Earlier this year, Hee-Jin Peterson was selected to be a new assistant principal at Westview starting the 2024-2025 school year. Peterson’s history as an educator first began in 1997, as part of the Los Angeles School District. After working there as a teacher for 10 years, she moved to San Diego and has since continued her career in Poway Unified School District.
“I [took] some time off with my kids when I moved to San Diego and I worked as a teacher part time, which I loved,” Peterson said. “When I went back to work, I went back as a school leader. I started as a middle school vice principal, then I was a charter school director, then a high school coordinator, then an elementary school principal. I’ve been in TK-12 and it’s been so wonderful to come back to the high school setting.”
Peterson was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the United States when she was three, not knowing much English. Her mom, a music teacher, and her Dad, a math teacher, helped develop her philosophy that despite any kind of language or cultural barrier, teaching is a way to communicate different interests and passions that go beyond simple words.
“My mom always said that music is a global language,” Peterson says. “If you know how to read these notes you could go to any country in the world and the notes are the same. [My dad] would help me with my homework, and with [mathematical] formulas. He said, ‘you could go to any nation in the world, and still, math is math.’ My parents really instilled in me that language is just a small piece of the world and everyone is more similar than we think.”
Throughout her years of teaching, Peterson said she believes that the reason she stays is her relationships with her students and co-staff.
“The students of all ages keep me [connected] to the job, and you realize the younger ones, middle school, and high school, all have the same needs,” Peterson said. “We all want to do well, and everyone does well at different things. I love inspiring and motivating teachers to do well as well.”
One of her favorite parts of the job is talking with and getting to know all of her students’ different personalities and passions.
“I love having conversations with students about their futures,” Peterson said. “That part excites me so much, to have these grown-up talks. Working with younger students, it’s fun, but it’s so long before I see who they’re going to be. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone here go off to do great things. Whatever they do, I’m so excited to see that lightbulb go off when they discover what they want to become.”
Coming into Westview, Peterson emphasizes that her chemistry with her peers is important. She connected with the students and staff right off the bat and has shared her excitement to be at Westview for years to come.
“You have to see if you’re the right fit for the team here,” Peterson said. “It’s not just about who the ‘best’ person to fit the job is. It’s about someone who can really collaborate with the staff and all the teachers, and I’m so thrilled to be here.”
