Hoover graduate wins Most Valuable Student scholarship

When Eric Kim first submitted his scholarship application to the local Bessemer Elks Lodge last October, he never imagined that he would go on to become the top male finalist of the 2014 Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship. Eric was chosen as one of three state winners, and his application was then sent to compete for the top 20 national finalists among 500 state winners. He was selected as one of the top 20 finalists to attend a leadership weekend in Chicago and emerged as the grand winner of the 2014 ENF MVS scholarship, the first ever in the state of Alabama. At the Elks National Convention in July, Eric delivered his acceptance speech to more than 7,000 people in New Orleans.

Eric is the youngest son of Mr. Hyunggyoon Kim and Mrs. Myunghee Kim and graduated last May from Hoover High School with an International Baccalaureate diploma. With a GPA of 4.7, Eric graduated as Hoover’s class valedictorian and scored a 35 on the ACT. In addition to academic excellence, Eric has been involved in a variety of school and local activities. Eric was the president of the Hoover High School’s Spanish club, a member of the National Honor Society and debate and math team. He also showed a strong commitment to the community by volunteering with programs such as the Crisis Center of Birmingham and Special Equestrians as well as tutoring younger students in ACT prep and math. 

Eric has been accepted into the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and will continue to pursue a career in medicine. 

--Submitted by Hyunggyoon Kim