Jin Hyuk Ho: Founder to Fatherhood

Jin Hyuk Ho,’16: From Student Founder to Real Fatherhood

By Hyunkyu Eddie Choi ‘22 APIA major

Jin Hyuk Ho graduated as a selfdesigned Asian Pacific Islander American Studies major in 2016. One of the student founders of the program, Jin’s name is often referred to by APIA professors. Art & Hatsuye feature editor Eddie Choi caught up with Jin to give us a closer view of what he has pursued after completing his studies at William & Mary.

If you’re doing anything APIA-related at William & Mary, chances are that you may have heard the name “Jin Hyuk Ho” at some point. I, for one, got my initial glimpse of Jin when I was deciding whether to declare as a major; specifically, I watched his honors documentary film on the necessity of APIA at our university. I remember being taken aback when I learned that the program’s founding cohort included a third culture Korean student like myself. Ever since this discovery, I had always been fascinated by Jin’s story, but he was always an alum I could only admire from afar. This remained the case until recently, when I had the privilege of finally getting to talk to Jin over the phone one-on-one. As it turns out, Jin had gone through a series of major life events such as completing graduate school, getting a non-profit job, and even starting a family. Firstly, thank you for being so willing to chat with Art & Hatsuye, and congratulations on your marriage last summer! If you don’t mind sharing, how did you two meet, and what are some differences you are noticing in your life post-marriage? Jin: Of course! I met Elaine through a mutual friend during my time as a graduate student at Penn. She was a Law student at Drexel University, which is literally right next to where I was. From there, everything flowed naturally--and quickly too--and here I am, 26, about to have a baby. He’s actually due really soon on November 6th. Additional congratulations! You must be really excited to meet him. Besides your married life, what have you been up to lately? Do you have any exciting updates or news you would like to share? Jin: Thank you. Other than the baby, I really don’t know if there is any bigger life update! Could you please tell us about your work as Development Manager at Playworks? Jin: Playworks is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to utilize play and recess to enhance learning in children. Our goal is to give recess an educational purpose rather than treating it like mere playtime where kids waste time, or, in worse cases, develop toxic habits like bullying. The organization’s headquarters are in Oakland, California, and there are smaller offices in just about every major U.S. city. I work at the Philadelphia office, and since the start of the pandemic I have mostly been doing fundraising work. How did APIA prepare you for your present career?

Jin: When I was at W&M, I was the director of the Asian American Students Initiative and a goal that I had with my colleagues was to make APIA a “thing” at the university, because it was something that just wasn’t there despite its importance. Unlike the traditional path for many majors, which I am sure also have their share of difficulties, my career trajectory wasn’t predetermined. I had to figure out how to make certain things tangible from the bottom up, and that meant figuring out budgeting and working with administrators like the Provost and the President. Usually, stuff like this happens after college, since you are typically guided and there is an established path for you to follow when you’re still a student. When you look at how far the program has come over the years, how do you feel? Jin: Honestly, my very immediate reaction would be that the growth of APIA at William & Mary occurred at a much quicker pace than I had anticipated. Even when just the

minor got voted in at the tail end of 2015, it was a very big deal because that was a result of a three-year process. I remember President Reveley (who was the university’s president at the time) telling me that it would require at least a million dollars to get a tenured professor, and there were other aspects to consider as well, so I would not have imagined such a rapid growth. You seem to have been keeping in touch with people in the APIA program, such as Professor Francis Tangalao Aguas who connected us for this interview. What was it like to work with him and the other faculty? Jin: I loved it. This kind of close bond between the students and professors is not something you can typically find in other departments, so that was definitely one of the most beneficial aspects for me. The fact that my professors had the time and space to develop relationships with me was really nice. For instance, Bene (Professor R. Benedito Ferrão) came to my wedding last year, and not many people can say stuff like this about their professors. Do you think we will risk losing the tight community bonds as our program grows with more and more students?

Jin: Obviously, the bonds that exist in the [program] will most likely not look the same when that growth is achieved. But that would also mean that the [program] would have become its own self-sustaining organism, rather than one that people are constantly fighting to keep alive. I’m pretty sure that there will be ways to maintain the intimacy of the community, just that it will look very different from now. Now that you shared even more details about your journey, it’s bizarre to think that I may not be where I am--majoring in APIA with the goal of becoming a counselor for minorities seeking a sense of belonging--had you not attended William & Mary before me. So thank you, really, for everything you’ve done for us. Jin: Thank you! That really means a lot. But like I said, even I would not have expected this kind of outcome. You know, when you try to start something in college, it starts off as almost a funny idea since you have doubts and think that maybe you’re dreaming. You start to wonder if it’s actually tangible and if you’re really going to end up pursuing it. Even for my colleagues and I, we started off with a big goal, but it stayed that way for the first few years because we’d frequently gather informally or hold meetings where we worked on other projects. That’s not to say we let the goal get out of sight, as you can see with the current program’s state. This experience really taught me that college efforts aren’t nothing, that they actually can make a difference.

I love that. I hope your story inspires many other college students to come. Do you have anything you would like to say to current and future APIA students?

Jin: I would like to emphasize that learning is a two-step process. It’s obviously important to become aware and learn about different communities and their histories that aren’t commonly taught in mainstream education. But what does this first step mean to you? How are you going to use this knowledge to create something meaningful? APIA is different from other majors because it’s relatively small and new, but that doesn’t mean it’s less important. It just means there are more to be explored and more meaningful creations to be made. And speaking of explorations, what do you have in mind for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Jin: That’s a good question actually. For the past three years, I have been helping nonprofits raise money, so either I continue on with this, or I see myself on the other side of this task, meaning I would work for foundations that are in charge of giving out their raised money to help those in need. But that’s only career-wise, and my main concern would be trying to raise my son right! UPDATE: In late October of 2020, Jin and Elaine welcomed their son, Liam Ho, into this world. The Art & Hatsuye staff would like to send congratulations and wish nothing but well-being to their family.

ALL ABOUT LIAM

- Name: Liam Alexander Ho

- Favorite food: Milk only for now! - Story of his name: My wife, Elaine, wanted something that sounded regal. Also, she’s a big believer that names can change the course of someone’s future, and

Liam Alexander sounded like someone handsome and successful to her. All I did was say “ok.” - Weight: currently about 12 pounds. - Time of birth: 4:25 AM

- Does he let his Mom and Dad sleep?

Absolutely not. Fingers crossed we get some in the next few months!

- What’s the most adorable thing about him?

When he’s hungry and asks for food! - Tips for future dads: If it wasn’t difficult, you wouldn’t love your child as much. - What device is most helpful to new parents? The Baby Brezza is a lifesaver! - Favorite toy: too young still! 19