Editor’s note: Bearden has announced its Top Ten students for the Class of 2026, along with Valedictorian and Salutatorian. The “Top Ten” is an achievement awarded to the highest GPAs in the graduating class. This year, Leo Nishizawa achieved the coveted Salutatorian title, and for the first time in nine years, the award for Valedictorian is a tie. Mery Diaz and Yejoon Ham will share the honor. The following story on Ham is the second in our three-part series about the honorees.
It can be easy for singular attributes to be attached to an individual, often shielding secondary characteristics from receiving recognition.
With the recently announced title of Co-Valedictorian, Yejoon Ham is no exception. If asked, many of his peers might describe Ham as “smart” or “driven”, and though those are both true, Ham is far from one-dimensional.
“I like knitting, K-Drama, and friends, in no particular order,” Ham said. “After you get into college, finish all the scholarships, and applications, you get a lot of free time to just pursue other hobbies.”
Though Ham claims that finding time to pursue his interests before admissions letters appeared in his mailbox and scholarship offers rang his phone, jazz performance has always held a premium spot on his priorities list.
“With jazz, there’s a lot of nonverbal communication that goes on,” Ham said.
He claims this reliance on others during their respective jazz, piano, or bass solos helped Ham to bolster his resourcefulness and adaptiveness – a skill that will prove useful in the coming months, and that has already manifested in one of Ham’s newest hobbies.
While attending a church White Elephant, Ham selected a Trader Joe’s bag, expecting it to be filled with gourmet snacks or decadent sweets, but was instead met with something entirely unexpected: a Harry Potter knitting kit.
Instead of shoving aside the kit or regifting it for the next season, Ham took advantage of this opportunity and began work on a scarf to wear during the harsh New Jersey winters he expects to endure this winter as a freshman at Princeton.
“No, he’s not knitting me a scarf, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one ended up in my mailbox later on,” chided senior Sunny Xie, a close friend of Ham’s.
Though Ham has the potential to be generous with his new textile hobby, he is certainly generous with his time.
“He has faithfully served as a drummer in worship, as a Sunday School teacher, and in the youth group,” said Jin Eun Jung, head pastor at Sarang Church of Knoxville and mentor to Ham. “He has taken on a leadership role and has been a strong example to other students.”
Xie, who has been close friends with Ham since the sixth grade, is sad to see his friend travel nearly a thousand miles away from home to pursue higher education (although Xie won’t be too far away at Boston University), but is also excited for his friend to experience college life. Or rather, for college life to experience Ham.
Xie advises Ham’s future roommate: “Yejoon is not as intimidating as he initially seems,” assures Xie. “He’s an extrovert.”
Princeton University, a private Ivy, is ranked amongst the top ten universities in the nation. Bolstering this ranking are Princeton’s elite professors. Ham looks forward to the expansion of his passions through the help of some of the best professors in the nation, but is equally excited to meet with students whom he hopes will introduce them to their passions.
“I hope new friends will want to take me to pursue new clubs that could also help me to explore other areas,” Ham said.
Just as there is no one adjective to describe Ham, there is no singular prediction for Ham’s future. But with his servant heart, academic curiosity, and eccentric hobbies, Ham’s career is certainly bright.