Meet Our Faculty

"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!

"I find it incredibly rewarding to watch the look on a student's face when through their own discovery they 'get it.'"

As a first generation Italian-American, I have experienced firsthand the challenges and rewards that many students who are non-native language speakers and non-traditional learners face. These experiences have driven me to seek progressive ways to help students of all cultures and learning styles seek to understand through intrinsic curiosity. I find it incredibly rewarding to watch the look on a student's face when through their own discovery they "get it." This type of confidence is what allows students to experience lasting success in the classroom and throughout their life.

I have taught and traveled extensively in Europe and Asia, and my experiences have allowed me to gain insight on how culture plays a role in learning and motivation. My goal is to enable students to understand history from various perspectives; it would not be unusual to see students researching, debating, arguing, role-playing, drawing, and even cooking in my classroom!

My position as IS Dean of Student Life is rewarding, humbling, and exciting in that I'm afforded the opportunity to serve as a resource to foster various opportunities for students which will challenge and stretch them in becoming independent, diverse- thinking, prepared leaders.

"The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics."  - Paul Halmos

Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to teach, but I haven’t always wanted to teach math.  In my first two years of college, I pursued a degree in elementary education with the hopes of one day working in a kindergarten or first-grade classroom.  Then, during the spring of my sophomore year, I spent a week interning in a seventh-grade math classroom, and my dreams changed.  The engagement, energy, and excitement these students brought to class with them each day, coupled with my inherent love for mathematics, led me to change my major as soon as the internship was over.  Now I get to spend my days supporting secondary students as they solve complex problems and make connections across the various strands of mathematics content. 

I am a Northern Virginia native who graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Tech with a BS in mathematics.  I also hold a Master’s Degree from Tech’s School of Education, where I was the Mathematics Education Student of the Year.  Before coming to Potomac, I taught pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, algebra 2, and precalculus in various middle and high schools in Virginia, Illinois, and New Jersey. When not at work, I enjoy hiking, baking, and spending time with my family and friends.    

I am so happy to be part of Potomac’s Upper School English Department. After growing up on Long Island, I received my PhD in English Literature from Drew University, but I soon discovered that high school teaching is much more rewarding than academia. I taught at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia for the last twenty years, and I am now eager to commit to Potomac’s mission of promoting both love of learning and strength of character. When not at school, you can find me rooting on the Washington Capitals (with my husband) and New York Yankees (without my husband), analyzing the latest prestige TV drama, hanging out with my cats, cooking, or (usually) losing at Scrabble.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do" - Steve Jobs

I grew up in Fairfax, VA, and my journey in education has taken me across the globe. I headed to Chicago to earn my BFAAE from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, then spent five incredible years teaching at international schools in South Korea. After that, I dove into experiential education at a unique school in Seattle, WA for two years. Ever since Pre-K, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. There's something magnetic about the creativity, curiosity, and energy that education sparks—both in and out of the classroom.

Now, after years away, I’m thrilled to return home to Virginia. As a Flint Hill alum, I was always aware of The Potomac School—especially through summer camps and our friendly sports rivalry. Who would’ve guessed I’d one day be teaching at my former rival? Life has a great sense of humor. All jokes aside, I’m genuinely excited to join the elementary and technology team and contribute to such a dynamic learning community.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt

Growth Mindset, Student Agency, Inclusion and Social Emotional Learning have always been the most important pillars of my classroom culture. I was born in Taiwan, raised in Japan and have spent most of my adult life in the US which led me to become fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and English. Because of these experiences, I strive to show my students that struggles and mistakes are so crucial for our brain growth yet learning is a lifelong joy and journey. 

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Japan and taught in Florida and California. After moving to Virginia and starting at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School, I served as a 4th and 5th grade homeroom teacher, where I taught Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies and as a Resource Teacher at, where I helped with curriculum building as well as coaching other teachers. I continued to help build the curriculum as well as being a 5th grade homeroom teacher at Whittle School and Studios. All of my students really enjoyed our interdisciplinary projects that integrated all the subjects, service projects and solutions to achieve United Nation Sustainable Development Goals.

When not teaching, you can find me giving presentations about unique teaching strategies and techniques. In the past three years, I have participated in seven different local and national conferences. I also enjoy reading, swimming, yoga and hiking with my two teenage children.

"I have been teaching for 30 years at schools in New York, Japan, and California, where I’ve worked with students from the third grade up through junior college."

Prior to Potomac, I spent 11 years at the Head-Royce School in Oakland, most recently as the Tan Distinguished Chair in science, mathematics, and technology. At Head-Royce, I enjoyed working in range of different capacities, including as a MS/US mathematics teacher, MS jazz ensemble and beginning band director, US photography teacher, fine arts department chair, and MS technology coordinator. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oberlin College. Outside of school, I enjoy freelance trumpet playing, recording engineering, bird watching, photography, biking, and most importantly, spending time with my wife, two children, cat Mystic, and extended family.