Category: Konnect
KAIPO’s Newsletter
I am hoteling/working from:
Ann Arbor, MI
What made you decide to hotel or stay on campus:
I started during the COVID-19 pandemic and was granted the option of hoteling. But I am hoping to move closer to campus in the future.
Do you have any hobbies or activities that you are passionate about? Can you briefly share it with us?
I like to play golf, tennis and go to the gym.
Favorite book or movie:
John Wick
Favorite restaurant or food:
Everything but chicken breasts!
Favorite weekend activities:
Long naps and watching summaries of movies and tv shows on YouTube.
Any new skillset you’ve picked up during this pandemic?
My golf skills improved, since that was the only sport allowed. I now lose fewer balls.
What is your motto?
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Shout out to other KAIPO members close to you (any messages you want to send to other member(s)):
Thank you James Lee for introducing me to KAIPO and providing me with opportunities to meet new people! Thank you Thomas Hong for your career advice! Thank you Eric Yoon for helping during the 1st year!
Anything else you want to share with KAIPO?
I hope to meet you all someday!
I am hoteling from:
I am hoteling from my home in Dublin, California, a city about an hour east of San Francisco.
What made you decide to hotel or stay on campus:
I started my USPTO career in 2016 in the Silicon Valley Office and used to live closer to the office, but have since moved a bit further away. Due to the longer commute, I then shifted out of the office to hoteling. But once the office is reopened, I plan to visit regularly, as I used to pre-pandemic.
Do you have any hobbies or activities that you are passionate about? Can you briefly share it with us?
I like a wide range of things, including reading, chatting with friends, cooking, science fiction, superhero and animated movies, drawing/sketching and traveling. At the USPTO, I like working on programs that build community or provide assistance to newer Examiners.
Favorite book or movie:
The Fellowship of the Ring, Encanto, Saving Private Ryan, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Iron Man.
Favorite restaurant or food:
Korean and Indian cuisines, coffee, dark chocolate.
Favorite weekend activities:
Watching movies and documentaries, reading a good book, checking out a new restaurant or café, taking a stroll by the ocean, spending time with family.
Any new skillset you’ve picked up during this pandemic?
Virtual reality exercise.
Shout out to other KAIPO members close to you (any messages you want to send to other member(s)):
Tom, Monica and James: thanks for introducing me to KAIPO and giving me such a warm welcome; and to all those who participated in the First Year Examiner discussions: thank you for coming by and for sharing your questions and experiences.
I am hoteling from:
Centreville, Virginia.
What made you decide to hotel or stay on campus:
I started in August 2020, so everything was done virtually due to COVID-19.
Do you have any hobbies or activities that you are passionate about? Can you briefly share it with us?
I go through different phases with my hobbies/activities. Last year, I played a lot of spike ball and tennis. This year, I am trying to run more. But most of my time is spent taking cute pictures of my dog (Winnie) and taking him to parks and dog friendly restaurants.
Favorite book or movie:
All of the Marvel movies.
Favorite restaurant or food:
I love brunch!
Favorite weekend activities:
Picking up food and taking my dog to Gravelly Point for a picnic, or exploring new bakeries and coffee shops.
Any new skillset you’ve picked up during this pandemic?
Running!! I used to hate running, but now I can run 2-3 miles without suffering too much.
What is your motto?
In every situation, there is always a lesson to be learned.
Anything else you want to share with KAIPO?
I hope to get to meet more of you guys in-person, soon!
KAIPO is made up of inspiring, talented, thoughtful, and hard-working members, and we are proud of each and every one of you! We asked our members to submit (anonymously or not) peer-to-peer recognitions to showcase some of the efforts, accomplishments, and achievements of our members. Below are the responses we received. Thank you to everyone who submitted a response! Also, thank you to everyone for all your hard work, and congratulations to everyone for their accomplishments and achievements!
“I would like to recognize Jessica Patterson for her new position as Senior Advisor for International Work Sharing Team. She will work with stakeholders to improve and expand the Office’s international work sharing opportunities.” – Anonymous
“Sisley Kim, for all her work in picnic preparation and leading the picnic team.” – Anonymous
“I wanted to say thank all picnic volunteers. Korean BBQ was so delicious.” – Anonymous
“Congratulation to Dr. Harry Kim for becoming a primary examiner.” – Anonymous
“Congratulate Moo R. Jeong for his recent promotion to become a special examiner in AU 2615.” -Anonymous
“I want to say thank you to former PTAB Judge Romulo Delmendo for sharing his experiences and insights during the Fireside Chat. Congratulation on his retirement and good luck on his next chapter in life.” -Anonymous
“I appreciate Ig An for hosting the BYOC in April. Proud to see those 30 people gathered to express their feelings about Asian Hate Crime.” – Anonymous
“I like to recognize Eric Yoon for his time and efforts to host a series of meetings with newly hired examiners for Q&A and share valuable advice and encouragement.” -Anonymous
“Thank you generally to all the KAIPO Board members for helping to build community among Korean Americans at the USPTO.
Also a special thank you to Tom Hong, for not only helping to found and lead KAIPO, but also for reaching out on an individual level to me and others, to provide advice and encouragement for our ideas and programs.” – Anonymous
“I nominate Monica for all the hard work she has put into all the online communication, like the revisions, fliers, website links, etc. KAIPO would not be as eloquent and effectively communicative without her!!!! Her creativity is a precious gem to KAIPO and Konnect!” -Anonymous
“Dong Kim and his Team for organizing the golf tournament this year. Thank you for providing great opportunity to see old buddies outside the campus.” -Anonymous
“Thank all KAIPO members for your membership and continued participation and enthusiasm. My special thanks to our Board of Directors, Officers, and Executive Advisor, for their tireless work on behalf of the KAIPO, Thank Eric Yoon for helping new examiners to achieve their successes in the first year. Thank Dr. Youngsul Jeong, Dr. Taesik Kang and Dr. Sangseok Park for their dedication for the KAIPO election administration. Lastly, my special thanks to Drew Wang for his warm words and advice to our leadership. ” – Thomas Hong