Piper Begler is a senior at UCLA pursuing a B.A. in Art. Her work blends writing with experimental video and installation, combining her passions for storytelling and visual art. While her practice often explores fiction, her interests that drew her to KSP are rooted in a desire to engage with real-life experiences and communities. In the fall of 2024, she worked as a journalism intern for Magenta Florence, an arts and culture publication based in Italy. The experience deepened her love of connecting to place through storytelling and inspired her to bring that perspective back to her hometown of Los Angeles. Piper believes storytelling has a unique power to bridge experiences, and she sees KSP as sharing that value. Additionally, she is always collaborating with her filmmaker friends to make music videos and short films, and is a host on UCLA Radio.

Soyoon Choo is an interdisciplinary professional with a background in community-engaged research and urban studies, committed to equity-centered, people-first work. Her expertise spans community engagement and communications, focusing on building relationships and translating complex ideas into accessible, meaningful impact. She has collaborated with diverse communities—including immigrant and senior populations—to co-create initiatives that honor lived experiences, cultural context, and local knowledge for and with nonprofits. Soyoon strives to bring curiosity, clarity, and care to her work, and she is passionate about work that bridges research, storytelling, and social change.

Seongbin Stella Gong is a Korean writer and editor born in Seoul, raised in Virginia, and now based in Tokyo’s Koreatown. She studies International Relations and Political Science at Waseda University, where she thinks about diaspora, race, and how stories shape law and identity. She’s the author of Keep Your Enemies Close, a Korean-language novel on queerness, memory, and growing up in between. Her writing floats between personal essay, interviews, and legal-ish analysis, usually somewhere between heartbreak and policy. She’s interested in the stories people don’t always know how to tell—and the systems that decide which ones get heard.

As an artist, curator, and director, Raven Irabor is driven by a mission to reimagine and unify stories of the African Diaspora, creating a visual language that honors shared experiences and celebrates global Black identity. With 10 years working in the media, fashion, and advertising industries as a Producer, her personal work is informed by her passion for culture, community, fashion, and art. Her work spans across branded content, digital series, commercial, editorial, e-commerce, multi platform campaigns, cultural programming, and social where she’s led projects as a Producer, Director, and a Creative Director.

Sarah Lancia is a burgeoning moving image archivist. After graduating from Emerson College with a B.A. in Film Production and a minor in Philosophy in 2009, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she began her career working in post-production services at Technicolor. After six years, Sarah entered the world of animation production, where she served as the central production coordinator on an animated feature at Warner Bros. and later as a script coordinator at Netflix. Through it all, Sarah has remained passionate about film and media. In 2024, she returned to higher education to earn her Master of Library and Information Science degree from UCLA, specializing in media archival studies. Sarah is dedicated to film and AV preservation, ensuring that future generations can access and benefit from these precious materials for years to come.

Genevieve Lee is a senior at Marlborough High School in Hancock Park. She has served as a leader of the school’s AANHPI affinity group since 7th grade, helping to create multiple advisory lessons during AANHPI Heritage Month. An advisory lesson about AANHPI immigration stories sparked her interest in Asian American immigrants. Especially attending school near Koreatown and being the daughter of a Korean American immigrant, Genevieve is especially passionate about exploring the experiences of Korean American immigrants. Genevieve also leads the Mock Trial team and has an interest in studying political science along with Asian American Studies in college. She loves cafe-hopping, thrifting, and record shopping.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jane is a local Pasadena native currently in her gap year after graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication. She is currently working as a Physical Therapy Aide and studying at Pasadena City College in hopes of applying to Physician Assistant School. Jane is passionate about Korean American history and mobilization and hopes to later serve the minority populaces of Los Angeles as a P.A. and storyteller.

Cira Mejia is a first-year student at Middlebury College, where she is pursuing a degree in International Politics and Economics. Before joining KSP, Cira was an ambassador for Sages and Seekers, an organization that focuses on intergenerational connections through the exchange of storytelling. She feels most connected to her community when telling stories, whether through her short documentaries or the music she produces with her band "Wednesday Again." Her academic aspirations include furthering her understanding of global issues while continuing to develop her artistic voice!

UCLA class of 2023 graduate Monica Negrete is a freelance editor dedicated to strengthening a wide range of writing, from works of fiction to migrant narratives. Her path to editing and her connection to community-based storytelling began with an oral history internship at the Koreatown Storytelling Program in 2022, focusing on immigrant stories in Los Angeles. It was through that internship that she found her true calling as an editor. Now living in Korea, her past writing and editing experiences, combined with her more recent work as a line editor for a web novel company, have uniquely prepared her for her ongoing role at KSP. As the multilingual line editor, copy editor, and managing editor for KSP and all of its additional projects, Monica ensures that each story is preserved and shared with meticulous care and clarity.

Flora White is a rising sophomore at Wesleyan University. She is a prospective theater major and an avid participant in the student theater scene at Wesleyan, having performed with three different theater clubs so far. She has spoken about social justice through Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, and in 2022, co-produced Trans Existence as Resistance, a national, virtual protest and fundraiser for trans rights. She has also won writing awards from Scholastic, The Legacy Project, The Light Bringer Project, the Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate program, and the Wesleyan University English Department.  She has lived in mid-city LA her whole life and is excited to be exploring Koreatown more. She enjoys interviewing because she enjoys talking to and learning about different people, and loves video editing. In the future, she is interested in careers that include writing, performing, teaching, and helping others. 

Peony Yeon, born and raised in Los Angeles, is a Communications and Rhetorical Studies major at Syracuse University. Peony has experience managing social platforms for various businesses, including her mother’s restaurant Yeon Sushi, NK Dance Studio, and her dance team, Wink Dance Team. As a Korean American, she has connected to her culture through the Koreatown community—immersed in Korean food, history, and K-pop music. She spent seven years K-pop dancing, which was an experience that sparked a deep love for Korean pop culture. This path inspired her to pursue a career in K-pop entertainment, specializing in social media management. She aspires to stay ahead of trends and contribute creatively to companies while collaborating with teams who share the same passion. Peony hopes to bring this same level of energy, trends, and storytelling to KSP’s social media platforms.

Jonah Lee is a first-year student at Los Angeles City College, where he is pursuing his passion for storytelling as an English major. Living in Los Angeles for almost eight years, Jonah draws inspiration from his cultural background, as his mother works as a radio host in Koreatown. He is fluent in both Korean and English, and he spends his free time immersed in reading and writing screenplays. He brings four years of experience in video editing and film from his time in a cinematography class during high school. His academic goals include transferring to UCLA to obtain a bachelor's degree in English, paving the way for a successful career in screenwriting.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jane is a local Pasadena native currently in her gap year after graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication. She is currently working as a Physical Therapy Aide and studying at Pasadena City College in hopes of applying to Physician Assistant School. Jane is passionate about Korean American history and mobilization and hopes to later serve the minority populaces of Los Angeles as a P.A. and storyteller.

Natalee Park is a rising sophomore at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) pursuing a BFA in Fine Arts with a Science and Math minor. She was adopted from Busan, South Korea, and raised in the United States. Inspired by human reflections found in the ocean and earth, her art practice revolves around capturing tenderness and magic. With experience in image archive management and assistant art teaching, her heart lies in using art and creativity to benefit her community and form impactful relationships. Despite Natalee's specialization in painting, her enthusiasm has led to an abundance of hobbies such as sewing, crocheting, ceramics, creative writing, screenprinting, and more.

Leah Whang holds dual B.A. degrees in English and Performance Studies from UC Berkeley and a M.A. degree in Literary Criticism from Loyola Marymount University. At LMU, she served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow with the English Department and a Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles. Currently, Leah is an English and Asian American Literature instructor at Marlborough School. Specializing in ethnic studies and diaspora literature, she is passionate about writing and researching on cultural expressions amongst various diasporas of contemporary America. A second-gen Korean and native Angeleno herself, Leah is eager to collaborate with the communities represented by KYCC/KSP.

Priscilla Lee is currently a rising junior pursuing a BFA in Fine Arts, as well as minors in Marketing and Computer Science. Her art practice explores themes of self-reflection and the broader world, blending mediums like sculpture, 3D installations, and photography. She is passionate about connecting people through art, often volunteering to support this vision. In addition to her own creative work, she collaborates with fellow artists, directing photoshoots and managing rental bookings to help them showcase their art via online platforms and social media, expanding their reach and visibility. On her campus, she spends her days gathering experiences such as building a podcast from scratch, pitching business ideas with startups, shooting for fashion editorial magazines, and volunteering at local non-profits and animal shelters.

Cira Mejia is a first-year student at Middlebury College, where she is pursuing a degree in International Politics and Economics. Before joining KSP, Cira was an ambassador for Sages and Seekers, an organization that focuses on intergenerational connections through the exchange of storytelling. She feels most connected to her community when telling stories, whether through her short documentaries or the music she produces with her band "Wednesday Again." Her academic aspirations include furthering her understanding of global issues while continuing to develop her artistic voice!

As an artist, curator, and director, Raven Irabor is driven by a mission to reimagine and unify stories of the African Diaspora, creating a visual language that honors shared experiences and celebrates global Black identity. With 10 years working in the media, fashion, and advertising industries as a Producer, her personal work is informed by her passion for culture, community, fashion, and art. Her work spans across branded content, digital series, commercial, editorial, e-commerce, multi platform campaigns, cultural programming, and social where she’s led projects as a Producer, Director, and a Creative Director.

Hollyn Gambill is a rising junior at the UNC School of the Arts pursuing a B.F.A. in Filmmaking with an Arts Entrepreneurship minor. She was adopted from Guangdong, China into a large, multicultural family of which she is the youngest. She grew up reading, writing, and exploring. A deep passion for connecting people led her to start an online community in 2022, AmpuTeens, conducting and sharing first-person interviews of teens with limb loss and limb difference. She believes in the power of personal narratives and enjoys exploring different formats. She has collaborated on projects across mediums including film, documentary, and writing. In her free time, she loves to visit bookstores, travel, make art, and hang out with friends and family. Through her passion for storytelling and love for people, she hopes to spark more curiosity and wonder in the world.

Jonah Lee is a first-year student at Los Angeles City College, where he is pursuing his passion for storytelling as an English major. Living in Los Angeles for almost eight years, Jonah draws inspiration from his cultural background, as his mother works as a radio host in Koreatown. He is fluent in both Korean and English, and he spends his free time immersed in reading and writing screenplays. He brings four years of experience in video editing and film from his time in a cinematography class during high school. His academic goals include transferring to UCLA to obtain a bachelor's degree in English, paving the way for a successful career in screenwriting.

Hyein Kim is a volunteer editor at KSP and a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M University. Her research interests lie in migration, mental health, and cultural cognition. She has received a research grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct a comprehensive field study on Korean immigrants, primarily in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles. She uses cognitive method to measure Korean ethnic community culture and its impact on the lives and mental well-being of Korean immigrants in the United States. She aspires to synergize her work and experience at KSP with her research interest to better convey the narratives of Korean Americans and navigate the rich history of Koreatown.

Jadyn Kim is a rising sophomore currently studying Society & Environment at UC Berkeley. Although she spends much of her work hours organizing vinyls in the basement, she is an aspiring DJ at KALX 90.7 FM, Berkeley’s radio station. She also edits for Daily Californian. As an L.A. native, Jadyn hopes to use her position as a KSP intern to help tell multicultural stories and amplify Koreatown voices. Passionate about social justice and environmental issues, Jadyn aims to pursue a career in environmental policy or law. In her free time, she enjoys camping, painting, and trying out new recipes.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jane is a local Pasadena native currently in her gap year after graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication. She is currently working as a Physical Therapy Aide and studying at Pasadena City College in hopes of applying to Physician Assistant School. Jane is passionate about Korean American history and mobilization and hopes to later serve the minority populaces of Los Angeles as a P.A. and storyteller.

Janice Yun is a writer and journalist currently based in Los Angeles. She recently graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Communication and dual minors in Asian American Studies and Film/TV/Digital Media. During her undergrad, she was an arts & entertainment reporter for the Daily Bruin and served as the Theater | Film | Television editor during her junior year. She is passionate about utilizing arts and media to amplify marginalized voices, specifically from the AAPI community, and hopes to pursue a career in arts journalism. In her free time she loves checking out new coffee shops or burger joints, thrifting, or trying out (and usually butchering) new recipes.

Jungmin Lee is a Koreatown Storytelling Program intern who creates social impact across digital mediums from journalism and copywriting to marketing and communications. A first-generation Angeleno with roots in Koreatown, she grew up in a family that served the health needs of local Asian and Latinx immigrants. Jungmin’s liberal arts education at Emory University and UC Irvine shaped her community work as a former intern for South L.A. Councilmember Curren Price, and as a volunteer at the AAPI-led Mayumi Market, East West Players, and Center for the Pacific Asian Family. Fluent in Korean, she has also tutored ESL students of all ages. She enjoys watching movies, playing tennis, and spending time in nature.

Kimberly Espinosa (she/her) is a Zapotec first-generation college student, community organizer and documentary photographer from Koreatown, Los Angeles. She is a rising second-year at Northwestern University double majoring in journalism and cognitive science with a minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies. Prior to college, Kimberly was a student in the Koreatown Storytelling Program and Las Fotos Project. This summer, she will be a KSP intern. For leisure, she enjoys going around the neighborhood, spending time with friends, and capturing memories with her camera.

Natalee Park is a rising sophomore at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) pursuing a BFA in Fine Arts with a Science and Math minor. She was adopted from Busan, South Korea, and raised in the United States. Inspired by human reflections found in the ocean and earth, her art practice revolves around capturing tenderness and magic. With experience in image archive management and assistant art teaching, her heart lies in using art and creativity to benefit her community and form impactful relationships. Despite Natalee's specialization in painting, her enthusiasm has led to an abundance of hobbies such as sewing, crocheting, ceramics, creative writing, screenprinting, and more.

Amy Anchi Li Chen is the LA County Arts Intern at KSP. Born in the U.S. and raised in China, Amy is a bilingual writer/filmmaker/actor, pursuing a B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies at University of Southern California. She is an Academy Gold Rising alum and the Screenwriters’ Chair at Delta Kappa Alpha National Film Society, Alpha Chapter. She was the finalist of the 2021 De Anza Screenwriting Competition and a former editor/translator at UChannel TV, Santa Clara. Passionate about cross-cultural storytelling and API representation, Amy hopes to work in a TV writers' room, creating characters that highlight the identity and history of East Asian immigrants in the United States.

Joohun is a Korean-American screenwriter from New Jersey. After graduating magna cum laude from NYU, he won a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct a research project in rural Honduras for one year. He went on to receive his M.D. from Johns Hopkins, where he spent his nights and weekends on the other side of campus attending screenwriting classes, performing in an improv troupe, and frightening his Asian parents. His first feature script Transplant was selected as part of the 2020 Sundance Screenwriters Intensive and is being produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker. He aims to live at the intersection of art and science.

Chloe Heo is a Social Media Intern at KSP. Born and raised in South Korea, Chloe went to an international school for three years in Korea and transferred to high school in the U.S. She is studying Communications/Media at Santa Monica College as an international student, and plans to transfer to a four-year university in the Fall of 2023. She is on a newsletter committee for Alpha Gamma Sigma, Honors in Action program in Phi Theta Kappa, screenwriting/social media team at SMC Film Club, social media director for the Korean student association and A.S. Director of Publicity for the student government. Chloe hopes to work in a film/media field, and is especially interested in TV, Film Directing, and advertising for media.

Hailey Lee is a Social Media Intern at KSP. As a global citizen born and raised in East Asia, Hailey is trilingual in Korean, Japanese, and English. While pursuing a B.A. in Asian American Studies and Electric Art at Cal State Long Beach, Hailey is also a self-employed photographer, videographer, and language tutor. She was trained by JYP Entertainment company as an actress trainee. She is a Social Media Coordinator at her church. While developing her career in media production, Hailey strives to create content that promotes interconnection among East Asian immigrant cultures in the United States.

Monica Madrigal-Negrete is a soon-to-be graduate at UCLA studying Anthropology and Digital Humanities. She is now a Koreatown Storytelling Program intern and mentor at KYCCLA. She also runs UCLA’s Non-Traditional Students Network and is a mentor in UCLA’s First GENtorship Program. Monica is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant father and U.S. born mother. Being multiethnic and multicultural has inspired her to learn about other cultures, travel abroad, and study several languages. She is interested in Koreatown because the Korean and Latinx communities share a common space. She is currently learning Korean and hopes to attend graduate school in Seoul and eventually work in international relations. In her free time, she loves to draw, practice yoga, and go hiking.

My name is Da In Choi, a PhD student in the Gender Studies department at UCLA. As an undergraduate student, I received a research fellowship to study women’s experiences of the Korean War and ever since, I have been passionate about oral histories. As a doctoral student, my research interests are in migration, food, and gendered labor. I created an online archive on the Korean War and I am hoping to be part of this process of collecting, preserving, and sharing more oral histories in the future.

Gayeon Koh is a freshman at UCLA as an Education and Social Transformation major. Prior to Los Angeles, she attended an international school in Jeju Island (Branksome Hall Asia), South Korea. Her passion lies in leadership, entrepreneurship, and social activism. She is the founder and CEO of REVIR, a student justice alliance that produced a 600-page global analysis report that comprises of 23 different countries. She also founded THEMIS academy, a local organization striving to reveal the hidden history of Jeju 4.3. Beyond her academic interest, she enjoys dancing and playing the cello as her main source of happiness is to make others happy through entertainment.

Tony Morales is a multimedia artist and educator from Los Angeles. Before returning to Los Angeles, he was a college advisor to high school students in Richmond, CA. Currently, Tony is the host and producer for There Radio, interviewing artists defining the current cultural moment. Previously, he launched the podcast platform for UC Berkeley’s Multicultural Community Center. His passion for audio storytelling stems from his family’s Sonidero culture and oral history. He uses different mediums to tackle themes in home-building, labor issues, and music culture. Tony’s work has been featured in UC Berkeley’s Labor Center, Dryland Literary Journal, and Home Grown Radio. His writing has received recognition from the Los Angeles Clippers for their “Write the Story” Campaign.

John Kay Kim was born and raised in Los Angeles. He currently works as a paralegal in a small law firm. He majored in philosophy at Amherst College and is now headed to law school this fall. He enjoys playing tennis, weightlifting, reading, and of course, stuffing his face with delicious food. A fun fact about him is that he can move his left ear!

Heeeun Lee (Celine) is about to graduate after finishing all the semesters at University of Seoul in Korea. She is interested in hearing many others' stories and writing, that's why she hopes to become a journalist. She is a bubbly and cheerful person and also in a university cheerleading club. She has lived in Korea for her whole life and lived in Los Angeles for only 4 months, but it remains a wonderful memory for her, she is planning to visit LA again.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jane is a local Pasadena native currently in her gap year after graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication. She is currently working as a Physical Therapy Aide and studying at Pasadena City College in hopes of applying to Physician Assistant School. Jane is passionate about Korean American history and mobilization and hopes to later serve the minority populaces of Los Angeles as a P.A. and storyteller.

Sarah Se-Hyun Jho was born and raised in Koreatown, Los Angeles. She is a 2020 graduate of Yale College where she double-majored in the History of Medicine and Biology. She is entering medical school in fall 2022, and is interested in incorporating the medical humanities into her future career.

Evan is a recent college graduate born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. He previously volunteered at KYCC as part of the middle school program and is currently working as an intern in the Koreatown Storytelling Program. Evan attended Stanford as an undergrad and majored in Symbolic Systems, an interdisciplinary major including computer science, math, neuroscience, psychology and philosophy. Recently, however, he has been working as an EMT at a private ambulance company in Los Angeles and taking pre-med classes, with the hopes of eventually becoming a doctor. Evan’s hobbies include reading books, playing the cello and piano, and trying to improve his Korean.

Sue (Sue Yun) Park was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Orange County. She moved out to Koreatown after graduating from UCLA, where she majored in Psychobiology and minored in Asian American Studies. Sue is currently working in clinical research on women’s heart disease and scribing in the emergency department. She hopes to integrate her passion for the arts and community service into her future career as a doctor.

Jessica Wong was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She is a third-year English major and Community Engagement and Social Change minor at University of California, Los Angeles. She is on video staff at UCLA’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Bruin, as well as a staff reporter for News’ campus politics beat, and was an assistant editor for 60 Second Docs, a viral documentary series. She is committed to inspiring people through a diverse circulation of stories by means of various forms of media.

Hyeyoon Alyssa Choi is a content design and UI/UX consultant at KYCC and the first KSP Communications Intern. She has her Master of Science in journalism with a specialization in media innovation & content strategy from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Alyssa graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a double major in communication and political science. She was a news editor and reporter at The Daily Bruin and has interned at CNN, ABC News, and The Los Angeles Times. She was also a Producer at “Good Morning America.”

Hannah Seo is a first year pharmacy student at Rutgers University, born and raised in New Jersey. In school, she is involved in GlobeMed, a student-run, non-profit organization that advocates for global health equity, and Student National Pharmaceutical Association. She is interested in pursuing the pharmaceutical industry.

Nicole Kim is a digital designer and technologist based in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Previously she studied Urban Planning at UC Berkeley and worked with organizations such as NPR and O/M Studio to solve product design challenges.