Education:
B.A. & M.A., Brooklyn College, CUNY
Ph.D. in progress, Teachers College, Columbia University
Teaching:
"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve
- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
I believe in all my students; and I am both sensitive and thoughtful in recognizing the immeasurable potential in every individual that walks into the classroom. A successful learning environment is one that is highly participatory, collaborative, and student-centered, which are goals I aim to establish in the classroom from the very first day of meeting my students.
As a CUNY alumnus and son of Korean immigrants, I am committed to giving back to CUNY and have a huge respect for my students, many of whom with narratives not too distant from my own. I believe that with persistent, hard work anything is possible and "if you believe then you can achieve.." (Tupac Shakur).
If there is one wish I could have for all my students, it's that they all come out of my class knowing that when they conscientiously put in time and effort into their craft whether it be writing, reading, discussing a relevant topic, and so forth, that they can see just how great they can be here at QCC and beyond. All educators have an incredible impact on their students' lives. I simply hope that the impact that I bring is positive and lasting here at Queensborough Community College.
Areas of Interest:
Culturally relevant pedagogy, visual & digital literacy, ethnography, narrative theory, Asian American literature.
Publications:
"My AmeriCorps Journey." AmeriCorps Downtown Needs Newsletter, Pace University Community and Volunteer Mobilization Americorps, Vol. 1, No. 4, 2007.
Presentations:
"Being Bi/ Multilingual: Translating the Self and Self-Translation." Co-presenter, The Fourth Bi-Annual Conference on Language, Society, and Culture, 25 May 2018, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY, Long Island City, NY.
"Being Bilingual." Co-presenter, Common Read Event, 26 March 2018, Queensborough Community College, CUNY, Bayside, NY.
"Using Google Docs for Freshman Year Writing." English Department Brown Bag Talk, 27 September 2017, Queensborough Community College, CUNY, Bayside, NY.
"How to Handle the Blurring the Lines between Development and Gateway Courses." Co-presenter, 2017 CUNY CUE Conference, May 5, 2017, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, New York, NY.
"A Transnational Kaleidoscope: Connecting With Students Through Narratives" Co-presenter, National Council of Teachers of English 104th Annual Convention, 21 November 2014, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, Washington, DC.
"Love & Dialogue: Validating and Transforming the Lives of Our Developmental English Students at Kingsborough Community College & Bronx Community College." Transitions and Transactions II: Literature and Creative Writing Pedagogies Conference, 25 April 2014, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, New York, NY.
"Developing Interactive On-line Resources for Developmental English Courses." Co-presenter, 2013-14 President's Faculty Innovation Award Presentation at English Department Meeting, 28 October 2013, Kingsborough Community College, CUNY, Brooklyn, NY.
"Locating the Cultural Consciousness of English Language Learners." Transitions and Transactions: Literature Pedagogy in Community Colleges Conference, 21 April, 2012, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, New York, NY.
"Best Practices, Problems & Solutions With English 93/Biology 11." Co-Presenter, Fourth Annual Learning Community Conference, 15 June 2009, Kingsborough Community College, CUNY, Brooklyn, NY.
Grants:
Wengler, Susan, & Yi, John. "The Impact of Pedagogically-Designed Research Guides on Information Literacy Student Learning Outcomes: A Pilot Study." CETL Grant, 2018, Queensborough Community College, CUNY, Bayside, NY.
Hobbies:
Fitness, golf, cooking, travel, learning new languages and cultures; and spending time with family.
