Stella Chun is currently working as a Technical Sales Specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a biotech companyShe has been involved in KSEA since 2009She was introduced to KSEA through participating in the Young Generation Technical Leadership Conference (YGTLC, now Ygnite)She started to get more involved in KSEA as she became an organizer for Seattle YGTLC, in the following years, she continued to organize as team lead, co-chair, eventually chair at Ygnite 2017She expanded her involvement as YG Director is currently the YG/YP Executive Director actively participates in executive council meetings to advocate for young professional members of KSEA.

Hello, Stella! Can you introduce yourself briefly to those who are reading this?

Hi, my name is Stella ChunI was born in Korea, grew up in CanadaCurrently, I am located in NYC working at Thermo Fisher Scientific as a Technical Sales SpecialistIt is my honor to be here – thanks for the invite.

Thanks for agreeing to be featured in our interview! We would like to hear more about your career journeyHow did you get involved a job at a biotech company? Did you know what you wanted to work for when you were an undergraduate student?

NoBack when I was in undergraduate school at the University of Ottawa,  I was a pre-med – pursuing to become a doctorWhile I was studying Medical Genetics, I got involved in the researchFortunately enough, I met a great PI became the first author of the publicationSo, I thought if medicine didn’t work out, I would stay in research.  I didn’t realize how difficult doing research was until graduate schoolUnlike the first time, I couldn’t have more publicationsHowever, I managed well in my grades applied for medical schools.

It’s interesting to hear that originally, you wanted to become a doctor! 

YesI was sure that I wanted to become a doctorEven now, sometimes I look back think about trying againSo, while I was applying interviewing for medical schools, I started to work at a biotech company as a sales representative, thinking that it’ll be a temporary job, here I am today, still as a sales rep.

I seeAs you mentioned earlier, did you want to go back to school after a few years into your job?

Yes no because during that time, the format of MCAT was changed I started liking the job more moreBeing a sales rep, I’m constantly learning new things working on new projectsIt was a steep learning curve during the 1 year, even today, I’m still learning new aspects of the job.

YesI also agree that many factors play in our lives when it comes to making such career decisionsWhen did you get involved KSEA?

It was the Young Generation Forum (YGF) 2008 in Seoul, Korea, when I was introduced to  KSEA friendsWhen I got to meet new friends from YGF, it was an eye-opening eventThough I had a balanced student life in undergraduate school, I realized I was a “big fish in a small pond”We had a fun time, yet it was also a reality check of learning about motivated people.

I also remember my first time being at a KSEA event having a similar experienceDid you go back to other KSEA events after?

Yes, I attended the following year’s YGTLC (current, Ygnite) in Dallas, TX, met over 100 students who were like me, but more well-rounded in terms of extracurricular activities, research, moreIt was a wake-up call for me to do more things as a studentAlso, the more I attended KSEA events, the more I wanted to move to the USA to pursue my dream.

That sounds great! It sounds like KSEA has provided new perspectives friendships.

That is one of the reasons why I stayed active within KSEAI have met numerous friends that I still keep in touch withWe value the community the platform we have within KSEA to communicate from generation to generation.

I really appreciate that you have served us as an organizer for YGTLC, Team lead, Co-chair, Chair not to mention YG Director, publication director, membership directorWhat changes have you seen KSEA YG across your involvement in the past few years? 

Thinking back to my first experience KSEA YG, we have grown so muchThe first YGTLC I attended had about 100 participantsThen, it has grown to about ~200 participants per yearNot only has the size of the group grown, but also the structure has been established many people have put in efforts to keep it a healthy environment.

What is your goal for KSEA YG?

I would like to provide similar experiences to the YGs that I was fortunate to haveNetworking is essential for personal growthIt will help you expyour perspectives also motivate each otherSo, I would like to provide that environment for future KSEA members.

Thank you so much for your time talking to us about your experience involvement KSEA! We look forward to seeing you achieve your goals see your impact on KSEA’s growth.