Hi, I’m Rée.
Growing up, I felt like the education system wasn’t built for people like me to succeed. As a student with undiagnosed neurodivergence, learning disabilities, and anxiety, I struggled to learn in the ways my peers learned.
In the decades following, I became an educator and taught in various classrooms around the world. I taught in public schools, private universities, large government funded programs, and small academies. I designed curriculum, measured student success, and even assessed teacher efficacy.
Then, while teaching a group of English language learners in South Korea, who like me, hadn’t received adequate attention in school, I realized I was using the same methodologies as the ones that had failed me.
homeroom is my attempt to remedy this on an international scale. To speak with as many people from around the world about their own education systems to rethink what schools can be. What it should be, when we design systems and metrics which are inclusive of more diverse types of learners and thinkers with varying levels of family involvement and access to resources.
In this episode, I speak with Juri Choi, an artist and student—about her education journey from middle school to college. We talk about the influence her parents and family had on her identity formation, how her experiences growing up as a minority culture shaped her voice and artwork, and the teachers and mentors who helped her see the value in her self expression. We also discuss the genesis behind some of her well known works, and where she finds inspiration to create art in our society today. Just a note to our audience, this conversation was recorded last year in September, and slightly edited.
Check out our conversation on Spotify or Apple, and follow us on Instagram.
About Us
Juri, a Los Angeles-based visual artist, captures the essence of her Korean-American identity with an enigmatic perspective. Recognized by institutions like the National YoungArts Foundation and the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, her work has gained international exposure. Exhibited at venues such as the Getty Center and Band of Vices Gallery, Juri’s photography portrays her experiences with a hauntingly beautiful touch, inviting viewers into a world of mystery and introspection. https://www.instagram.com/jurikim_/
Rée is a visual storyteller and educator exploring the consequences that mass education has on creativity, identity, and interpersonal connection. https://www.instagram.com/theinterdisciplinarian