Yun K Cho. 조윤경
Lower School Principal
ykcho@sejongacademy.org

Click here for bio.

Kate Brogan
Lower School Counselor
kbrogan@sejongacademy.org

Mrs. Brogan graduated with her master’s degree in school counseling in May of 2022 from the University of Wisconsin River Falls and was thrilled to start as the Lower School Counselor at Sejong shortly after. She grew up in Saint Paul and went to college at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. After she graduated, she moved back to Saint Paul and has been here since. This August she got married and her new last name is Brogan-Brown but students still know her as Mrs. Brogan! She loves reading, coffee, and spending time with her loved ones.

Eun Joo Oh Tipka. 오은주
PreK-A Teacher
eotipka@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Oh was born in Busan, South Korea and is a licensed teacher in Korea in Dance and Physical Education.  She has over 26 years experience in both teaching and performing Korean traditional dance, drumming and musical drama to all ages ranging from Pre-K to adult.  In addition, She put on a professional Dance performance Named “Understanding” at the Gumjong culture theatre where she did all of the choreography, trained the performers and performed herself.  She has performed in five different countries around the world along with the 1988 Seoul, Korea Olympics.  Ms. Oh enjoys planting a garden every spring and spending time with family at the cabin along with traveling to various places throughout the US for vacation time with her husband, Terry. She has almost 12 years teaching experience at the Orono Montessori School and during this time she earned a Montessori teaching diploma.

Eh Smwee.
PreK-A Educational Assistant
esmwee@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Eh Smwee and she was returning staff at Sejong. She has valuable experience working as an Educational Assistant (EA) with SPED students for one year, and she is currently in her second year as an EA for Pre-K in Sejong. She recently obtained her bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Metropolitan State University. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as walking in the park, hiking, and camping with friends and family.

Eh Blu Htoo.
PreK-B Teacher
e1htoo@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Htoo graduated from Humboldt high school in 2019. And received her bachelor of Early Childhood Studies from Metro State university.  Outside of work she loves catching sunsets, going out for night drives and spending time with her family and friends.  

Paw Jun Say Moo. 파준세이 무
PreK-B Educational Assistant

Ms. Paw Jun Say Moo working with pre k for three years. Within those years she has learned so much and came to love working with kids even more. Watching the kids grow was one of her favorite thing about working with them. Outside of school, she loves spending time with her friends usually finding a great spot to enjoy the sunset while listening to great music. 

Hyein Lee. 이혜인
KA - Kindergarten Teacher
hyeinlee@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Lee was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea and moved to Chicago, USA in 2010. She recieved BM with honor in Sookmyung Women’s University in performance piano and M.M in Yonsei University in collaborate piano in Korea. She has 17 years experience of teaching kids. Ms. Lee’s goal is to create an environment for creativity, to challenge kids to be creative, and to encourage students to love and to be proud of themselves. It will help them to find creative solutions to complete their task. In her free time, she likes listening to music and crocheting.   

Hyunsook Hong.
KB - Kindergarten Teacher
hhong@sejongacademy.org

She is from the beautiful city of Jeju, South Korea. Her educational journey commenced in elementary school, where her homeroom teacher discovered and nurtured her natural talent for mathematics. Encouraged by this mentorship and driven by her inherent love for numbers, she embarked on a path to explore the depths of mathematics, ultimately leading her to pursue a PhD in the field.

As a devoted mom of two wonderful daughters, ages 6 and 3, she has gained first-hand insight into the pivotal role of education in shaping future generations. With 23-24 seasons ahead of her, she is dedicated to creating learning environments that nurture, enrich, and empower young learners.

Eunju Ann 안은주
1A - Grade 1 Teacher
eunju@sejongacademy.org

Mrs.Ann was born and raised in Busan, South Korea. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English literature and linguistics from Yonsei University and got a master’s degree in English education from Yonsei University. She taught English in Korea public high schools for 8 years, and also taught English to college ESL students in St. Cloud State University in Minnesota for two semesters. She moved to the U.S in 2022 and she loves learning new cultures and teaching children! When she has free time, she loves studying different languages, syntax and reading more books about language acquisition. This is her first time teaching elementary school kids, but she is very excited to see the progress of her students and make good memories with them. Of course, the best part of being an elementary school teacher is she can get so many free hugs!

Sujeong Shin 신수정
1B - Grade 1 Teacher
sshin@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Shin icompleted her bachelor’s degrees in Education of Mathematics & Fine Arts from Mokwon University and Elementary education from Kongju National University of Education in Korea. She has experience teaching diverse students from 1st to 6th grade for 15 years in elementary school in Korea and from 7th to 9th grade for 2 years in a math academy. She was awarded a Gold teacher from Chungnam Arts Festival and an Invention teacher from Chungnam education center. She is pursuing a master’s degree in instructional technology from St. Cloud State University.

Jungyeol Park. 박정열
2A - Grade 2 Teacher
jpark@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Park was born and raised in South Korea. For his bachelor and master programs, he studied at Seoul National University in South Korea. Also, he earned a doctoral degree in multicultural education from the University of Minnesota. Currently, he is in another graduate program about elementary education at Hamline University. A beautiful city, Gangneung is his hometown, and he moved to the U.S in 2013 for his studies. Now, he is living with his wife and his two sons. Soccer and tennis are his favorite sports to enjoy. Also, he loves to go camping to see beautiful nature in Minnesota every summer and fall. He taught 3rd grade for two years, and he is teaching 2nd grade now.

Jiyoung Kim. 김지영
2B - Grade 2 Teacher
jikim@sejongacademy.org

Ji Young Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She graduated from SungKyunKwan University with a BS degree in Mathematics. This year is her second year at Sejong Academy and she is excited to meet and teach 2nd graders. She enjoys hiking, playing jigsaw puzzles, and listening to music.  She resides in Woodbury, MN with her husband and two daughters.

Hyomin Tae Kudo. 태효민
3A - Grade 3 Teacher
hkudo@sejongacademy.org

Mrs. Kudo is a third year teacher at Sejong Academy who is excited to work with the new third graders of the school year 23-24! Her rich background includes a childhood split between the Philippines and South Korea, followed by her relocation to Minnesota in 2016 to embark on her college journey. With dedication and enthusiasm, Mrs. Kudo earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. Committed to her passion for education, she furthered her studies by enrolling in graduate school to learn and explore more about the field of Elementary Education. In May 2021, she earned her M.Ed. at the same institution as where she earned her Bachelor's degree. Mrs. Kudo enjoys traveling, finding new coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends. She also loves instilling a love for learning in her students and seeing their growth as lifelong learners!

Seonmin Oh. 오선민
3A - Grade 3 Educational Assistant
minoh@sejongacademy.org

As of 2023, Ms. Oh is currently working as a 3rd-grade EA teacher at Sejong Academy. She was born in Busan and lived in Seoul. She came to the United States in 2020 and majored in music (clarinet) in Korea. Up to the present, she continues to teach clarinet privately. Furthermore, she holds a Level 2 Korean Language Teaching Certificate, which she obtained in Seoul. As evident from this, she greatly enjoys teaching and loves her students. Additionally, she has a strong passion for rich coffee, psychology, classical music, jazz, and traveling. She looks forward to creating a positive atmosphere and contributing to growth alongside her colleagues and students.

YeEun Kim. 김예은
4A - Grade 4 Teacher
yekim@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Her genuine interest in learning languages led her to study abroad in Texas. During her time in Texas, she greatly enjoyed exploring US culture and sharing hers. Such experience inspired her to become an educator who can build a bridge and connect people with different cultural backgrounds. She moved to Minnesota and earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. After graduation, she worked in various international education offices assisting students from USA, South Korea, China, Japan, India, and Brazil. She is currently writing her thesis for her Master’s degree in Comparative and International Development Education from University of Minnesota with a focus on intercultural competency. In her spare time, Ms. Kim enjoys reading books, watching movies, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Da-In Beck 백다인
4B - Grade 4 Teacher
da-inbeck@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Beck was born in Seoul, South Korea, and came to the States when she was 14 years old. She majored in elementary education (k-6) at North Central University and had experience teaching Korean school(한글학교) for three years. This is her second year at Sejong as a kindergarten teacher. Ms. Beck's educational philosophy is that all students are unique, and need to have an environment where all students can grow physically, emotionally, and socially.

Maggie Walsh. 매기 왈스
5B - Grade 5 Teacher
mwalsh@sejongacademy.org

Maggie Walsh is going into her 3rd year teaching at Sejong. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2020 with a BA in Elementary Education. She is passionate about teaching her students to be kind & curious learners! Ms. Walsh grew up in the Twin Cities and spent lots of time going to baseball games & walking around Minneapolis’ many lakes! When she is not teaching, she will most likely be trying new restaurants and coffee shops.

Haelim Wee
6A - Grade 6 Teacher
haelim@sejongacademy.org

Ms.Wee is a new sixth-grade teacher at Sejong Academy. She pursued a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education (K-6), specializing in reading and Global Studies at Purdue University. She has been working in the field of education as an instructional specialist and researcher at Purdue, specifically in curriculum planning and development. She has been supporting multilingual students in their language development/acquisition and both pre-service and in-service teachers to create a positive effective learning environment in elementary settings. Her goal for this year is to nurture and encourage the lifelong learning of her students. She will help them to expand their knowledge and perspectives throughout the year. 

Sebastian Montes 세바스찬 몬테스
Art Teacher
smontes@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Montes has been working as an arts and ESL instructor since 2013. In 2015 he completed an MFA degree with a focus in drawing and painting from the University of Houston where he also taught fundamental drawing and painting courses. After receiving his MFA Mr. Montes moved to Korea where he lived and worked as an ESL instructor for 6 years in multiple locations across the country. In the summer of 2022 he returned to the states in hopes of once again teaching art. Mr. Montes was thrilled to discover a Korean immersion school seeking an art teacher so near to his new home in Saint Paul Minnesota. He looks forward to combining his art and ESL background while working with the diverse staff and students of Sejong Academy.

Nami Colaizy
Taekwondo Teacher, Grades PreK - 6th Grade
ncolaizy@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Nami was born and raised in South Korea and has a B.A. degree in English. Before she joined Sejong Academy, she worked for an internationally recognized investment banking company in Minneapolis as a senior graphics specialist for 13 years, then resigned in order to raise her adopted son from Korea. She started her Tae Kwon Do training in 1999 and obtained her black belt in 2007. She is also a FAA certificated private pilot and has over 140 hours of flight time. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband and two children. She has a passion for aviation and loves gardening and backyard cookouts.

Hyewon Lim. 임혜원
English Language Learner Teacher, Grades K-2
hlim@sejongacademy.org

Hyewon was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. She has a bachelor’s degree in History from University of London, UK, and a master’s degree in Marketing Communications from University of Westminster, UK. She worked as a marketing manager at LG Electronics in Seoul, Korea for ten years before pursuing a career in teaching. She earned a master’s degree in TESOL from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota and worked as an ESL teacher for six years. Apart from teaching, she loves to travel around the world. She has traveled to over twenty countries. She also loves to read books, watch movies, and spend time with her family and friends.

Sacha Chandavong. 사샤 찬도방
English Language Learner Teacher, Grades 3-6
schandavong@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Sacha received a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Hamline University in 2018. Before coming to Sejong, she taught adult English language learners at different organizations. Outside of teaching, she likes reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Ga Yun Lee. 이가연
English Language Learner Teacher, Grade 2
gylee@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Gayun was born and raised in South Korea. She studied Theatre Arts for a Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Teaching with an ESL license at Hamline University. Ms. Gayun is an EL teacher working with Grades 2-5 this year. She loves spending time with her family. She has a family with her husband, a lovely son, and a pup named Mango. 

Pamela Her. 팸엘라 허
English Language Learner Teacher
pher@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Pam was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a B.A. on Journalism. She served as a Reading Corps Tutor for two years and has been a part of the Sejong Family since Fall 2021. She looks forward to working with her colleagues and is very passionate about working with students to develop and improve their English reading and writing skills. In her free time, Ms. Pam likes to stargaze, karaoke, go on walk/hikes, and spend time with her niece and her cat, Miso (味噌).

Katie Mahowald.
English Language Learner Teacher / English Teacher Grades 7 & 8
kmahowald@sejongacademy.org

Katie Mahowald is a first year EL teacher at Sejong Academy.  She received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in Linguistics with a double minor in East Asian Studies with a focus in Korean language and TESL.  She was raised in Texas, but lived most of her life in Northern Virginia.  She just came back from a trip to South Korea through the University program last year and has studied the Korean language for two years now and hopes to keep learning while working at Sejong.  She loves learning new languages and cultures all while cultivating her own Korean culture, playing volleyball, gaming and loves to try different ethnic foods from around the world.

Seohyun Yoon. 윤서현
Special Education Teacher, PreK-2
shyoon@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Yoon was born and raised in Suwon, Korea. Before coming to the U.S., she was an English teacher in middle and high schools in Korea as she studied English Language Education in undergraduate. After moving to Minnesota in 2019, she earned her Master’s in Instructional Technology along with a certification in Special Education at St. Cloud State while also obtaining her MN teaching license in ESL and Special Education- Emotional Behavioral Disorders. Outside of school, she loves spending time with her husband and lovely two kids, traveling, baking, and watching movies. Now she’s excited to contribute to Sejong students and families as a part of Sejong.

Miseon Hwang
Special Education Teacher, Grades 3-6
mhwang@sejongacademy.org

Miseon Hwang was born and raised in South Korea where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature & Language as well as a certificate in Teaching Korean as a Second Language. After graduation, she then moved abroad to Dublin, Ireland for 6 years. Ms. Hwang has experience in teaching English to students in grades K-9 for over 5 years. She moved to the United States in 2017 and started working at Sejong Academy as a volunteer. She then worked her way up to Educational Assistant in Special Education and then to First Grade Homeroom Teacher before becoming an Elementary Special Education Teacher Ms. Hwang believes that a role as an educator is to be a positive influence on more than academics. Educators should be a positive influence on aspects like emotional well-being, social skills, and physical health. Ms. Hwang lives in Midway, St. Paul and likes to tend her garden with her husband. She also loves traveling, camping, and listening to music.

Bu Wah
Special Education Educational Assistant
bwah@sejongacademy.org

Ms.Bu wah was born and raised in Thailand refugee camp. When she was ten years old, she moved to America. Bu Wah major in early childhood studies at Metro State University. She has a strong love for working with kids. She enjoys spending time with her family in her free time. During summer she enjoys fishing, biking and hiking. 

Danny Decemson
Special Education Educational Assistant
ddecemson@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Decemson grew up in a Thailand refugee camp and moved to the United States in 2011. He graduated High School in 2016 and pursued his career in Law Enforcement. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor's in Degree in Criminal Justice Studies. Someday he hopes to become a police officer in the state of Minnesota and help protect the community. During his leisure he loves to go to the gym and workout. He believes staying fit and active helps promote a healthy body and mind. He also loves working with students. That's why he’s happy to work with students at Sejong!

Seungwoo Lee
Special Education PE Teacher
swlee@sejongacademy.org

Seungwoo was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Special Education from St. Cloud State University and holds an Academic Behavioral Strategist (ABS) license. He taught the Korean language and culture at St. Cloud community classes and tutored children with Autism for 5 years. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities (M.A.) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) license from the University of St. Thomas. He is a returning teacher and was a paraprofessional at Sejong Academy, where he worked with ADSIS Math, P.E (Pre K-8th), Special Education E.A (upper school), and served as a Special Education teacher (lower school). His teaching philosophy involves building a flexible rapport with the students he teaches. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, spending time with his cute cat, watching movies, and cooking.

Suhyun Na 나수현
ADSIS Reading teacher & Reading Corps Coach
sna@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Na was born and raised in Korea. She studied special education at Ewha Womans University of Korea at BA, MA, and Doctorate level. Before moving to the US, she worked as a special education teacher in an elementary school and community welfare center(ECFE). Also, she taught at colleges for seven years and carried out lots of research. It has broadened and deepened her knowledge and experience. Her years of experience in the special education field have taught her the value of patience and encouragement. She worked at Primrose School of West Plymouth this spring and really loved watching each child learn and grow everyday. Since 2016, she has taught Korean language and Samulnori(Korean drumming) in Minnesota Deagun Korean School as well. She will work closely with each student, providing the individualized support they need as an ADSIS reading teacher at Sejong.

Haekyong Kim
ADSIS Math Teacher Grade 3-11
hyongkim@sejongacademy.org

Mrs. Kim was born and raised in Yeosu, South Korea where she earned a bachelor degree in Sino-Korean as well as her teaching certification. She has been in education since 1994 in both South Korea and in Minnesota. She came to MN in 2011 and worked as a SPED E.A. It is her first year working at Sejong this year. She has been married for 19 years to an American teacher/administrator and has 2 daughters and a small Yorkie. She loves spending time walking or hiking around local parks.

YoungHie Kim 김영희
In-House Sub & Educational Assistant
yhkim@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Kim was born in Gong-Ju, South Korea, and worked as a teacher for 12 years until immigrating to Minnesota 2 years ago. She had a childhood full of happiness with eight siblings (seven sisters and one brother) and they were always a joy to their parents. During her childhood, she explored various kinds of role-playing, outdoor activities, and attending Sunday school. These experiences taught her how to love and care for other people, and she has been sharing these valuable lessons with her three sons. She hopes to pass this on to her first graders as well throughout the school year! She joined Sejong last year as a first grade educational assistant, and this year she is a first grade (1B) teacher. She is so excited to meet everyone in her class and hopes to guide everyone to a path of happiness.

Kyungman Hur
In-House Sub
khur@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Hur has a Bachelor's degree of Arts in English Literature and a Master's degree of Music Technology - Film and digital music. He was born and raised in Seoul, he spent part of his childhood in Australia, and that's when he started to get into music. He was professionally trained by Yoon Sang, one of South Korea's top music producers, and was also a publishing writer at YG Entertainment, one of South Korea's biggest entertainment agencies. He taught music production for professional musicians such as K-POP idols, PhD & Master's students, Netflix TV show’s music composer and also taught students how to play guitar and band ensemble classes. He produced music for numerous artists and has created BGMs for the popular cosmetics company Innisfree. He has also performed instrumental sessions on various music broadcast and has modeled for a fashion brand too. He is certified as an Acoustic Specialist hosted by the Acoustical Society of Korea and a Music psychological counselor. Outside of school, he is teaching private music production lessons and making songs for artists. He is very happy to be here and want to work with students at Sejong School to help them find and develop their talents.

Deanna Ginter
School Social Worker
dginter@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Deanna is a second generation Cambodian American born and raised in the Twin Cities. After finishing her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of St. Thomas, she moved to Washington state where she lived for 6 years. After returning in 2021 to be closer to family, Ms. Deanna completed her Masters of Social Work degree in 2023. She has been working in the social services and mental health professions since 2015. Her goal as a school social worker is to provide a safe, judgement free environment for students to process their emotions. Ms. Deanna loves connecting with families to provide access to community resources. She enjoys going for walks, spending time with family and friends, cooking, and doing a variety of activities outside.