Born in Suwon, South Korea and raised in Los Angeles's San Gabriel Valley, my personal perspective, values, and aspirations have been informed by my encounters with Los Angeles' Koreatown and SGV immigrant communities, international communities, and urban spaces both locally and abroad. I am looking to pursue urban planning as an extension of my interest in sustainability, which has been a common thread throughout much of my work outside of the classroom, including community-based participatory research (CBPR) and my multiple roles in sustainability projects at UCLA.

 

My passion for urban public spaces began in my sophomore year of high school, during my year of homeschooling. I took that year to explore the city of Los Angeles beyond the areas that I had grown up in, which fostered my interest in public transportation and renewed my understanding of Los Angeles's local and global communities.

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My global perspective is fostered by my experiences abroad in Asia- in Nanjing, Yanji, South Korea, and Hong Kong- that revealed to me ever-interesting and reflective urban living situations, especially in high-density, mixed-zoned areas. Even back at home, my background in non-profit work with Los Angeles's ethnic working-class communities has developed a unique understanding of communities often pushed to the margins.

 

When I am outside of the office, you can find me scouring the city for new and exciting bookstores, taco stands, picnic spots, and community gathering spaces.