“Reaching Your Dream” series tells stories of Northwestern alums who found their dream careers thanks to Chicago Field Studies (CFS), an academic internship program that matches over 500 students every year with over 250 employer partners. CFS participants receive guidance on choosing internships based on their passions and values, navigating applying and interviewing, and succeeding in the professional world. While interning, students process their experiences in weekly CFS seminars, where they reflect on the place of work in their lives and the role of their industry in society.
By Nina Wieda
Daniel Kim ’20 majored in statistics at Northwestern and today is an Associate Manager in Data Analytics at Walgreens. After experimenting with a few fields of study, he discovered a corporate career path with the help of Chicago Field Studies (CFS). Growing up in Northbrook, Daniel watched his parents leave early and come home late every day of the year to run their small business: a beauty product store in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. They came to the US from South Korea in their 30s with a one-way ticket and a big American dream. A former chemist and a former nurse, as immigrants, they had to start their lives anew and go through a plethora of manual jobs before opening their own business. Watching his parents work without a break for years shaped Daniel’s work ethic.
Entering Northwestern, Daniel chose premed not because he was especially interested in becoming a doctor, but because it seemed like a solid and respectable career. Already as a freshman, however, he realized that the medical profession was not for him. He switched to computer science, but didn’t feel that he found his true path until his experience with CFS. Daniel learned about the program from his roommate, secured a consulting internship for the fall of his junior year, and found himself feeling fulfilled.
“One of my favorite aspects was going into the city every day and seeing people walking around, being very professional. There was an aura that filled the air; I thought, this is what corporate life will be like, and I felt a sense of duty and excitement,” said Daniel.
Daniel liked the experience so much that he applied for CFS for the following quarter, as well. He tried his hand at a different consulting company that predominantly worked with start-ups and small businesses, not unlike the one owned by his parents.
In the meantime, in his CFS class, Daniel learned the Lightboard technology developed by Northwestern’s Michael Peshkin for creating engaging presentations. He excelled at his class presentation project and presented on his experience at a TEACHx conference, where he joined a panel dedicated to the use of Lightboard technology in Northwestern classes. Presentation skills that Daniel learned in his CFS class are directly helping him in his current job: “It relates to a lot of things that I do now, especially in a virtual environment. I teach other analysts. Teaching and training in a virtual environment is super important nowadays in the corporate world.”
During his senior year, Daniel continued his relationship with CFS as a student consultant, helping his younger peers prepare for the interview process and holding mock interviews.
Daniel graduated at the peak of the Covid pandemic and turned down some jobs that required moving across the country. With air travel being a dangerous activity, he didn’t want to be far away from his parents. His first full-time job was with a CFS employer partner where he had interned as a junior. Two years ago, Daniel moved to Walgreens, where he launched a partnership between his business department and Chicago Field Studies.
“I’m realizing that there’s a lot of capital in the pharmaceutical space and healthcare that I wasn’t aware of as a student. At Northwestern, students talk about consulting, investment banking, and tech, but the business side of healthcare is a big industry that attracts less talent. That’s why I see a lot of growth opportunity where I’m situated today,” Daniel explains.
Walgreens leadership welcomed Daniel’s idea to form a partnership with CFS; in the fall, Daniel interviewed and hired the first CFS intern. He also turns to the CFS network for his full-time hiring needs. Upon a recommendation from Daniel’s former CFS adviser, Walgreens interviewed and hired a CFS alum for a full-time job.
For Daniel, the future may hold an MBA or a Ph.D. in Statistics, but for now, he is excited about the ample potential for growth at Walgreens.
“It’s interesting that I ended up working in healthcare, where I began as a freshman at Northwestern. As Steve Jobs said, you can only connect the dots once you start looking back at your life,” said Daniel.
With the help of Chicago Field Studies, Daniel discovered his acumen for business and a career that allows him to draw on the full gambit of his life experiences.
Daniel Kim and his parents