Many have a Linkedin page; few have a website.

It's a passion project, but also a means to an end in such a niche industry.

As of July 2018, it is only on phase 1 of the development plan I have for it. Hopefully, it's a creative way to present my curriculum vitae and a platform for reference to my network. 

It's also a test of my knowledge. I want to further my knowledge of online content development and design and hope to apply the skills I learn on other projects.

So, this website is my attempt to showcase my creative thinking to employers. Furthermore a test bed for something I plan to launch in the near future.

I am neither proficient in CSS nor HTML/HTML5. I understand the syntax a little, but it would take me ages to build a website from scratch. Due to time constraints, I opted to use the Wix platform. UX and UI design were done through Powerpoint, loose-leaf paper, and memory (not in specific order). Minimalism was what I was going for.

The amazing "Lebron-style" photo was taken at Great Falls, VA, by Eric Chi. Check out his amazing work here. What an amazing talent. I'm lucky to know him.

I also received consultation from Dustin Lee (dustinsl094@gmail.com), a great frontend developer that is looking to work in Austin, TX. Honestly, I could not implement any advice I received from him because I did not code anything. However, I was amazed by his simple instruction and guidance for my landing page. He would make a great mentor.

In addition, the cookies and privacy policy were done through a third-party service called iubenda. Personal blogs will surely benefit from their services.

Lastly, I made sure to personally call or message my friends and previous co-workers in order to receive their phenomenal testimonials.

I'm in people development. I value education for all ages because I believe in human potential.

My turning point was when I started teaching English as a foreign language in Korea.

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Impending "novel". Skip ahead if you'd like.

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In his book, The One World Schoolhouse, Salman Khan refers to "Marcela", a student he helped to advance her studies in mathematics during a summer session with Peninsula Bridge, to mention how a single student "made [his] day."

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My "Marcela" was a girl named Sally, one of 15 students in my first classroom at Chungdahm Institute. I emphasize the word "first" because I already had experience in the classroom as an SAT prep instructor at a private academy in Columbia, MD during college. I also had extensive tutoring experience to finance my "social outings" during that time. However, I had never "facilitated" a classroom before as I was more accustomed to "instruction" rather than "facilitation" per required by Chungdahm training.

I remember I was a nervous train wreck that day because my Faculty Manager, David Pickering, and Trainer/Program Leader, Helen Hyon, told me that they would be observing the class through the CCTV system. Naturally, I was a bit tense. It did not help that I was sleep deprived due to prep. Anyways, the first ten minutes was a disaster. My icebreaker failed. I don't even remember what it was. I just remember getting an odd vibe from the students during the icebreaker. Some kids had their head down and some even had an unamused expression on their faces.

'Great.' I thought.

I don't know how, but I managed to transition to the lesson primer. In the primer, there was a convoluted definition and explanation of a reading skill the children did not understand. The proper methodology was to require some students to read the skill section out loud and then discuss the skill as a class. The problem was the students had nothing to discuss since they did not understand it. So, I went off-track and simply presented a short explanation with a diagram I had for myself.

That's when the magic happened.

Sally and her classmates' eyes lit up. They inadvertently vocalized an "ah~ wow" under their breath. When I came to my senses, I realized I was breezing through the lesson with everyone's undivided attention.

At the end of the day, David and Helen came to me and told me that they were very impressed with what they saw. Helen even mentioned that she thought she was observing a veteran teacher's class. Later that week I would learn that Sally and her classmates went home the first day and were ecstatic about my lesson. Sally, in particular, was new to Chungdahm and was apparently afraid that she would not adjust to a new system (almost all Korean children experience a language academy throughout their childhood). But she told her mother that her new teacher, Ken, provided an engaging and fun lesson while expertly guiding students.

"Fun", "engaging", and "expertly"? I did not deserve those adjectives. 

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Suffice to say, that whole experience with Sally drove me to do better. I remember Helen mentioning that I was one of the easiest teachers to provide feedback. This meant she was able to focus on the others. However, I made sure to bother her whenever the chance arose. I also made sure to bother my Faculty Manager and other Program Leaders (Jason Moritz, Yosepu Kim, Jane Chong , and Kristine Kang) for advice. This kind of work ethic and attitude is thanks to Sally and the aforementioned individuals who guided me to become a better teacher.

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In conclusion, I fell in love with the gratification the craft and its beneficiaries offered. Ever since I have been trying to re-live my experience with Sally and share the passion with others.

I want to be a part of the development and introduction of a revolutionary teacher, student, and parent tool/system that will help enrich the experience of all stakeholders in the learning process. 

It's far-fetched, but this involves electronic devices, AI, IoT, Machine Learning, and Big Data. Before all that, I need to find the right-minded individuals and organization where I can be a part of that innovation.

We had a mutual understanding and parted ways. It's doing great without me.

I am in search of an organization where I can not only add value but learn and grow. Do not hesitate to contact me if you work for one.

But of course, I am also helping out the family business to be better connected. Since I have been back, I have helped to make sure operations are more efficient. My experience in product management and program development, as well as my knowledge in network and IT infrastructure establishment for The Education, Inc. , is aiding me in the installation of a Point of Sales system. What this will do is streamline order management, financial reporting, and inventory management. It involves setting up a Linux-based server with a shared PLU database and a LAN connection between registers and kitchen printer. It's still a work in progress, but I aim to help the family by incorporating technology into the business.

My parents still use End of Day sales reports from outdated Sharp cash registers to do daily adjustments and bookkeeping. My father still uses an Excel print-out for inventory and order management. Meal orders are still written on paper and stickied to the sandwich counter. Sometimes, customers are forced to repeat their orders to the cashier because the line relies on verbal communication between workers. Our menu is cluttered and it has sandwiches that are sold maybe once a week. We have too much PLU/SKU to manage and the store relies on an employees' memory for customer purchase habits. I think I was able to mention less than half of the issues that I believe can be improved by technology.

Hopefully, by the end of this year, the store will have two 65" displays to replace the kitchen menu. The kitchen will take orders from the Point of Sales systems, either at the kitchen or grocery counter, via a kitchen printer. It will not use a kitchen display because the current line movement does not have to undergo drastic changes. Sales will be easier to analyze using raw data accrued on the database, which will be shared using an enterprise-grade router. New PLU's can be remotely uploaded. Financial reports, inventory reports, invoices, and Purchase Orders will be remotely available as well. The streamlining of inventory management and sales will also help to better our pricing strategy. Should I continue? The implications of the new system are beyond what my parents could imagine.

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To Koreans, "Hyo-Doh" (aka filial piety) is important and taught throughout one's life. Personally, filial piety should be second nature. I am indebted to my parents and helping them out with the business is one method of enforcing filial piety - or a son's duty. 

Oh, and I'm studying for the GMATs and doing some lesson development on the side.

More FAQ's on the way. In the meantime, feel free to browse the site.

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