Science teacher Jennifer Kim has been part of the VNHS community for 12 years. This year, she’s teaching courses she knows well, including Honors Chemistry, Chemistry and Honors Forensics, where she brings her trademark energy and enthusiasm to the lab.

Outside of the classroom, Ms. Kim stays involved on campus as the sponsor of The Heart of Nature club. She doesn’t have any pets or children at home, but she likes to joke that her students are basically her pets anyway. I sat down with Ms. Kim for five minutes to learn more about her beyond the goggles, lab coats, and science experiments.

Do you have any children? 

No.

Any pets? 

My students are my pets.

Tell me something most people don’t know about you.

I lived in Nepal for two and a half years!

How do you balance your personal and work lives?

I can’t, most of the teachers can agree on that.

What’s a cause or issue you’re passionate about?

The quality of students’ education, I think the district does a poor job in promoting rigor in education. As a result, there was an Los Angeles Times article about three days ago that said when you get a diploma doesn’t mean anything. And I agree because LAUSD only has the idea of pumping children out as fast as possible.

What’s the most memorable travel experience you’ve had?

When I lived in Nepal, I hiked from the border of Tibet down to Nepal for five days.

What’s an interesting job you’ve had outside of education?

Being a Peace Corp Volunteer.

What’s a life lesson you’ve learned outside the classroom that you can share?

Find out what you are most passionate about and follow that! Don’t follow what your parents necessarily prescribe for you.

If you had to eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be and what’s your favorite dish from it?

Definitely sushi, my favorite is sea urchin.