President Obama praises Fremont high school student
FREMONT, Calif. -- President Obama recognized the achievements of a Bay Area teenager Wednesday in his annual back-to-school speech.
Will Kim, as student in Mission San Jose High School in Fremont said getting a shout-out from the president came as a "big surprise."
I heard "The White House called and I was stunned," Kim said.
In his address, President Obama said "Students like Will Kim from Fremont, California, who launched a non-profit that gives loans to students from low income schools who want to start their own business."
Kim is the founder of Happy Day Microfunds, a website with a goal of helping student entrepreneurs.
He says the idea came from a practice SAT reading section on microfunds.
"There was no program for young kids to get involved and there was no way that I could get involved in micro-lending, so I decided to make it myself," said Kim.
So with a few friends, he set to work.
"At first we were going to fund-raise by asking for donations, but that's just way too boring," Kim said. "So we decided to do games."
So far, he's raised thousands of dollars from dodgeball tournaments and other games and built a team of fellow students.
The non-profit has already begun giving out loans, including one to a young woman in Bangladesh and one to Erika Simmons of Oakland who started an accessory business.
Mission San Jose High School's principal said she is proud of Will Kim.
"He really is doing it for altruistic reasons, which is the best type of kid at all," said Sandra Prairie.
Kim is a a young man who's motto is "always stay on the move." As he said, "Just do what you love and just keep going from there."
Will Kim is graduating this year and he plans to continue working on Happy Day Microfunds and eventually expand it nationwide.
Photo caption: President Barack Obama, Sept. 28, 2011. (AP/Susan Walsh); William Kim (KTVU/Happy Day Microfunds)
