Amy Britton, Community Board Member

Amy studied Organizational Communication and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and completed her degree at the University of Minnesota. The restaurant and hospitality industry has been calling since she was 18. She’s been with D’Amico and Partners, a Minneapolis based company, for the past 27 years. As the Director of Operations for the D’Amico & Son’s division, Amy is responsible for the financial success of 9+ properties in Minnesota and Florida. This includes budget writing, marketing and branding, negotiating maintenance contracts, developing policies and procedures, writing training programs and supporting menu development.  Amy’s favorite part of her job, though, is actually working in the restaurants and staying connected with the guests and employees.  Amy was the founding PTO president at Sejong Academy for the first 2 years the school was open. Her son is a Korean American adoptee and previously attended Sejong. Amy is committed to the language and cultural immersion that Sejong offers to all of its students. Contact Amy at abritton@sejongacademy.org

Sarah Bunton, Ph.D., Board Vice-Chair and Community Board Member

Sarah received her Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Administration, and Leadership; her M.A. in Educational Psychology; and her B.A. in Psychology. She has over two decades of experience as a researcher, administrator, and college-level educator in educational and non-profit organizations centered on facilitating student, faculty, and organizational success. She is currently Research Director at a higher education non-profit where her research and teaching interests include educational equity, social change, leadership development, faculty engagement, and organizational capacity-building. She publishes and presents on these topics regularly. Sarah is committed to the mission of Sejong Academy and the important and unique niche in educational opportunities that it provides. Contact Sarah at: sbunton@sejongacademy.org

Jorden Carlson, Secretary and Teacher Board Member

Jorden teaches middle school Social Studies at Sejong Academy. She was born and raised in Minnesota. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from St. Catherine University in Saint Paul. She then worked for the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities as a program director for five years. She worked with many youth programs, including summer camp and Youth in Government.  Jorden returned to school at St. Catherine University to obtain a teaching license in Secondary Social Studies Education and is currently finishing her Master's degree. Her favorite things include coffee, spending time outside, reading, and Nebraska football. Jorden's favorite quote is from Anne Frank, "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment to improve the world." She tries to live by this and inspire her students in this way. Contact Jorden at: jcarlson@sejongacademy.org

Corbin Connell, Board Treasurer and Parent Board Member

Corbin is the father of a Korean adoptee who began attending Sejong Academy in 2015.  Born in the Texas Panhandle, Corbin lived in Western Colorado before completing a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Languages at Lubbock Christian University. Corbin graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1999. He is an attorney licensed in the State of Minnesota and worked in various capacities at Wells Fargo Bank, since 2000.  Currently, Corbin is a Vice President and Certified Corporate Trust Specialist in Wells Fargo’s Corporate Trust Services business. He specializes in the administration and management of defaulted municipal bond accounts, including several charter schools.  Corbin was appointed to the Minneapolis Charter Commission, where he served two terms from 2006 to 2014.  As a member of the Charter Commission, Corbin participated in the group’s groundbreaking effort to redraw the City Council Ward and Park Board District boundaries based primarily on input from the residents of the City.   Corbin loves the outdoors and spends his free time biking, canoeing, or fishing.  In the autumn of 2014, Corbin summited Mt. Rainier. Contact Corbin at cconnell@sejongacademy.org

 

Jihee Jina Kim, Teacher Board Member

Ms. Jina was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She received a BA in Hotel Management  and English Literature in Korea. While in college, she was a volunteer English teacher to young, impoverished children in France. This teaching experience made her change her entire life path. So, Ms. Jina moved to the States and again started a long school journey. She graduated from Concordia University-St.Paul with a BA in Child Learning Development - Early Childhood Education and will complete an MA in Teaching Elementary Education from Hamline University in the fall of 2017. She believes in creating a safe environment for all students and in bringing relatedness for the students to fully reach their potential in the classroom. Her goal as an educator is to spark curiosity in the minds of students! Aside from education, she likes to travel to everywhere to experience new cultures and to find new delicious foods to try out as well! Contact Jina at: jjkim@sejongacademy.org

Jiyoung Kim, Teacher Board Member

Jiyoung teaches kindergarten at Sejong Academy.  She was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea and Oregon. She has a BS in Educational Foundations (ECE,ELE) with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Oregon. She also earned her M.Ed in Curriculum and Teaching from University of Oregon with an endorsement in ESOL. Miss Kim’s goal, as an educator, is to provide a safe learning environment for all culturally diverse students to become true scholars and support in their mental, physical and social development. In her free time, she likes to cook, watch movies, and play instruments. Contact Jiyoung at jykim@sejongacademy.org

Grace Lee, Board Chair and Parent Board Member

Grace is a second generation Korean American, born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and has 20 years of experience in both profit and non-profit organizations - Fortune 500 companies, the local church, local schools, local government, community groups and social services organizations.  Grace has a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Public Affairs Leadership Certificate from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management Certificate from Georgetown University.  She was appointed by Governor Dayton to serve on the Council of Asian Pacific Minnesotans and currently works at Ramsey County. She is the parent of two children, one who is a Sejong white tiger! Contact Grace at glee@sejongacademy.org

Brad Tipka, Ed.D., Ex-Officio

Brad is an educator with over twenty years of experience as a teacher, teacher-trainer and school leader. He studied K-12 English Education/ESL at St. Cloud State, completed his Master’s in TESOL at the School for International Training and his Ed.D. from the University of St. Thomas is Educational Leadership.  Prior to Sejong Academy, Brad was Director of Lincoln International High School in Minneapolis. He has also served as an Instructional Specialist/Coach at Noble Academy in Minneapolis. Brad spent five years teaching in Korea including positions at Dong A University in Busan and Seoul National University of Technology. Brad also served as an English Language Teaching Fellow with the US Department of State for three years in Indonesia and Malaysia. Brad believes in the transformational power of intercultural experience and language study. He is passionate about Korean language and culture and believes the study of Korean language and culture will be an amazing educational option for students in Minnesota.  Contact Brad at: btipka@sejongacademy.org