As Evergreen’s Fine Arts Department Chair, Kelly Park has been with ECS since the very first year of its existence. Evergreen is blessed to have someone with such skill and rich experience building our program. According to Head of School Michael Dewey, “Ms. Park is the reason we have been able to build such a high-quality program in just a few years. Her passion for music education and vision for excellence has grown ECS Arts into one of the most outstanding aspects of our school.”
Ms. Park earned her degree in Music Education from Penn State University, where she participated in the Penn State Women’s Choir, Concert Choir, Opera Theater, and Essence of Joy—a choir dedicated to performing works by African American composers. Her love for choral music was shaped by the formative experiences of traveling throughout Europe with the American Music Abroad choir in high school and again in college with the PSU Concert Choir.
She began her teaching career in the public school systems of Montgomery and Loudoun counties, where she taught middle school choral and general music. Although she grew up attending church, it was during her first year of teaching that she became a believer. Starting then, the Lord gave her a deep desire to use music to glorify Him and to see the gospel reach all people groups. In 2007, Ms. Park and her family moved to Indonesia, where they served among an unreached people group for seven years. During that time, she taught music to expat children in a homeschool co-op, incorporating traditional Indonesian instruments to enrich their learning experience.
Ms. Park currently serves her church as one of the worship leaders, primarily through singing and occasionally playing piano, guitar, or cajon for women’s retreats and events. At ECS, she works weekly with our Chapel Band to help students prepare to lead worship music for our school chapel services. In the inaugural year of ECS, she taught Concert Choir and Beginning Guitar. Due to growing student interest over the years, the guitar program has expanded to include Guitar I, Guitar II, and Advanced Guitar. To be better equipped to teach multiple levels, Ms. Park completed two graduate courses in classroom guitar instruction.
But for Ms. Park, it is a labor of love. “I am so grateful to the Lord for the privilege of teaching music at ECS. I have the joy of discipling students as they learn to sing and play skillfully for his glory. I love this community of students and staff!”