Volunteer Teaching

My teaching practice extends beyond the university classroom into community-based projects that connect people through art and design.

These experiences have shaped my belief that teaching is a lifelong practice of empathy, collaboration, and creative exchange—a way to build bridges across cultures and to help others find their own voice.

1) KART – Creative Art and Korean Culture

Founder & President, Virginia Commonwealth University (2021–2022)

Created a student organization to foster cultural understanding and creative connection through art and Korean pop culture.

Leadership & Teaching Skills:

• Built the organization from the ground up—recruiting members, assigning roles, and planning events.

• Guided peers in skill-share workshops, presenting, instructing, and organizing creative activities.

• Gained experience in team management, budgeting, event marketing, and audience engagement, while encouraging every participant to take ownership of their learning and creative contributions.

  
  

Impact & Activities:

• Planned and led events that combined art-making with cultural exchange, such as:

  • After Effects / Motion Graphic workshop in collaboration with a dance team

  • Logo & T-Shirt Design Contest

  • Squid Game–themed games and set design

  • Korean Language Day (Hangul Day) – introducing Korean calligraphy and traditional fan-making

  • Kimchi Day / K-Food celebration - team bonding & fundraising

  • International Day – decorating paper fans with Korean calligraphy

  • Secret Santa Paint Night – portrait painting to encourage empathy & bonding

  • “Make Your Mark” campus chalk art event with doodles & encouraging quotes

2) Pakistan Refugee Creative Teaching Project

Capstone Project – Bangkok, Thailand (2016–2018)

Designed a sustainable creative curriculum for Pakistani refugee children whose educational opportunity was limited.

Program Highlights:

• Researched community needs and created art activities using found objects and donated materials, ensuring the program could continue after the project ended.

• Taught at two elementary schools (ages 3–14), and trained parent volunteers to lead ongoing creative art classes.

• Introduced children to color, storytelling, and imagination as tools for resilience and self-expression.

Leadership & Teaching Skills:

• Learned to research, plan, and deliver a curriculum in a challenging environment with limited resources.

• Built meaningful relationships across language and cultural barriers, gaining a deeper understanding of the community’s dreams and struggles.

• Demonstrated that even small acts of sharing can have a lasting educational and emotional impact.