At just 4 years old, Jiwon Kim recognized that society is not equitable—and she decided to do something about it.

In May 2021, Kim reaches a milestone in her mission by graduating from the University of Iowa College of Education with a PhD in counselor education and supervision. She wants to explore and facilitate the career development of women and members of minority populations, particularly by probing career-related factors that may have been under-studied or overlooked altogether.

“While working as a counselor in a women’s vocational school for my master’s internship, I could see that a lot of female college students were suffering from intimate partner violence. Because of the abusive relationship, they couldn’t pay enough attention to their academic work and career-related tasks,” says Kim, who was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. “That piqued my interest in the connection between various aspects of women’s lives and their career development.”

With a doctoral degree from Iowa and a faculty appointment on the horizon at Creighton University, Kim has the potential to impact thousands of students by teaching future counselor educators. She expects her knowledge, counseling experience, and research to benefit her teaching.

In her dissertation study, which focused on female first-generation college students, Kim found that the existence of role models is important for mitigating perceptions of career barriers. In other studies, she found that childhood trauma and intimate partner violence can negatively influence the career adaptability of female college students.

Indeed, the advisers Kim had in her two graduate programs played a key role in her career development.

“After getting my master’s degree, I was on the fence about pursuing a doctoral degree,” Kim says. “My master’s adviser told me, ‘You are such an ambitious person, and you will not be satisfied if you stop here. It will not be easy, but go for it!’ It was such a powerful moment for me. I felt empowered. He was the first person who identified my ambition.”

That encouragement continued at the University of Iowa, Kim says. Faculty members the Counselor Education and Supervision Program were quick to respond to her initial inquiry and even introduced her to another international student in the program.

“I felt like I got support from Iowa before I even applied,” she says. “The faculty in the Counselor Education and Supervision Program are willing to facilitate students’ growth, even if that means taking on more responsibilities. When I asked for their help, they were always there.”

Susannah Wood, associate professor in the UI College of Education and Kim’s doctoral adviser, says Kim has a perspective and work ethic that will inspire her future students.

“Jiwon instinctively knows that a person’s life is never a straight line. Life is messy. While everyone encounters obstacles, women have unique barriers to their career development. And not all have role models or resources or supports to help them overcome those obstacles,” Wood says. “She believes that counselors, and counselor educators, need to have a deeper understanding of both the strengths women bring into their own career development as well as the many barriers they face. This understanding is even more necessary if counselors are going to provide effective services to women from marginalized populations.”

Kim sees a role for herself in the United States in academia and in social justice work, and says she ultimately wants to spread positive messages and promote equity.

“I’m very excited about my life and what other kinds of things I can achieve. I would like to use my voice to fight against stereotypes, biases, and microaggressions based on racism and sexism,” she says. “One of my dreams is to inspire girls who face restraints but have ambitions and career aspirations. I want to be an encouraging, empowering, and empathetic role model, especially to the adolescents and students I will be teaching, and I feel like I am on the way to achieving that dream. Every day I become more passionate and aspiring.”