I am a second-generation Korean American, honored daughter of immigrants Wha Lim Han and Dr. Hye Kyung Kim, devoted sister of Christine & Luis Perez and Cheryl Han, beloved wife of Jordan Powell (my first love and high school sweetheart), enamored aunt of Teia and Jaelen Perez, and proud native of Alamo, California (a suburb of San Francisco).

My childhood dreams included bringing honor to my family, marrying the love of my life, and being the first Asian woman President or Supreme Court justice (either would do). With these dreams in mind, I served at my home church, dated Jordan, and served as class president from fourth grade until I graduated from high school. Armed with a passion for family, the Church, leadership and advocacy, I sought to find a united focus for all these disparate things.

I graduated from the University of California San Diego with a BA in study of religion with a minor in dance (focusing on hip hop, modern and Latin dance), and a certificate from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. It was during my time in college that I felt called to full-time ministry, but the exact destination was unclear. Thus, upon graduation, I moved to New York City to further study dance and contemplate my next step. In less than a year, I had fallen in love with the city lights, the subway, the buzz and the excitement, and vowed to stay close by. This meant starting at Princeton Theological Seminary in the fall of 2006, interning for two years at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church from 2007–2009, and upon graduation, moving back to the city with my new husband and big hopes for doing urban ministry.

But that wasn’t God’s immediate plan for my life. After participating in a trip to Israel and the West Bank with a group of Christian and Jewish seminarians, I became invested in the work being done at Auburn Seminary and began working there as the development associate for donor relations. At Auburn, I participated in projects focusing on multifaith education, Christian leadership and media training for progressive religious leaders, but I knew it wasn’t my true calling.

Less than a year into my tenure, I received a call to return to FAPC to serve as the Interim Director of Christian Education overseeing Young Adults, Family Ministries, and Adult Education. There was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to do ministry at FAPC in whatever capacitythey would have me.

Now, after almost a year, I am even more certain of my call to church ministry, of my gifts in the program areas I serve, and of my love for this truly authentic faith community. To receive a call as an Associate Minister at FAPC is more than a dream come true. It serves as a testament to the fact that God has been faithfully guiding me throughout every step and turn of my life. And I am humbled and thankful that the journey has led me here.