From his first days as a young student to his current role as a Science and Engineering teacher and Senior Houseparent, Wonjin Kim ‘10 has grown up within the St. Michaels University School community. When he arrived in Victoria from Korea at age nine, everything felt new — the language, the culture, even the rhythms of the school day. After two years at a local elementary school, he joined the Middle School in 2003, where he discovered a place that expanded his horizons and sparked a lifelong connection.
Discovering His Passions
At SMUS, opportunity met encouragement. A Middle School coach spotted potential and invited him to try rugby. He was hooked from the first practice and soon immersed himself in school, club and local representative teams. In the music room, a band teacher placed a trombone in his hands and a second passion took hold. Days filled with classes, rehearsals and games shaped a balanced, joyfully busy life. He fell in love with both pursuits — the camaraderie of the rugby pitch and the energy of jazz, swing and pit bands — and relished the chance to do both in the same day.
In his Grade 12 year, in 2010, Kim was voted in as a Head Prefect, an experience that sharpened his sense of responsibility and service.
“The role taught me about my strengths and also my gaps, and what it means to represent others,” he highlighted.
Standing in front of his peers each week for assembly, Kim came to understand that leadership was not about being in charge, but about embodying the values of those you represent.
“How you carry yourself can influence how others feel, act and rise to the occasion.”
From Student to Teacher
University took him to Vancouver, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of British Columbia before returning to Victoria in 2014 to pursue his Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria. That move also brought him back to SMUS — this time as a Junior Houseparent, marking his first experience in boarding. Under the guidance of Director of Boarding and Student Life, Keith Driscoll, Kim began learning the rhythms and rewards of residential life while studying full time at UVic.
After completing his education degree, he went on to teach at other schools before returning to teach at SMUS in 2018. Today, Kim is deeply rooted in the SMUS community, teaching Science and Engineering and serving as Senior Houseparent at Bolton House — roles that allow him to mentor students in every part of school life.
This dual role suits his philosophy of education.
“Whether teaching physics or supporting students in boarding, my priority is helping (the students) leave SMUS as the best versions of themselves,” he explained.
Lessons unfold not only in labs and workshops (he lights up describing a morning class shooting arrows on the field to explore energy transfer) but also in the quieter rhythms of community life.
“The best moments are when everything runs smoothly enough for students simply to be kids, and for staff to join them,” he said.
A recent highlight he recalled was a spontaneous full-field soccer game that began after everyone had watched a European match together. Those small, unscripted moments are among his favourites.
Living and working in a Grade 9-12 boarding house has allowed him to witness growth—growth that is not always linear but is almost always meaningful. Sometimes it can be messy, but then he catches glimpses — small acts of kindness, patience and empathy: a student holding a door, letting others go ahead, or offering a few words of encouragement when someone needs them most. Those moments of respect and maturity remind him that the culture of the school is making a difference.
A Broader Perspective
For families abroad considering boarding school in Canada, Kim’s perspective is both personal and practical. His parents, both of whom worked in education, moved to Canada so he could experience a different system.
Having grown up in Korea before moving to Canada, Kim appreciated the opportunity to explore a wide range of interests at SMUS. He didn’t have to choose between academics, athletics and music — he could pursue them all. The breadth and depth of programming, he said, is hard to find elsewhere and is even more robust now than when he was a student.
What mattered most to his family at the time of their decision was community. For international families who relocate halfway around the world, that sense of support is amplified. Kim highlighted how the people at SMUS care about more than numbers. They are people who build meaningful relationships that last long after graduation. Returning as a teacher has only deepened that view. He still finds it difficult to call some of his former teachers, now colleagues, by their first names — a small reminder of the respect and influence they continue to hold. So much of his character was shaped at SMUS, and now he hopes to provide that same experience for today’s students.
An Enduring Thread
Though the trombone has taken a back seat, Kim still makes time for music, often playing acoustic or electric guitar between busy days of teaching and mentoring. He also coaches rugby when he can and brings that same creative, energetic spirit into his classroom. Most of all, he offers the steady presence of someone who knows what it means to be supported and seen.
Kim didn’t fully appreciate the strength of the SMUS thread until he had followed it away from campus and back again. What began as a student’s journey of discovery has become a teacher’s calling: to nurture the same sense of curiosity, confidence and connection that once shaped him. In helping today’s students find their own paths, he is quietly weaving the next strand of that enduring SMUS story — one that, years from now, may draw them back again.
