MEET KIM
Kim grew up in a diverse community outside of Los Angeles. Her parents were small-business owners and raised Kim and her two younger brothers with a strong work ethic and an emphasis on family. Kim, active in student government during high school, later pursued her love of science at her local community college, while working as a bank teller and an elementary school outreach science educator for the college. Looking back upon her early years of schooling, her desire for leadership and connecting with people were already beginning to show.
Kim transferred to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she majored in Biology. Always interested in leadership, she joined the Biological Honor Society and was elected representative for the College of Science and Math. More importantly, this is where she met Kevin, whom she would eventually marry 6 years later.
After earning her Bachelor of Science degree, Kim worked at Bodega Marine Laboratory, in Bodega Bay, and later at UCLA, working at both a marine coastal lab and the Ocean Discovery Center; an aquarium beneath the Santa Monica Pier. While scientific, these jobs also fed her desire to interact with the public as she provided educational programs for young students and coordinated volunteers.
A year later, Kevin’s research required relocation to Monterey. They initially settled in Pacific Grove and upon falling in love with Monterey Bay, were fortunate enough to purchase their “forever home” right here in wonderful Del Rey Oaks. You may have seen her in the early mornings, relishing her town, by running the streets of Del Rey Oaks for the past 15 years.
After moving to the area, Kim’s passion for science and commitment to caring for the earth, along with that family work ethic, drove her to earn her master’s degree in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University in 2000.
Kim and her family, Kevin, Sophia, and Alex.
Kim and Kevin at Kim's Cal Poly graduation.
Marathon runner Kim with younger Alex and Sophia.
While earning her master’s degree, Kim was offered the opportunity to work at Elkhorn Elementary School in North Monterey County, where she began teaching, coordinating a large-scale after school program, and coordinating interventions for academically at-risk students. She also completed her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential through Chapman University.
Kim and Kevin then began their greatest adventure, starting their family with the birth of Alexander in 2003 and then Sophia in 2005. Teaching and working among diverse families, while raising her own son and daughter, has allowed her to observe and contemplate the social and economic inequalities in our society. Her life experiences of being a student, teacher, wife, and mother frame her thoughts and beliefs about how we, as a community, can help address these great disparities. In addition to these lessons, her kids continue to teach her increased patience, flexibility, understanding, compassion, and the heightened need for a more just and caring world.
After 12 years of working at the elementary school, wanting to allow for more time with her kids, Kim began teaching health part-time at Monterey Peninsula College. Since 2008 Kim has been teaching as an adjunct instructor at Monterey Peninsula College where, beloved by her students, she continues to be a passionate teacher, helping students to achieve personal wellness and to follow their academic dreams.
Teaching at the college part-time allowed her greater opportunities for volunteering at her kids’ school. She was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for 10 years, spent many hours helping in the classrooms, and was asked to be part of the Parent Advisory Group for the creation of the International Baccalaureate program at Monterey High School. Once again, her passion for education and her desire to step up, put in the work, and take action allowed her to become part of a local project which she found so important.
Kim puts her energy and her passion into making the world a better place, and she sees local government as the place to best make that happen. If elected, she will focus on listening to residents’ needs and concerns. Kim will strive to keep Del Rey Oaks the beautiful, charming, and safe community that it currently is and will guide it to an environmentally sustainable and equitable future. Kim looks forward to serving and using her energy to represent the residents of Del Rey Oaks.
