Educational Philosophy

I believe that education is not just about acquiring knowledge but also about empowering learners to shape their own futures and contribute meaningfully to the world. This philosophy forms the backbone of my mission to build prepared students, confident leaders, and successful citizens.

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Prepared Students

Every student, regardless of background, deserves access to a high-quality education that equips them with the foundational skills necessary for success. At TECO, we first prioritize data-driven instruction to ensure that our programs are responsive to the unique needs of each learner. We also leverage diverse learning styles, differentiated instruction, and technology to personalize curricular experiences. At our core, we are committed to closing achievement gaps and ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Our work, for example, leading government-subsidized English-based career workshops for public school students in Incheon, Korea, reflects this commitment to bridging opportunity gaps to success.

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Confident Leaders

Leadership is not an inherent trait but instead developed through meaningful experiences and mentorship. At TECO, we cultivate leadership by providing both our staff and our students with opportunities to practice self-advocacy, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. Through initiatives like TECO Labs and the High School Internship Program, our learners engage with real-world challenges, find their unique voices, express their ideas with confidence, and become agents of change. Just as my own experiences navigating a variety of places (Georgia, California, Massachusetts, Singapore, Finland, and Korea) have shaped my own leadership style, we strive to create opportunities for everyone to develop their own unique leadership capacities, whenever and wherever they might be. 

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Successful Citizens

Education must extend beyond academic achievement. At TECO, we are committed to developing ethically-grounded and civically-engaged citizens. We foster a culture of inclusion, respect, and responsibility, ensuring that all learners develop a well-rounded worldview and the skills to navigate diverse perspectives. We empower students to become active and informed participants in their own communities and the world, instilling in them a sense of responsibility to contribute to the greater good. My own journey here, marked by both the challenges and the opportunities of navigating diverse cultural contexts, has instilled in me a deep commitment to equity and justice. This commitment is reflected, for example, in our work supporting North Korean refugees and our collaborations with various ministries of education to improve instructional practices worldwide.

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Moving Forward

Personally, leading TECO is more than a job: it is a lifelong commitment to expanding opportunities, breaking barriers, and redefining what is possible in education. I believe that true impact is not measured by numbers alone but by the lives we change, the confidence we instill, and the opportunities we unlock.

 

At TECO, we empower learners not just to navigate the future but to shape it. This is the legacy I aim to build and the reason I get up every morning.