Alumni Feature: Emma Kim Interview

Our Executive Director, Owen, has been busy interviewing LBN alumni to learn more about their experience with Learning Buddies! Those early volunteers and founders played an indispensable role for LBN and it’s growth, their experience and advice could also be valuable for our organization. This month’s interviewee is Emma Kim, one of LBN’s first volunteers and board member! Emma now works in the UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences to support the health of individuals in our community.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview, Emma! We’re grateful for all the work you put into LBN and are so proud of how it has grown from your initial efforts.

Owen: Thank you for joining us for this interview. To start off, could I ask you to just share what your involvement with the Learning Buddies Network was?

Emma: I was involved very early with Learning Buddies. I remember us getting together and trying to choose a name for Learning Buddies from the very beginning with representatives. I met Alisa and her entire team of dedicated members [...].

I started as a volunteer [...] and then a site coordinator in Richmond. Then, I took on the Operations Manager position in school. [...] Then my life got busy when I started working as a pharmacist, so I took less of the obligations and took an advisory role. At a board level, I attended meetings and gave my two-cents and recommendations. And that really took off! It was a long time ago, probably more than ten years ago.

Owen: Oh my goodness that's so [amazing]. I didn’t know that you're the former Operations Manager. Can you [tell me more about your experience]?

Emma: Yeah, I have my worries and blessings and celebrations. I remember staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 AM at night. [...] It was a very grassroots operation at the time; then gradually, we turned into a more organized volunteering program. [...] I'm very proud of how far it's come.

Owen: That's so valuable to hear. Thank you! Yeah, I think we've definitely [gone] a long way since you were the Operations Manager. [Now,] I have a team of sixteen staff members. None of us are full-time employees—we all work part-time. But we are all paid staff who are here behind the scenes, running the operations.

Emma: That was not the norm. Back in the day, we were all just university [and] high school kids trying to help the little buddies. And it also benefited us in return—like finding [out] more about ourselves and what our career goals are.

[...] A lot of our colleagues or friends wanted to [enter] the medical field, [...] dental school, and then some people have found passion elsewhere, like education. We all contributed part-time, but I think every one of us was personally dedicated to the buddies that we see. It makes a huge difference and it's a really good program—it adds the meaning to learning.

Owen: It's such a magical program here and I've seen such brilliant people come into this organization who are, like you said, drawn to the mission and who stay around because of how much they love the organization. [...] That's amazing! Could you tell me a little bit more about what being an Operations Manager with like in a nonprofit that was just starting?

Emma: I definitely lacked the one-to-one interaction with the little buddies, so I couldn't see [the] day-to-day benefit of what the program offered. But I overheard and indirectly saw the benefits and impact it made in the community. I worked with site coordinators, [...] and I think there were 12 programs all over the Lower Mainland and [...] in inner city areas. The site coordinators, as well as the teachers and administrators in the school board were a huge help. [They] also helped with putting out fires if there were any logistical issues; [they even helped with] getting a little buddy to the location that the big buddies were at and [organized the] training.

I did most of the training, actually. Every term, [we] developed curriculum with the teachers, who have dedicated their entire life [to education] and know so much about it, and put [their knowledge] into a concise form. That way, people without any education [experience], who are peer volunteers, could absorb and incorporate that [training] into our lesson plans. [...] I also attended the board meetings to get some ideas from the higher people who have bigger views in life and have more context with day-to-day operations. It took a lot of energy, but it was really rewarding.

Owen: Well, I’m glad you found it rewarding. That's really amazing! Thank you for doing all of the work to get LBN started and to get us to where we are today. Because if there wasn't someone like you in that operations capacity at that time, we would not be where we are today quite honestly. I know from experience how difficult it was, and I can only imagine how much more difficult it was without all the resources that we now have.

Emma: Yeah, back then it [was like] nudging someone's arm [and saying], “Hey, come do this. It’ll be fun!” And it did turn out fun. [There are] obligations and [...] most people are busy, as we all know. But when people really realize what an impact they have on the child, [...] it's very, very rewarding. People tend to stay on because of that.

Owen: Yeah! I've been here for seven years; I started off as a volunteer and they've kind of just looped me in, and I'm stuck here now. [Laugh] But it's quite remarkable.

Emma: You know, our founder, Dr. Lipson? She's so dedicated. Nobody asked her to put her time into the work, and she has better things in life. But having someone to look up to—having a mentor like that—changed me as a young adult in shaping my views and what I wanted in life. So it was a good mentoring program for me—I wasn't just offering, I was also in the learning process and finding out more about myself.

Owen: I completely agree. You're the first person in these interviews to actually share that perspective. But yeah, a hundred percent.

Emma: It's not something that you can put a dollar amount to. I am where I am now because I know myself more. I used to be a lab geek: molecular biology labs, sequencing, lots of PCRs; I work in pharmaceuticals at UBC. But day-to-day, you talked to the petridish and the pipettes and all that. I compared it to the interaction that I get with human life and the changes I can make, and that's how I chose healthcare to be my calling. Because it was really rewarding. I wanted to see the impact it has in front of me at a different level. [...] The personal touch was really important. That's the kind of stuff I wanna do in life. Choosing a career is important and you need to be satisfied with what you do.

Owen: That is so huge. Thank you! That's a perfect segway into the next question here, what are you doing now for your career?

Emma: So I work in the UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences. The primary care pharmacy is a shared task between UBC Pharmacy and Northern Health. [...] My main job is to keep people out of the hospital, keep them healthy and well-maintained in their medication regimen, and make sure someone is there providing them support more than the dispensary level. Because people often the majority of the pharmacists that you see in the community are providing products and some medical advice. But no one really [...] has been compensated for sitting down for a full workup: “What's going on? Is this working for you? What have you had?” [...] So I work with providers, meaning prescribers and medical practitioners and nurses, physio, OT, social workers, and patients too. I [maintain] patient-centered care and provide more of a interprofessional care to the medical aspect of their health. That's another reason why I chose this job. I could see the impact in front of me [and I get to] check in with the patient. So that's where I am now. I would like to say, this is my career goal. This was my dream—it still is.

Owen: That's so amazing! That is so incredible. And you're based in Prince [right now], so you're calling in from Prince George?

Emma: Yeah.

Owen: So thank you, first off, for calling. I have a friend who actually is from Prince George. It's drastically different from life here in the Lower Mainland.

Emma: Very different. It's got perks, it's got downsides. [Like] missing Asian food. I just cope with it, meaning I cook at home. I make most of the Asian meals and figured out a way to get by. But bubble tea is still missing here, you know? Korean barbecues are also missing, but I get to see my family because I live up in places where I can afford travel.

Owen: I see.

Emma: You get to pick and choose what the priorities are in your life, especially in a community like here where they're really welcoming. I’ve lived in other communities before and they’re very welcoming, even within the medical community. [...] [They have] less of an ego in the healthcare system [...] And it [fits my lifestyle], so [its] been good.

Owen: That is so incredible, wow! You have such an interesting journey. Could you speak more about what LBN did to shift you away from working in the lab and doing research to more of a patient-focused career?

Emma: Well, I wanted to be a teacher at some point. [...] It was always so rewarding and just exhilarating. I used to get peer tutors in high school. I'm a science geek, so when I have a friend who struggled with biology, I would talk about how the digestive system worked and [...] make a story out of it. And everyone has their own style. What I explained to my mother does not go well with what I explained to my friends. You have to use [different ways] they can relate to, and use different methods to get all the points across. It feeds into my wish to be creative. I love to be creative, but also, I'm a geek. I love information, scientific information, and clinical data, but it's a work of art as well, right?

So all of that tied in, especially when I talk to my little buddy. [...] English is the hardest language you can think of [learning], especially if you're struggling. Subject, verb, and pronouns—there are rules to it, just like math. [...] I’m trying to explain things like Lego pieces, for example. [...] It’s like finding the pieces that make sense for [my buddy so that it relates] to her better. Then, she can actually put the words together, pronounce it better, and make sense of it.

And [this] got me thinking [about] healthcare. I know from my personal experience, [...] that the more you understand, the better outcome there is for you to translate information [relating to medicine]. Medical information is just another language. It's very new. It takes a lot of practice to get used to it. [...] You have to be open-minded and you can't expect them to get it the first time. And you also have to be very persistent and have patience.

But there are small wins along the way, and that was enough for me to get it going. [The same goes with] healthcare. It was the personal interaction that really drew me into it, but being flexible is one of the reasons why I wanted this job. [...] That ability and autonomy, which I saw in Learning Buddies, are the things that I got to do with Alisa. And she was always supportive of anything I wanted to do as long as it made sense. And as long as it made sense, we get service to the kids that we needed to give.

I applied the same thing in my job and it suits me really well. [...] I'm a mom of a 15 or 16 months kid. I can't keep track of the little [one all the time]. She's a monster, but I get to be flexible and provide the care that I need for my own family. And I wanted to choose a career that [can pay] that bill. I didn't want to choose a career that needed me to extensive amounts that I can't provide the time [that] I wanted for my family. That was a big priority in my life. With LBN, you can see what you like and what you don't like. [...] It’s [helping you] know yourself better. So, I think it's had a monumental change and a huge impact on what I ended up doing with my life. After all, I didn't know that back then.

Owen: That is so huge! Thank you. I wanna just talk with you for hours personally about what you've learned from working with Alisa.

Emma: We can have another coffee break over this.

Owen: Yeah. In the future, I would really appreciate that. I think learning from Alisa has been just miraculous, and I completely understand how she just lets you go with anything as long as it makes sense. I've had the exact same experience and she's just been so incredibly supportive all along the way.

Emma: Yeah. you need to get in contact with her. We kind of lost touch, but our hearts are in the same place. But yeah, say hi and hello to her [for me], and maybe call me one day [if she has time].

Owen: I will! I'll bring that up when I meet with her next Thursday. That's amazing! Thank you. Sorry, do you have a bit more time here?

Emma: Yes!

Owen: I know we're out of our 15 minutes. There are two more questions [actually]. What advice do you have for current LBN volunteers?

Emma: Good question. It's really hard to [give just one]. [...] Even if you're not helping with math or reading, you being there has a huge potential for positive change in your little buddy. I'm sure that's why you signed up, otherwise, why would you be there volunteering your time? Also, you won't know it now, but it benefits you in many ways. I hope it's not just a one-way devotion of your time, and [that] whatever you end up doing in life [you’ll receive the benefits].

The university volunteers that I had did [LBN] for a term or two, and then they decided, “Oh, this is probably not something I want to do forever.” Some people have stayed on for a few years, but they eventually go into something else. But I hope that [LBN] sticks with you, and [that you] know your future life has a far [greater] impact than you actually realize at the moment.

That's what I see with patients too. Sometimes, I didn't provide any solution, but patients thought they were cared for and listened to. And the people [at LBN] don't have that access. So you are doing yourself a favor, and at the same time, helping someone else. Even if you don't see it day-to-day, [...] you [physically] being there actually makes a huge impact.

And early access is crucial. Just like anything in life, the earlier you identify the problem, the easier it is to fix. [...] [These kids often don’t have] that access to private tutoring or more focused mentoring because it requires financial aid [or] a different set of educational systems. [For example,] how many high school teachers did you have in biology or math? One. How many kids are in a class? A lot. So even if they wanted to give you a tailored program table or a tailored mentor, [...] they won't have that access. That gap is going to be exponentially big to a point [that] they can't dream for the next level. You're making a huge impact. I hope you know that and I hope you dream better because of it.

Owen: Wow. Thank you! That was so beautiful. I think that's an analogy of patient-centered care where you focus on the individual patient, right? [...]

Emma: Everybody learns differently. Everybody has different methods, but we can only cater to what pleases the [people] most. [...] Or [using] one-to-one care—mentorship programs—like Learning Buddies. You're providing that gap and it is going to make a huge [difference].

Owen: And you're doing it for people that need the help the most.

Emma: [...] Some days it's messed up. Some days it won't be fun, and some kids don't get the point. But [during those] dark days, remind yourself. This is for the better.

Owen: Emma, that was so, so beautiful. Thank you! You actually see what the mission is and see the organization. That's so amazing. It’s also inspired me too! [Laugh] Thank you, Emma. Seriously. Wow! Okay. I think my last question here is what is your most memorable experience from Learning Buddies Network?

Emma: That's a tough question. One of the struggles was finding buddies. I just remember staying up at 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM looking at my spreadsheet on Google and worrying about it, like, “I don’t think we’re going to make it.” I know [...] it doesn’t affect me directly. But I remember just caring so much that it actually got to my mental health and physically health. So I learned that I need to care for myself. Self-care is most important before you help others.

And then the next thing was a little buddy. I don't know if you saw the video of this little kid. It was a terrible VHS type of quality back in the day. This little buddy came in the first time and [...] she can't even read one word from another. [...] But she was so excited about reading. [That doesn’t happen] unless you have a positive mentor in your life. I've seen it happen in front of me, so I believe it's true. It happened.

Owen: Like you've actually seen it happen. Yeah.

Emma: And this program [is set up to provide] mentorship in a tier program. It's not just the little buddies, but the [Mentors] also benefit from the tutoring. [...] [Have you talked to Serge?]

Owen: Yeah. I reached out to him and sent him an email as well. Matan also brought up Serge.

Emma: He's one of my favorite memories because he's now a pharmacist too. [...] I had him over for dinner one time—and he's a grown-up man [now]. He found himself. I know we've ended up in different sectors, [...] but I believe he's making a difference in his own ways and it's made a positive impact in his own life.

Owen: Wow, I will reach out to Serge right now.

Emma: I like to think I was somewhat of a person that he can talk to. Not as a mentor, [...] but we respected each other for us to be available to talk, to talk frankly about things and career goals.