“As we get to know someone, we tug at a river of tendrils framing a person–shaped hole,” writes Sarahbelle Kim on her second Instagram account, Swimming Magazine.
We’re on Zoom, but I can already tell that Sarahbelle Kim (C ‘25) is dressed to the nines. A fashion aficionado who cuts her own bangs, Sarahbelle exudes creative energy. She sings, she writes, and she throws transcendental parties as a member of the Herzog House.
But at her core, Sarahbelle is a friend. She’s a girl who carries a deep–seated love for the friends and transformative relationships she’s been able to nurture during her time at Penn. Whether she’s driving from San Francisco to Vancouver with her roommates, as she did this summer, writing profiles on the people she admires, or organizing a photoshoot for The Walk, Sarahbelle brings a distinct care to the world around her.
Name: Sarahbelle Kim
Hometown: Manhasset, Long Island
Major: Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Activities: Creative Director of The Walk, VP of Events for Penn Fashion Collective, Penn Counterparts, Penn Songwriters, Herzog House
What have you been up to this summer?
So this summer, I interned at Bloomingdale's. I really want to go into the business side of fashion. So that's what I was doing for June and July. And then right after that, I went on my big road trip. So I went with my roommates from Herzog. It was five or six of my friends and a bunch of them live on the West Coast, so it was kind of a goodbye trip for some of the seniors. But it was also just really nice to see everyone before I go abroad.
You mentioned Herzog. I want to know a little bit about what it was like for you to find community here at Penn. What does that community mean to you?
Yeah, it means a lot to me because I'm a transfer student. I got here my sophomore year, and Penn is really overwhelming at first, but I really wanted to find a community and Herzog, I just kind of fell into it because my friend Tina pulled me in when I was looking for housing. So I started living there my junior year, and it just totally blew me away. It exceeded my expectations. It was so nice to find a cohesive group of people that were all doing different things and are super interesting, and we're not attached at the hip, but at the same time, we all get along really well. And it's ten people living in the same house. One of them is actually not a Penn student but goes to circus school, but it's been super fun to just hang out with them on the roof, but also put together parties throughout the year.
You sing, you write, you do fashion … where does your creative spark come from and how do you cultivate it?
It comes from a lot of different places. In terms of fashion, I'm just super interested in the world of fashion and learning about the history. But even more than the aesthetics of it, I think it's about the people and being around other creative people. I just always feel so inspired. Similar to the house, I'm just always inspired by people who are doing different things than I am. Which is also why, last year, I started this little side project called Swimming Magazine. It's literally just an Instagram account, and I like to post profiles with my best friends and also people that I don't know so well, but it's cool. Just like what you're doing right now, it's fun to interview and take a little look into other people's worlds.
Who are your fashion inspirations right now?
That’s so hard. I really love Patti Smith, who is a singer–songwriter, amazing writer, and her style is really cool, kind of androgynous?
When do you think you sort of came into your own sense of style?
It changes all the time. I think, maybe after during high school, I just stopped giving a shit—caring—about what other people think. I gravitate towards colors. I think that's kind of the main thing, like, when I'm shopping, to think about are, do I like the color? I tend to gravitate towards blues. And the other thing is, will I wear this when I'm 50 years old? Like, way down the line? I really don't like when I have to throw things away, so I just focus on longevity and what makes me feel good.
Do you feel like all these different creative things that you do—like singing, writing, fashion—do you feel like they blend into each other, or are they different endeavors for you?
I think that they are just different ways in which I navigate life. Writing and singing, it honestly just helps me get through the day. A lot of times, if I'm having just a tough week, I will have to sit down and either write something about my journal or write a song about it. And I just find it so cathartic. It makes me feel better. I've always really loved to sing.
And Swimming [Magazine] is also just kind of like a diary for me. I can write down my thoughts on different subjects, and it helps me focus on continuously learning. But I will say I haven't really posted anything on there in a while, because I've just been so insanely busy this summer. But hopefully, when I go abroad, I'll have more time.
This summer, you were working in the business side of fashion? Do you feel like you still had space for your creative side there? Or do you think it was working a different part of your brain?
I think definitely both. Bloomingdale's really emphasizes, just a mixture between creativity and commerce, and it was a digital internship, but it was also very focused on buying, which relates to the clothing itself and the product. So, yeah, I think it definitely helped me strike a good balance, but also pushed me to think a little bit more analytically than I normally do.
How do you feel like you’ve changed since you first came to Penn and what parts of you are untouched?
I think I've always loved to write. I used to go to Brandeis University, and while I was there, I was more focused on writing. I was a comparative literature major. I also studied journalism, so I was doing a lot of reporting back then, more so than I do now. But I would say I'm still in touch with that side. And then when I came to Penn, the atmosphere is just very different on campus, everything's a little bit more fast paced. People are doing a million different things. [...] I've learned to just reach out to try more things and not be scared of taking risks.
When you look back on your college time in forty years, what story from your time here do you think you’ll still be telling?
Definitely, stories from my house at Herzog, anything related to my friends. I think those are the long lasting memories. Somebody was telling me about a study where they were interviewing people on their deathbeds. They asked what they are most proud of and what they'll remember, and they always say relationships. So I definitely think it's the relationships that I've cultivated over the course of my time at Penn. Just the people that I found are really special.
Any shoutouts?
Tina, who pulled me into Herzog. Also my co–creative directors of The Walk—Vic Rosa and Darya Ameri. Super awesome people and great to work with. And I could not have gone last year without them.
What’s on your senior year bucket list?
I'm so sad that I have to leave soon. Um, but when I get back, I'm really excited for Feb Club, but I also want to go out and see more of Philly before I go, just because I really like Philly as a city. My hot take is that I like Philly a lot better than Boston, which is where I was located when I went to Brandeis.
Lightning Round:
What’s your song of the summer? “I’ll Know” by Fiona Apple.
Guilty pleasure at the moment? Watching ridiculous TV shows and eating a lot of radishes.
Favorite class you’ve taken? Filming the Future of Philadelphia.
Last book your read? The Coral Sea by Patti Smith.
There are two types of people at Penn… SABSers and non SABSers.
And you are? I would say SABSer.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Do you know that one senior who brings a smile to everyone's face or always has the craaaaziest stories? It's time to give them the recognition they deserve. Ego of the Week seeks to showcase seniors, not for their grades or other fake academic construct, but for who they are as a person and the joy they bring to the people around them! Nominate your favorite Penn Seniors for Ego of the Week!
