So, try to do your best at all times.
2023.11.08 Hits 14774
#17 Interview with Janar Osmonaliev, a CS Graduate who went to Meta One of the best decisions you will ever make is to attending SUNY Korea, because not only is it a top-tier university system, but it also allows you to join an exceptional community to help build a global network for your international career. Janar Osmonaliev is a CS graduate who got accepted to Meta. Here is his story at SUNY Korea and a message to his colleagues who major in Computer Science. Q. Why did you choose to attend SUNY Korea? I always wanted to study overseas, either in the United States or South Korea. So, in that sense, not only did SUNY Korea align perfectly with my goals, it also offered me the best of both worlds. It is also worth noting that SUNY Korea provided me with a scholarship and financial aid during my studies, which was very crucial. Q. What are some of your valuable achievements during university? Personally, I think that successful completion of class projects with professors/students is an important one. They might seem insignificant from a macro perspective, but those small chunks of experience and knowledge helped me get where I am today. Q. What is your most memorable experience at SUNY Korea? Ha-ha, I do not think it’s possible to pick only one, there are just so many. But what I can say is that all of them were shared with my close friends and the staff I have met at SUNY Korea. Also, shout out to Student Affairs and Career Center teams, you guys are amazing! Q. I heard that you got a job at Meta. Congratulations! What was your motivation for applying to Meta? I guess it’s no secret that FAANG (used as a general term for top tech companies in the U.S. here) is the most sought-after place to work among engineers. It is a place where you can truly achieve your full potential and bring a positive impact to the world with your skills. Q. How has SUNY Korea prepared you for a career at Meta? FAANG companies have a very competitive applicant pool. Students need a very solid expertise in the engineering field they are interested in. Luckily, I was taught by some of the most passionate professors. I want to express my gratitude to Prof. Kwon for solid algorithms/data structures foundation, Prof. Omondi for nurturing a strong sense of principles/morals, Prof. Ryoo for giving extraordinary projects that improved my problem-solving skills, and finally Prof. Kuhn for mentorship and support of my initiatives. Q. Meta has a reputation for asking difficult interview questions. How did you prepare for the job interview? The job interview process was almost 2 months long - it was very challenging. I was interviewing in the Front End Engineering pipeline. Although I cannot share the details of the process, I would advise students to have an excellent understanding of JavaScript, specifically the features of ES6. Q. What will your job responsibility be at Meta? I am currently going through the bootcamp process, soon to select a team to join. I am really passionate about design and overall product quality. Therefore, I want to work on user-facing products with high impact. Q. Where do you see yourself in five years? I think it is an inherent human nature to strive for bigger and bigger achievements. Within the next 5 years, I want to gain more ownership of a product/service that I am passionate about. Apart from career growth, I also want to grow as a person and pursue a noble goal. I hope to dedicate more time towards nurturing enthusiasm for technology within the younger generation of people in Kyrgyzstan. Q. Do you have a message for SUNY Korea students? Be bold. Do not settle for mediocrity. Do not spend time trying to fit in. And finally, if you are passionate about something, try to bring something new or do it differently.
2022.08.05 Hits 29549
#16 A CS Graduate, Yu Jeong Shin, Becomes an LG Energy Solution Vision Systems Engineer The Department of Computer Science (CS) forms the foundation of your international career. A Korean student who has majored in Computer Science has experienced an international environment at SUNY Korea, which supported her to get a job at LG Energy Solution located in the States. Here is her story at SUNY Korea and how she made it as a Vision Systems Engineer at LG Energy Solution. Questions about SUNY Q. Why did you choose to attend SUNY Korea? I always aspired learned various cultures from various people, but I had no chance to study abroad before entering SUNY Korea. As a student who was only preparing for the Korean SAT, it was not an easy decision to go to a foreign country right after graduating high school. When I had these worries, I happened to find out about SUNY Korea, and it was the perfect school to solve my concerns. The number of students per professor is several times less than the average U.S. universities, so it is much easier to interact with professors. Also, with a small number of students, many friends including foreigners can interact more closely. By choosing SUNY Korea, I was able to learn various cultures, English, and even the field that I wanted to learn. Q. What are some of your valuable achievements during university? There is a saying that a Korean university is hard to enter, but easy to graduate, but a foreign university is not. I totally agree with that saying. However, as graduation is difficult, I could learn a lot about my major in depth. I earned three things during university. I learned how to communicate with people of various nationalities by using English. I learned the life of a U.S. university student. I became a semi-master in computer science. Q. What is your most memorable experience at SUNY Korea? The most memorable experience at SUNY Korea is doing team projects and assignments all night at CS commons. Also, I remember studying for exams with my friends in the library all night with energy drinks. Those memories make me feel nostalgic. Questions about LG Energy Solution Q. What was your motivation for applying to LG Energy Solution? As a Korean who studied abroad, I hope that Korea companies will expand their market globally. LG Energy Solution aggressively invests in the South America market, and is the number 1 company in the electric vehicle battery market. That’s why I applied to LG Energy Solution. Q. LG Energy Solution has a reputation for asking difficult interview questions. How did you prepare for the job interview? First of all, I collected as many interview questions as I could from LG Energy Solution through the internet, and I prepared all answers. Also, through the career center, I prepared common questions for the interview and got several tips for it. They coached me in detail about how to deal with unexpected questions, and even how to make eye contact through the video interview, and so on. Q. What is your job role at LG Energy Solution? My job title in LG Energy Solution is Vision Systems Engineer. Like any large company, LG Energy Solutions also outsources several software programs, including Machine Vision, to its vendors. These necessarily require maintenance through numerous variables in the manufacturing process. My role is to trouble shoot, and analyze/improve those vision systems using computer basis knowledge. Also, I am improving deep learning models for certain process. Q. Where do you see yourself in five years? In order to build a smart factory, computer vision systems have become an integral part, and the person dealing with them has become important as well. Also, most automakers, including Tesla, want to emulate the manufacturing process of LG Energy Solution, especially for vision systems. In five years, I hope to become an expert in this field and become a person who can greatly help LG Energy Solution maintain the world’s No.1 electric vehicle battery market. Q. Do you have a message for SUNY Korea students? Enjoy yourself and have fun during your time in college because it is a once in a life time opportunity. But also be sure to work hard.
2022.08.05 Hits 27947
#8 From Intern to Employee, The Story of FIT Aumni Kim Ye-Eun Everyone who works out these days knows about Mularwear. Not only is this brand popular for sportswear, but also for daily outfits as well. Let's meet a FIT (FBM major, Class of 2020) alumni, Yeeun Kim, who is working in the Mularwear Brand Strategy Team in charge of digital campaign managing, striving to strengthen brand awareness and positioning. Listen to the story from her starting as an intern to her becoming a brand marketer. Q1. Please introduce yourself briefly. Yeeun Kim: Hi, I’m Yeeun Kim. I graduated this year with a Fashion Business Management degree at FIT SUNY Korea. Q2. What is your current role and responsibility in Mularwear? Yeeun Kim: Mulawear is Korea’s first yoga wear brand, offering premium activewear, and is expanding to menswear and the athleisure market. Mularwear’s work culture is very flexible and casual. They have implemented a 4-day work schedule to encourage work-life balance and high work efficiency for their employees. There is always upbeat music playing in the office to boost their fun culture. Q3. I heard you started working as an intern. How did you prepare for the internship and did you have any difficulties preparing for it? Yeeun Kim: I think the hardest part for me was doing an interview with the FIT professors. I didn’t have a lot of interview experiences, so I looked up some tips online beforehand. On the flip side, because the interviewers were familiar faces to me, I could be more confident and was less afraid to make mistakes. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had just started when I was assigned to a company. Many companies were working at home, so my internship schedule kept being delayed. In the end, the company couldn’t take me, so I was assigned to Mulawear. I had researched into the previous company and their job, so I was a little flustered due to the sudden change. However, there were other students who have already started working at Mulawear, so I was able to ask for advice. Being with other students gave me a sense of support and made the internship process much easier. Q4. Please explain about the FIT Internship Course (IC297)? Yeeun Kim: IC297 is a course that provides internship opportunities as well as class lectures regarding career preparation. Through these lectures, we work on resumes, interviews, professionalism, and communication skills. We also share bits and pieces of our own internship experiences to gain insight on different career options. Additionally, individuals get to actually intern at matched companies 2-3 days a week. To sum it up, IC297 prepares you for real life after graduation. Q5. What is your current role and responsibility in Mularwear? Yeeun Kim: Currently, I am part of the Brand Strategy team, and our goal is to strengthen brand awareness and positioning. Within the team, my main responsibilities include social media activities and digital campaign management. I also work with brand exposure and sponsorship as well. As a team, we strategize long-term marketing activities and campaigns and work with PR. Q6. When was the most proud moment in your career? Yeeun Kim: My proudest moment in the company was when I was able to report positive results of the first project I managed. The project may not seem prominent to others, but it was the very first project that I managed alone, and it felt good to see the physical results of my efforts. Q7. What were your strengths because you were an FIT student? (Class, faculty, program, etc.) Yeeun Kim: Because our professors are still actively working in the fashion industry, we can get a lot of practical and helpful advice and knowledge aside from lectures and theories. They are always open to talking to students, so it’s easy to talk to them and ask for their opinions when it comes to studying or career. We also have guest speakers and field trips, which allows us to observe and learn about wider boundaries of the industry. Now that I am actually working, I realized that the foundation and knowledge that I picked up at school come in extremely handy in work situations. For example, our course on Excel has helped to handle real life data with ease. With the knowledge, I didn’t fall behind in professional conversations. Apart from merchandising and design, not a lot of people have fashion backgrounds, even in fashion companies. Having a fashion-specific background has let me bring in a new perspective to the team. Q8. What did you get the help from the SUNY Korea CDC? Yeeun Kim: First of all, since my internship opportunity was given by CDC, CDC has played a prominent role in starting my career after graduation. Since I lived abroad most of my life, I didn’t know much about Korea’s fashion industry and the options that were available to me. Thanks to CDC, I was given deeper insights and broader knowledge about possible careers in Korea. Through CDC, you can get your resumes reviewed and improved and that is definitely much more helpful and practical than relying on online resources. Furthermore, CDC followed-up during my internship days to make sure everything was going smoothly. Their active support goes beyond practical things, and I was able to feel secure and supported throughout the whole journey. Q9. What is your current role and responsibility in Mularwear? Yeeun Kim: Currently, I am part of the Brand Strategy team, and our goal is to strengthen brand awareness and positioning. Within the team, my main responsibilities include social media activities and digital campaign management. I also work with brand exposure and sponsorship as well. As a team, we strategize long-term marketing activities and campaigns and work with PR. 10. Do you have any advice for your friends preparing for internships? Yeeun Kim: My best tip would be to make the most out of school’s resources. The professors and CDC are great resources that are difficult to have access to outside of school. It is important to work hard and have a great attitude. Doing so, school will offer you with great opportunities. Then, it is our responsibility to make the most out of it. Even as an intern, your role may seem small at first, but the only way to make it bigger is hard work and great attitude.
2020.10.13 Hits 11648