Jaekyu Lim, better known to his classmates and teachers as JQ, sits in the back of class, mingling with other students and offering his advice. Here, discussing graphic design, the language barrier is broken and he expresses himself perfectly through his pieces.

“Language is an issue for me,” Lim, 26, graphic design, said. “So for me to create ideas and think differently in this field, and able to display that in my designs, is great because I don’t speak English really well.”

Lim hails from Korean where he attended Kookmin University. Had he stayed there, he could have begun working as a physicist three years ago.

“It was in Korea that I gradually drifted away from physics and began doing little projects for my school,” he said. “In 2006, my school had a competition for the graphic design class and I designed folders for that school.”

“It allowed me to really utilize my creativity and show what I can do it. It caught the eyes of some of my teachers, and that’s when I knew I had something,” Lim added.

He has high aspirations for his work. Lim hopes that he can one day use his talents to affect positive change in the world.

“I want to be a very influential designer. I want to help somebody and take participation in some aspect in the recent earthquakes in Japan,” Lim said. “It would be nice to design some of the fliers for the disaster relief.”

Teachers and students alike at EC have tracked his successes so far and are confident Lim has what it takes to be a graphic designer.

“He’s proven himself by his hard work and persistence. I’m impressed by him because I wasn’t impressed by him,” Andrea Micallef, professor of graphic design, said. “He’s a quiet guy. He doesn’t work outside of class without a purpose other than to challenge himself. He truly wants to be the best he can be. He’s not tied to one style.”

Among those he’s worked with, Lim’s peers appreciate the chance they’ve had to work in proximity to the determined, vivid designer.

“He’s very inspirational to other foreign students because he doesn’t let obstacles in his way divert him from what he want’s to do with his life,” Jeffrey Tauch, 22, graphic design major, said. “That’s a major reason to excel. When other students give up, [Lim] sees it as an other opportunity to do better.”