CASE STUDIES

Sue Chung was majoring in business at the University of Illinois in Chicago until she had a dream one night that she was teaching in a third grade classroom. The next day, she switched her major. Sue’s confidence in her vision started her on the path to a successful career in education. “I started off in the Chicago public schools. Right after I graduated I took a trip to Korea, and while there, my mom called me and said, “You have an interview, you need to come back sooner.” I went to the interview, and I got a third grade position. Isn’t that wild?”

After teaching in the Chicago public schools for 13 years Sue was fed up with all of the political mayhem and moved to an independent school. She didn’t know much about independent schools and was pleasantly surprised with the opportunity to work in a supportive environment and build her own dynamic curriculum. “I found a job at a private independent school which I’d never heard of before. It was a new world of possibility.” Seven years in an independent school passed quickly but Sue wasn’t sure if continuing to live in Chicago was the right option.