Ms. Hannah H. Choi

Ms. Choi comes to Sasebo Elementary from Osan Elementary School in Korea, where she has served as principal since 2020. At Osan Elementary, Ms. Choi was proud to lead a team of educators who met the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic with a commitment to innovative, sustained learning. It is this very commitment to 21st century school principles, collaboration, and adaptability that Ms. Choi pledges to bring to Sasebo Elementary.

Before working in school administration, Ms. Choi’s diversity of life experiences uniquely prepared her for a life of leadership, community outreach, and understanding various levels of learning. She was raised in Walnut, California, later attending the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology. After graduating, Ms. Choi moved to Seoul, Korea to attend the Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, earning a master’s degree in Korean Studies.

After a stint at LG Electronics in Seoul, Ms. Choi decided to return to Los Angeles and marry her passion for education with her professional life. At Pepperdine University, she earned master’s degrees in both Education and Administration and Educational Leadership.

Ms. Choi began her career as an educator as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Korean Dual Language Program. She also served as a member on the district’s Korean Language Arts Standards and Curriculum committee. This experience in bilingual pedagogy led to an opportunity to return to Korea—and for the first time, join DoDEA—as a Korean Language Immersion Teacher at Humphreys Central Elementary School in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. There, she gained meaningful memories and valuable skills in classroom management, student relationship building, creating engaging lessons, and connecting what happens in the classroom with the rich settings that surround our tightknit military communities.

Ms. Choi moved into school leadership when she joined Daegu Elementary School’s administration team in 2017. As an assistant principal at Daegu Elementary and later at Humphreys Central Elementary School, Ms. Choi built collaborative relationships with students, teachers, and parents, working closely with all stakeholders in the community to meet the needs of students.

Ms. Choi brought that same spirit to her role as principal at Osan Elementary, working with families to meet individual student needs, collaborating with and supporting teachers, and navigating a successful return to in-person learning.

While Ms. Choi, her husband, and her son all have deep roots in Korea and will forever cherish their time there, they are excited to join the Dragon family at Sasebo Elementary School and to connect with a new home.