Kate Brogan
Dean of Students
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.

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. 

Yejin Hong. 홍예진
Director of Korean Immersion Program & Upper School Korean Language Arts Teacher
yhong@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Hong grew up in Seoul, Korea, and studied journalism and mass communication at Sogang University. Before moving into education, she worked in online media, cultural research, and international non-profit organizations. She later earned her master’s and doctoral degrees at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. Now in her fifth year of teaching Korean at Sejong Academy, Ms. Hong serves as the Director of the Korean Immersion Program. She enjoys helping students discover the joy of language learning and finds it exciting to see how learning Korean can open new perspectives and connections to the wider world. Over the years, she has taught Korean across different grade levels and supported school-wide cultural and academic initiatives. She remains passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences that inspire curiosity and build bridges across cultures. 

Rino Hur
K-Pop Music Technology & KLA Teacher
khur@sejongacademy.org

My name is Rino Hur, and this is my third year at Sejong Academy. I launched the K-POP Music Technology class last year and currently supervise the K-POP Production Club. Since then, I have also been teaching Korean, finding great fulfillment in introducing students to the Korean language and culture. This year, I began teaching as a Concurrent Enrollment (CE) instructor for Hennepin Technical College, further expanding opportunities for students to earn college credit.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Music Technology – Film and Digital Music, and I’m currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education. I’m certified as an Acoustic Specialist by the Acoustical Society of Korea and as a Music Psychological Counselor. Born and raised in South Korea and having spent part of my childhood in Australia, I developed a deep passion for music at a young age. I received professional training from Yoon Sang, one of South Korea’s top music producers, and worked as a Publishing Writer at one of South Korea’s largest entertainment companies.

Over the years, I have taught music production to a diverse range of learners, including K-POP idols, Master’s and Ph.D. students, and a Netflix TV show composer. My work includes producing music for various artists and creating background music for the well-known cosmetics brand Innisfree. Outside of school, I continue to teach private music production lessons and write songs for artists. I also served as a judge for the U.S. Midwest regional qualifiers for the 2024 and 2025 Changwon K-POP World Festival, and most recently worked as the music director for an upcoming film.

Hyewon Lim. 임혜원
Korean Language & ESL Teacher
hlim@sejongacademy.org

Hyewon 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 for ten years before pursuing her career in teaching. She earned a master’s degree in TESOL from St. Cloud State University and worked as an ESL teacher for eight years. This 2025-2026 school year, Hyewon will be teaching Korean Language as well as ESL. She loves languages and learning about different cultures. Also, she loves traveling around the world. She has traveled to over twenty countries. 

Han Joon Kim
IB Math Teacher + 6th grade Co-Homeroom
hkim@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Kim was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. He had more than ten years of education in the

United States, including elementary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate schools. He received his Bachelor’s in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Indiana University, and a Master’s in Secondary Education and Teaching from the University of St. Thomas.

His ongoing interest is in effective global math education in the 21st century. He is a lifelong learner with a belief in each student’s continuous improvement through meaningful connections.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved from Seoul to Minnesota. He lives in Eden Prairie with his wife, two daughters, relatives, and friends. He enjoys spending time at church, home, and school.

Hyunsook Hong
IB Math Teacher + 9th grade Co-Homeroom
hhong@sejongacademy.org

She was born on the beautiful island of Jeju in Korea, and now she lives in Minnesota with her two lovely daughters.

She developed a love for math in 5th grade, thanks to a teacher who showed her that math is not just about numbers, but also a way to understand the world. This inspired me to study mathematics in college and eventually earn my Ph.D. in Korea. For her, math is like a form of art. It reveals hidden patterns in nature and shows the beauty of the world around us. At Sejong, She hopes her students will discover that math is not only practical in everyday life, but also enjoyable and inspiring.

Outside of school, She enjoys hiking, eating delicious Korean food, and watching and listening to K-pop with her daughters. These activities remind her of the joy and curiosity I hope to inspire in her students, because She believes every student can succeed in math when they are encouraged to learn with curiosity and confidence.

Kyle Mohs
IB Social Studies + 10th grade Homeroom
kmohs@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Mohs was born and raised in the Fargo-Moorhead area, and has been a lifelong enjoyer of Social Studies, with sporadic interests across a wide range of other fields . He went to college at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he received a degree in Teaching Social Studies, with an emphasis in political science. After graduating he returned to Moorhead where he worked for the school district as a substitute, and eventually accepted a job at the new Alternative Learning Center in a long term position before applying to Sejong Academy and moving to St. Paul after he accepted the position here in 2022. He teaches 7th Grade Individuals and Society, 8th Grade Geography, 9th Grade Economics and Human Geography, 10th Grade US History, and 12th Grade Government.

Sa Jin Kwok. 곽사진
IB Science/Social Studies + 7th grade Co-Homeroom. Ethnic Studies coordinator
sjkwok@sejongacademy.org

Kwok sa jin is an Amerasian educator, activist, and martial artist.  He teaches science and social studies while also serving as the Ethnic Studies / Race Equity Coordinator.  Mr. Kwok enjoys cooking, forest runs, and spooky stories.  He lives near Bde Mka Ska with his wife, two children, and cat.  

Ji Whi Eo. 어지휘
Pk-12 Music Teacher/IB Arts
jweo@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Eo was born and raised in South Korea. She holds a BM in music composition and her master’s in music education from Chung-Ang University. She is a licensed teacher and holds certifications in Kodaly method from Kodaly institute in Hungary and performance method of Korean traditional music from Ewha Women’s University, Korea. In Korea, she led music programs in public and private schools where she taught general music, Korean traditional instruments and lead orchestra program. She is a passionate music teacher and cares for each student's individual learning and development of social and cultural awareness through participating in music programs at Sejong Academy. As a freelancer, she is also piano accompanist at Galilee Lutheran Church, St. Paul and has a home studio. 

Rino Hur
IB Korean/K-Pop Music Tech/11th grade homeroom
khur@sejongacademy.org

My name is Rino Hur, and this is my third year at Sejong Academy. I launched the K-POP Music Technology class last year and currently supervise the K-POP Production Club. Since then, I have also been teaching Korean, finding great fulfillment in introducing students to the Korean language and culture. This year, I began teaching as a Concurrent Enrollment (CE) instructor for Hennepin Technical College, further expanding opportunities for students to earn college credit.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Music Technology – Film and Digital Music, and I’m currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education. I’m certified as an Acoustic Specialist by the Acoustical Society of Korea and as a Music Psychological Counselor. Born and raised in South Korea and having spent part of my childhood in Australia, I developed a deep passion for music at a young age. I received professional training from Yoon Sang, one of South Korea’s top music producers, and worked as a Publishing Writer at one of South Korea’s largest entertainment companies.

Over the years, I have taught music production to a diverse range of learners, including K-POP idols, Master’s and Ph.D. students, and a Netflix TV show composer. My work includes producing music for various artists and creating background music for the well-known cosmetics brand Innisfree. Outside of school, I continue to teach private music production lessons and write songs for artists. I also served as a judge for the U.S. Midwest regional qualifiers for the 2024 and 2025 Changwon K-POP World Festival, and most recently worked as the music director for an upcoming film.

MJ Bakken
IB ELA Teacher + 7th grade Co-Homeroom
mbuland@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Bakken is entering her second year as a classroom teacher, previously working in the nonprofit sector. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in Education with a focus on language arts at Bethel University and hopes to finish her thesis entitled “Social Isolation and Its Effects on Adolescents” this school year. Ms. Bakken moved to Minnesota from Indiana to attend college at Northwestern University where she met her spouse. She loves her cats, her turtle, and deeply enjoys reading. 

Hyewon Lim. 임혜원
IB KLA/ELL Teacher
hlim@sejongacademy.org

Hyewon 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 for ten years before pursuing her career in teaching. She earned a master’s degree in TESOL from St. Cloud State University and worked as an ESL teacher for eight years. This 2025-2026 school year, Hyewon will be teaching Korean Language as well as ESL. She loves languages and learning about different cultures. Also, she loves traveling around the world. She has traveled to over twenty countries. 

Sebastian Montes 세바스찬 몬테스
Design Teacher
smontes@sejongacademy.org

The 2025-26 school year marks Mr. Montes’s 4th year teaching lower school Visual Art, and his 2nd year teaching upper school MYP IB Design at Sejong Academy. With an academic and professional background in both the visual arts and English, Mr. Montes enjoys sharing his individual experience and skill set with the diverse staff and students of Sejong Academy. After living and working in South Korea from 2015-2022, Mr. Montes feels Sejong is truly a perfect fit for him in his relatively new home of St. Paul Minnesota! When not teaching Mr. Montes enjoys doing film photography, making music, gardening, grilling, and being a cat dad to his 2 feline companions.

Patrick Brown
IB Physical Education Teacher + 8th grade Co-homeroom
pbrown@sejongacademy.org
Bio Coming

Danielle Bass
Library Media Specialist
dbass@sejongacademy.org

Danielle Bass is a lifelong learner of language, literature, and culture and is pleased to model curiosity and wonder for Sejong Academy students as a licensed library media specialist. She holds a MN K-12 Library Media teaching license and a Master of Science degree in School Library Information Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato. During her undergraduate years, she earned a BA in Linguistics with a minor in Korean Language and Literature from the University of Minnesota. She spent seven years in South Korea teaching English and developing English language curricular materials with several publishing houses. After returning to the Twin Cities in 2015, she has worked in various public school districts as a Pre-K assistant, media and technology paraprofessional, and substitute teacher. She is overjoyed to teach Sejong Academy students to love language, literature, and develop information literacy skills critical to success in the 21st century.

Suhyun Na
Special Education Teacher
sna@sejongacademy.org

Suhyun 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, taught at colleges for many years, carried out lots of research and published some books/journals about special education. It has broadened and deepened her knowledge and experience. At Sejong, she worked as an ADSIS Reading teacher, ADSIS coordinator, Reading Corps coach and special education teacher. As a leader of the Special Education team, she will take responsibility for overseeing and managing all Sejong’s special education system including program development, service delivery, staffing, compliance, and budgeting. Also, she will serve as an Administrative Designee at IEP and Evaluation meetings, supervise special education staff and try to  meet the diverse needs of all students with disabilities continuously. 

Seohyun Yoon
Special Education Teacher
shyoon@sejongacademy.org

Ms. Yoon brings a diverse background in education to her role. She began her career teaching English in middle and high schools in Korea before moving to Minnesota in 2019, where she earned a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology with a focus on special education. With her passion for ongoing professional growth, she also participated in the Heritage Language Cohort program hosted by PELSB, which led her to earning the very first Korean teaching license ever issued in the state. 

Her teaching experience in Minnesota includes working in a variety of special education settings, including Sejong Academy and District 833. She is now working toward an Education Specialist (Ed.S) degree in Director of Special Education. 

Ms. Yoon is passionate about creating inclusive and engaging learning environments, as she’s dedicated to supporting every student’s growth and success. 

Hye Yun Lee. 이혜윤
Special Education Teacher
hylee@sejongacademy.org

Mrs. Lee was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She worked as a head teacher for an elementary school English language program and as a team coordinator at an English institute for eight years. Mrs. Lee earned a special education license from LDA of MN and a TESOL certificate from Sungkyunkwan University, which was awarded through a joint partnership with Georgetown University. In her free time, she enjoys taking her dog for walks in local parks and around lakes, as well as traveling.

Miseon Hwang
Special Education Teacher
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.

Joenieferr Jamito
Special Education Educational Assistant
jjamito@sejongacademy.org

Mabuhay!
My name is Joenieferr Providencia Jamito, also known as Jhun from Maple Grove, Minnesota. I am a cultural exchange teacher from the Republic of the Philippines, and I am deeply passionate about education. I hold licenses as an Elementary Teacher in both the Philippines and the United States, as well as a Level 1 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teacher license in Alberta, Canada. I have dedicated almost 16 years of my life to teaching.

My teaching journey includes 2 years in Kindergarten, 3 years in 1st Grade, and 8 years in 5th Grade in the Philippines. In the United States, I served as a 5th Grade Teacher for one year and as a Special Education Resource Teacher for another year.

I earned my Bachelor of Elementary Education, Major in General Education, at Negros Oriental State University, where I also completed the academic requirements for a Master of Arts in Educational Management, Major in Administration and Supervision. Throughout my years in general education, I encountered many students with exceptionalities and learning differences. This inspired me to pursue further studies in special education. I completed the Special Education Bridging Program at Western Colleges in the Philippines and later began my Master’s in Special Education. Though I was unable to complete the program, I was blessed with the opportunity to continue through Metropolitan State University with the support of Intermediate School District 917 and the PELSB Teacher of Color Scholarship Grant.

For me, education is a powerful means to overcome ignorance and poverty, and a way to advocate for the success of others. Being part of Sejong Academy this year is both a privilege and a blessing from God. I am committed to keeping my passion for teaching alive and to giving my very best in shaping capable and compassionate individuals, contributions I hope will support the continued success of our school.

Kyuyeol Song
Special Education Teacher
ksong@sejongacademy.org

Mr. Song was born in Andong, South Korea, and graduated from Korea University with a BA in Korean Language Education. He worked as a high school Korean teacher in Korea for 14 years before moving to Minnesota in 2019. He now lives in Woodbury with his wife and two teenage children. Mr. Song loves to play pickleball and is a member of the Woodbury Pickleball Club. He likes coffee and going on road trips. At Sejong Academy, he hopes to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to supporting students in need.

Maggie Walsh
IB ELL 6-8 Teacher + EL Coordinator + 6th grade co-Homeroom
mwalsh@sejongacademy.org

Maggie Walsh is starting her 5th year working at Sejong Academy. She first started as an ADSIS reading teacher, then went on to teach 5th & 6th grade as well as 4th grade ELA over the next 3 years. As she begins her 5th year, she is making the transition to working in the EL department for 6th-8th grade. She has been involved in planning for multiple school trips including South Dakota, Long Lake, and Korea. She served as a PLC lead for 2 years, was an MTSS coordinator in the 24-25 school year and was awarded Lower School Teacher of the Year for the 23-24 school year. This year, she will be a co-coordinator for the EL team. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in TESOL from Hamline University. Her passion for teaching and love for all of her students is one of the greatest joys in her life and one of the things she is most proud of. She can’t wait to see how much the students grow this year and will be dedicated to their overall success as students and as people.

Brynn O'Shaughnesy
ELL 9-12 Teacher + 12th grade Homeroom Teacher
bo'shaughnessy@sejongacademy.org

Ms.Brynn is entering her 2nd year at Sejong as an ELL Teacher. She also teachers our PPS course and is the Community Engagement Coordinator. Ms. Brynn has a bachelors in Psychology and Political Science, and a Masters in Education. She started teaching in 2022 in South Korea and worked with adults and children. When she came home, she was a Pre-K teacher and then became an ELA and ELL teacher here at Sejong. She has experience with many grades and loves supporting kids in their creativity, passions and academic efforts. Outside of work, Ms.Brynn enjoys going to concerts, nature, studying languages, traveling, spending time with friends, and playing music.

Karen Hong. 전은혜
ADSIS Reading Teacher & Reading Corps Coach
khong@sejongacademy.org

Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Mrs. Hong is a second generation Korean-American. She graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor's of Science in Business and focused in management information systems and marketing. She’s taught Sunday school for over ten years. She started sending her children to Sejong since the school first opened its’ doors in 2014 and has been an active member of the PTO ever since. Mrs. Hong hopes to instill a growth mindset in children where they do not fear challenges or mistakes, but rather are motivated by them and desire to learn more. She currently lives just outside of St. Paul with her husband and 3 children.

Charitha Kudapanage
ADSIS Math Teacher Grade 3-11
ckudapanage@sejongacademy.org

She was born in SriLanka and moved to U.S. in 2012. She received Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics and pursuing masters in Data Science. She has more than 5 years of academic experience working with elementary and secondary aged students. She lives in Woodbury, MN with her husband and two wonderful sons. Her hobby is to travel around the world with her family.

Mo Bullock
Student Success Coach

Bio coming

Niyat Gegziahber
In-house Sub
ngegziahber@sejongacademy.org

Bio coming