Evgenya Kim certainly has left a positive mark on both Hunter College and the CUNY Athletic Conference. Now in her senior season as a member of the tennis team, the Flushing, N.Y., native is a four-time Conference Player of the Year and three-time Championships Most Valuable Player. She has led the Hawks to four championships and as many trips into the NCAA Championships.
Even more impressive though, is the balance she is able to find between academics and athletics. The Cardozo High School product currently holds a 3.753 grade point average in the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter, and is a double major in political science and English literature, with Honors.
During October, Kim helped the Hawks clinch an unprecedented tenth consecutive regular season championship by winning all eight of her singles matches at first singles. In fact, for her career, she finished her career with a 19-0 career record against conference opponents in the regular season. She ranks second all-time in program history with a 61-6 career singles record, is the all-time leader in singles winning percentage at .910, is tied for first in career doubles wins with a 52-14 record, and is the all-time leader in combined singles/doubles wins at 115-20.
But it is balance in life that Kim seeks. A dedicated humanist, she is interning with the Open Society Institute through the George Soros Foundation, promoting and safeguarding the fundamental human rights of people across the globe. It is no wonder that for the 2009 season, Kim was also voted the Sportsmanship Award by the Conference’s coaches for her courteous demeanor.
Kim finds it challenging to juggle school, tennis, work, family, and her personal life, and has plans to remain busy through the end of the school year, finishing school and leading the Hawks into the NCAA Championships. After that, things get a little hazy. Kim plans on taking a year or two off before heading to graduate school, using the time “to work and try out different fields to find where my heart is. I am passionate about helping people. I see myself bringing real change all around the world.
“I am really humbled and thrilled to be named the HSS Scholar-Athlete of the Month,” Kim continued. “I am very glad to see that student-athletes are acknowledged for their hard work, dedication, and love for sport.”