Kalin Sims

How her college experiences sparked a passion for exploration and new career opportunities for Kalin Sims ’15

By Christine McGrath

Sims received a 40 Under Forty award in 2024.

Kalin Sims ’15 has visited six continents, 54 countries and all 50 states. You would never know when speaking with her that before she went to Stony Brook University, she had never been on a plane. When Sims was exploring colleges, she didn’t want to leave New York because she was scared to fly. Living in Brooklyn, she knew Stony Brook was the perfect fit. “It was just far enough away from home without having to get on a plane or making me feel like I was doing something out of my comfort zone,” she said. 

Sims had no idea that once she arrived at Stony Brook, she’d gain the confidence to step out of her comfort zone throughout her academic and professional careers.

Stony Brook’s location wasn’t the only thing that attracted her. Sims loved what she read about its Educational Opportunity Program (EOP/AIM), especially that she could earn college credits during its Summer Academy. 

During Summer Academy, Sims realized she wanted to get involved in campus organizations, so she decided to run for floor president. “The EOP counselors were there for us; not just to help us get acclimated to college life, but they saw leadership qualities in me that I didn’t realize I had.” 

One of her peer tutor advisors at the time, Laurel Cole, was a major influence during Summer Academy and throughout her college career. “Laurel was the president of Delta Sigma Theta, and we eventually became sorority sisters,” said Sims. “She’s my life cheerleader, and I’m grateful to have met her early on in my academic journey.” 

“One of my favorite trips was to a village outside of Nairobi in Kenya. I learned firsthand about the Maasai way of life directly from elders,” said Kalin Sims.

After Summer Academy ended, Sims still had an itch to be involved, so she joined the residence hall council at O’Neill Hall in Mendelsohn Community. She also had a work-study position within the Division of Student Affairs in the Fraternity and Sorority Life office. Her time in that office influenced her decision to join Delta Sigma Theta. She later chartered a chapter with the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). During her senior year, she earned the multicultural leadership award from the Stony Brook chapter of the NAACP for her work with the newspaper Black World and the NPHC.

With all her involvement at Stony Brook, Sims still had to decide on a major in her second year. “Like many new college students, I didn’t know how to channel my interests, but knew I wanted to make a public-facing impact,” she said. “Ultimately, I realized I wanted to be a diplomat but needed to decide how I would get there. I decided on a sociology degree because it would allow me to pursue different areas of my interests, whether that be in the nonprofit sector, the tech world or diplomacy.” However, it was a visit to her advisor in the sociology office that changed her life. 

“I saw a study abroad opportunity in Japan on a bulletin board, and right next to it was information about the National Student Exchange program,” said Sims. “I saw this as an opportunity to dip my toe in the waters of diplomacy.” Her advisor encouraged her to apply but what ultimately influenced Sims was when she remembered one of her sorority’s pillars: international awareness. “Here I was, a 21-year-old who’s never flown in her life, taking a 15-hour flight to study abroad in Japan!” she said. “With a lot of nerves, though, I hopped on that plane — and I haven’t stopped traveling.” 

The summer before her senior year, Sims took a two-week intensive course to learn colloquial Japanese phrases and customs, as she would be living with a host family in a town near Mount Fuji. “This was a full immersion program that allowed me to work with a culture completely different from mine,” said Sims. “Not only did I need to adjust my way of thinking, I needed to understand that where I was, people might view me differently.” 

 

 

Stony Brook gave me the ability to look outside the box, and the basis to try new things and not be afraid of where I’ll land.

— Kalin Sims

Sims with Laurel Cole ‘15 at the Delta chapter’s 40th celebration in May 2024.

While she didn’t feel out of place, she did learn how to interact with people in a way that made them feel comfortable. Being flexible and able to adapt quickly to the Japanese way of life was a skill she took with her throughout her career as she pivoted from nonprofit organizations to the corporate world and eventually entrepreneurship. “If it wasn’t for that experience while at Stony Brook, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to easily switch careers over the last decade,” said Sims. 

Wanting to continue traveling, Sims spent the fall semester of her senior year in Los Angeles at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for the National Student Exchange. While there, she was the president of the NPHC at CSUN, where she helped organize different events and programs. As she prepared for graduation, Sims applied for two roles within AmeriCorps, one of which was in Atlanta working within a high school. 

“It was in the nonprofit space, which was new to me, and I was excited to start this new chapter in my life,” she said. She drove to Atlanta to start her role as a social emotional learning coach for ninth and 10th grade students. “We were first tasked with getting the students excited about college,” Sims said. “But when I spoke with these kids, that was the last thing on their minds.” So she and the other coaches pitched the idea to change the program to focus more on self-esteem. “We understood that it was hard for them to look into their future, when they needed to understand how important they are today,” said Sims. “A lot of those students eventually went to college, and I flew back to Atlanta to attend their graduations.”

After two years in Atlanta, Sims knew she wanted to stay within the nonprofit world, so she put her diplomacy aspirations aside. “I felt I could truly make an impact on different communities within the nonprofit space,” said Sims. As she was preparing for her next role with AmeriCorps Vista in Los Angeles, she decided to get a master’s degree in public policy with an emphasis on nonprofit management at the University of Southern California. She thought the classes and firsthand experience in the field would pair well with her AmeriCorps Vista role, where she connected people to volunteer opportunities. 

Kalin Sims strikes a pose in Greece, overlooking the Aegean Sea. It was the 50th country she visited and her 16th solo trip.

For Sims, the COVID pandemic sparked an interest in entrepreneurship, as well as the desire to look for remote work in a changing society. With her wealth of knowledge, she was able to transition into the corporate sector, focusing on advocacy through customer success at Storyblocks, a company that provides stock video to businesses. She was also a co-leader for Black at Storyblocks, to support current and future Black employees. 

“We would help with everything from professional development opportunities to mental health awareness programs,” said Sims. Because her role was remote, Sims was able to work from around the world, and that’s when she started traveling more. Sims immersed herself in different cultures across the globe, visiting landmarks such as the pyramids in Egypt, the Parthenon in Athens and areas outside of the typical tourist spots in Kenya. 

For her next chapter, Sims is using her travel expertise to help others by launching The World Is Yours Travel Company, a consulting business through which she will curate customized itineraries and travel guides for experienced and first-time travelers. 

“I’m so happy to be able to use my knowledge to help others, specifically solo travelers, since I’ve traveled to 20 countries on my own,” said Sims. She encourages all Seawolves to keep an open mind when they step on campus. “Be open to exploring different possibilities that are presented to you,” she said. “I believe it’s much better to explore an opportunity because you never know where it will lead you.”