Sue Jin Kim is an educator, writer, and performing artist from Los Angeles, California.  She has served in a range of positions within the field of education for more than 15 years including K-5 teacher, site and district level administrator, director of community based programming, school board member, and educational consultant. 

For 6 years, Sue Jin served as the Associate Program Director for ASES Prep, an award-winning intervention program in Los Angeles County, providing at-risk youth the knowledge and skills to make positive changes in their communities through social justice education and nonviolent civic action.  Sue Jin also served as Dean at Alta Public Schools, leading the school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support [PBIS] implementation and Restorative Justice initiative.   As a consultant for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, she trained and mentored rising leaders in expanded learning programs in leadership philosophy and practice.  She is passionate about non-traditional forms of education, pro-human pedagogy, and civil discourse grounded in rationality, humility, and respect.

Sue Jin has written and performed music featured in film, television and radio.  She released her debut album, Worth the Tears, in 2007 and her second album, I Am Worthy, in 2014.  She has been featured in Audrey Magazine, Ampersand LA, and was a top 10 finalist for Asian American Popstar. 

In 2022, Sue Jin published her first children’s book, Where Did Appa Go.  The story follows a young, Korean girl named Jinah who learns how to cope after the passing of her father through meditation and gratitude.  Additionally, her short story, Risky Behavior, was published in the anthology, Kimchi for Life: A Melting Pot of Thoughts, in 2014, which explores the Korean cultural diaspora and experience.

Sue Jin received her Bachelor’s in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles, then went on to the University of Southern California to earn her Master’s in Teaching and Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in K-12 Leadership.  She is currently a lecturer at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California and Director of Professional Development for Expanded Learning in LAUSD.