All teachers have a great deal of knowledge about one topic, but it is not as common to find a teacher who teaches two distinct subjects. Mr. Jung is both the Orchestra and Chinese teacher at Millbrook High School. Not only does he teach two different subjects in entirely separate disciplines, but he expands upon his teaching in the classroom through his involvement in Chinese Club and our school’s marching band.

  Mr. Jung graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a minor in Chinese. He got his start teaching in China for two years before moving to Raleigh. This is his sixth year of teaching, but only his second year at Millbrook. He sees the importance of connecting with his students, rather than just doing his job. He prioritizes his students’ success and well-being before anything else.

  He claims he is not a good teacher and says he is simply “someone who does what needs to be done.” This is an understatement on so many levels. Mr. Jung goes above and beyond to engage his students in the content. He genuinely wants to get to know each and every one of his students. Sophomore Kelsey Mueller said, “He cares about his students’ personal lives as much as he cares about their education. He makes learning fun and makes you curious.” Mr. Jung’s favorite part about being a teacher at Millbrook is getting to interact with his students and letting them know he really understands what they are going through. 

  Around the school, Mr. Jung is the advisor for Chinese Club. He loves having the opportunity to reach students outside of his classes. Chinese Club allows him to make students more aware of what is going on in the Chinese community and share his knowledge of Chinese culture in a more laid back setting. In addition to being on the marching band staff at Millbrook, Mr. Jung also helps out other schools’ band programs. He feels it is necessary to make connections with other band programs in order to grow his reputation as a band director. He also devotes his time to arranging music for orchestra and band. Recently, he became part of the World View’s 2019-2020 Global Music fellows program, which focuses on implementing global music into the classroom. He enjoys finding unique music with different sounds and often ties in Asian culture. This motivates his students to practice because they appreciate his extra efforts to make his lessons interesting.

  Outside of school, he teaches at Raleigh Chinese Language School on Saturdays. In his limited free time, he is a magician on the side, a huge anime fan, and likes to challenge himself at the gym. Mr. Jung does so much for his students that his schedule revolves around school-related activities. Rather than focusing on himself, he takes pride in his students’ accomplishments. A couple of these accomplishments include his Hong Kong marching band winning first place at the 2018 Winter Guard International Taiwan Scholastic A Winds and his orchestra receiving straight one superior ratings at the 2019 NC Music Performance Adjudication. Mr. Jung even had Chinese students in beginner and advanced levels who were recognized for outstanding achievement at the 2019 NC Chinese Speech Contest. His selfless character is evident in how he immerses himself in multiple environments. The variety of activities he does provides him with the experiences and knowledge that shapes him into the amazing teacher he is. Mr. Jung is one of the most committed teachers at Millbrook High School, and that is why he is well-deserving of this teacher tribute.