Associate Director of College Counseling Jennie Kim — a self-taught calligrapher and an avid Yelp reviewer — will be joining the College Counseling Department this year. Having grown up in New Jersey, Kim is looking forward to returning to the Tri-state area after working at the Noble and Greenough School in Massachusetts. Kim has worked at independent schools all over the world, including the Bugil Academy GLP in South Korea and the Iolani School in Hawaii. “I’m excited to plant my roots and get to know Horace Mann as a school, culture, and community,” Kim said. At the University of Pennsylvania, Kim majored in Psychology while working in academic counseling, which led her to find an occupational niche: college counseling, a job she believes fits her best, she said. “This allows me to be that liaison between motivated students and their end goals.” Kim has a master’s degree in Counseling, which is a bit unusual for college counselors at independent schools, Executive Director of College Counseling Canh Oxelson said. Her prior experience with student wellness and health will make her an invaluable addition to the school’s community, he said. Kim’s philosophy is to instill self-esteem in her students regarding every decision they make while still stressing the importance of family involvement in the college process, she said. She has found that every student has their own story to share, with their own goals, priorities, and family values. For the first half of this coming school year, Kim will learn about the school’s traditions and the technicalities of the College Counseling Office, Oxelson said. She will also be assigned members of the Class of 2022 to help them research colleges. Although Kim will not be assigned any seniors, she will proofread their essays and prepare them for interviews.