During Luna Kim’s childhood, she taught herself various skills including how to use Adobe Photoshop, how to code using Hypertext Markup Language and learned to navigate web design.
She was born in South Korea but moved to the United States when she was a young child. Kim primarily grew up in San Diego, Calif.
Due to Kim’s experience and interest of computer programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, she attended college at UC Irvine, majoring in computer science. Additionally, Kim worked as an Accountant Assistant for Newport Signs and Graphics from 2015 to 2016.
Kim began her teaching career by helping adults learn more about computer science and teaching them how to use computer programs. Later on, she moved to the preschool level, where her career in childhood education began.
Kim originally helped adults in a coding bootcamp, and then later moved on to teach at private schools.
“I really like helping people and teaching them, and education is something I want to explore [more],” Kim said.
When Kim first became an educator, she recalls trying to differentiate herself from others in her field.
“[They] consider me a unicorn,” Kim said.
Kim is not strictly tied to one subject. In her computer science classes, she combines multiple aspects of digital design together. For example, making a computer program visually appealing, while still functional.
Before coming to Greenhill, Kim taught students in grades 7 through 12 at La Jolla Country Day school in San Diego, Calif. She taught computer science, digital illustration and game design courses for middle school students.
At La Jolla Country Day, she worked with Matthew Abbondanzio, Director of Design and Innovation, who connected her with Greenhill to teach User Experience (UX) Design in November of 2022.
She decided that a change would be beneficial and started at Greenhill the following January.
Kim says she teaches UX Design because it combines both her background in computer science and art. She began this interest by working under UX Design professionals, who already had a name for themselves in that industry.
“I have always had an eye for making things look nice [and] functional,” Kim said.
Kim says she took the opportunity at Greenhill due to her desire to belong to a strong community.
“I fell in love with the atmosphere of the campus [and] I also love the kids. The demo lesson was what solidified it,” Kim said.
Kim currently teaches Middle School Graphic and Web Design, and Upper School UX Design and App Development. She says she hopes to bring an Advanced UX Design class to Greenhill in the future – combining design and development.
Kim wants her students to feel connected and supported in the classroom and will often have activities to help them and learn more about them.
“I really want my kids to feel comfortable in my classroom,” Kim said.
In an attempt to do so, Kim began the semester by learning more about her students, including their birthdays and extracurricular activities.
“You never will know if you can do it if you don’t try,” Kim said.
