Meet Our Faculty

“While the majority of my time at Potomac is spent with prospective families, I have always loved working with current students and make it a priority to do so.”

Working with kids has always been a passion and I spent my high school and college years teaching swim lessons, working at summer camps, and volunteering in tutoring programs. After earning my BA in Psychology at Haverford College, I spent three years in client service at a Fortune 500 company. That stint was enough to make me realize I wanted to feel more personally invested in my career. I took a teaching job at The Langley School and I have been working in education ever since. I left Langley to pursue my Masters in Education at Stanford and spent time at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, DC. I began working at Potomac in the fall of 2010, and am grateful to be part of this community.

I live in Chevy Chase with my husband, John, and my two children, James and Tessa. In addition to admissions and advising, I recently became a Potomac parent, and am excited to share Potomac with my son and entire family.

"My journey to Potomac traversed mountains and rivers, literally, as I studied geography and love to be in nature."

While I’ve spent almost 20 years in the DC area, it hasn’t all been in schools.  My journey to Potomac traversed mountains and rivers, literally, as I studied geography and love to be in nature. I love Thoreau’s notion from Walden: “we can never have too much nature.” Eventually I realized my calling as an educator and my joy in helping others research their passions.  I love looking for answers and cannot wait to help our students find what they need in the Engelhard Family Library.

“During an interview about the release of his novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, author George Saunders described reading and writing as a practice of empathy. In his words, when we imagine a character, we’re basically having a conversation with somebody other than ourselves. I love the study of literature for this reason: if reading is a way to imagine the world of someone else, writing is a way to understand our own.”

I grew up in the Bay Area, just outside of San Francisco, California. I moved across the country to Connecticut for college, graduating with a B.A. in English and concentration in Creative Writing and Education Studies from Yale University. I studied with novelist and screenwriter Derek Green, who advised my senior thesis, a feature film screenplay, and the playwright Donald Margulies. 

During my time at Yale, I worked summers in Los Angeles reading scripts for Heyday Films (the producers behind the Harry Potter franchise and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and joined United Talent Agency’s extern program. I also read for two literary magazines, The Common and The Yale Review, and served as a board member for the Yale Film Festival. 

In addition to my affinity for writing and literature, I’m an athlete at heart. I played Division 1 volleyball at Yale, where my team captured two Ivy League Championship titles and appeared once in the NCAA Tournament. After college, I moved to Middletown, Delaware, to join the faculty at St. Andrew’s School. While at St. Andrew’s, I served as an 11th grade dorm parent and Varsity Volleyball head coach, along with my responsibilities as an English teacher. 

I’m thrilled to join the community at Potomac as a member of the English department and assistant Varsity Volleyball coach. I’m drawn to teaching because I want to help students learn to shape a conversation and gain confidence in their ability to communicate. When we talk with one another, we become aware of who we are and what we think. 

As students place themselves in the shoes of others, as they think critically about a text and the thoughts of their classmates, they learn to practice empathy. They recognize emotion that reaches beyond their own identity and experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity, as a teacher, to learn from the students and colleagues around me in this dynamic and inspiring way.

"I am committed to fostering an environment where students feel excited to learn each day, and I strive to positively impact their lives in every way I can."

I am thrilled to be a part of The Potomac School community, where my teaching career has truly blossomed over the years. Before joining Potomac, I spent three wonderful years teaching first grade, and I’m grateful to now work alongside incredible colleagues who share my passion for education. I am proud to call The Potomac School my second home!

From a young age, I have always loved helping others learn and grow—whether it was staying after school to read to young children, tutoring students in need, or assisting individuals with special needs. Watching my older sister become a third-grade teacher only solidified my desire to educate young minds. I pursued this passion by earning my degree in Early Elementary Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.

My experiences with children from diverse backgrounds have given me a deep appreciation for the importance of creating an inclusive classroom community. I am committed to fostering an environment where students feel excited to learn each day, and I strive to positively impact their lives in every way I can.

I have lived in Northern Virginia my entire life, but I dream of visiting my parents’ hometown in South Korea someday. When I am not teaching, I love spending quality time with my loved ones, including my senior Shih Tzu, Sparky. You will often find me browsing Pinterest for inspiration, exploring different cuisines, going on picnics, or hitting a pilates class!