Welcome, Soo Hyun Noh!

Soo Hyun Noh
High School Choir Teacher

Please tell us about yourself.
I have a unique background of having experienced two cultures – Korea and the U.S. I was born in Seoul and when I turned five, my family moved to the states as my father started his Mdiv program in New York. He continued his doctorate degree in Missiology in Kentucky and when he graduated, my family decided to move back to Korea. Having gone through the Korean education system all the way through middle school, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and continue my learning journey in the states. I attended a Christian high school in Maryland and fell in love with the art of choral music. Despite the cultural differences and language barriers, I was able to connect with people through music. Since then, I stayed in America. I went to college in Boston and met my husband Peter there. We now have three beautiful girls and our family serves at New Song Church in Fair Lawn, NJ.

How did God bring you to work at EC?
God works in mysterious ways but always in His right timing. I was in Korea for the summer with my kids and I received a text asking if I would be interested in applying for the choir teacher position at ECHS. I was surprised at that moment because teaching choir was always a secret passion of mine that nobody knew about. Going back to high school days, being one of the two international students in a suburban Christian school, it was difficult for me to connect with people at that time. Language was one but culture was the bigger barrier. I decided to join choir and that is one of the best decisions that changed the course of my life. I met a wonderful choir director and she was the anchor for my successful high school experience as an international student. Through choir class, I was able to find my voice, make friends, and see the world. This sense of confidence overflowed into every aspect of my life and led me to who I am today.

In college, I wanted to continue this experience making music using my voice. I was a business major but I did not want to let go of my love for choir. So I decided to be part of a Christian Acapella group and that led me to meeting my husband, Peter. 🙂 I kept pursuing my love for music even after college and I started working for a music nonprofit as the program coordinator helping hospital patients receive live music at their bedsides. During that time, I served at my church as the choir conductor and led worship for several years. Now I work at the church leading the Children’s Ministry.

God led every step of my path and music was always part of it. Knowing that high school can be a time of self discovery for many students, I am very honored and grateful to be able to share my experience now as a teacher to create memories and build community together through singing.

Why Eastern Christian School?
What sets EC apart is that it is a community centered school where teachers truly care about their students. Not only in the aspects of academic growth and emotional empathy but also in spiritual health. As a mom of young EC students, I witnessed God working in the lives of children as young as three years old. The daily devotionals and time of prayer and thanksgiving sets the tone for the day and builds a strong foundation for every student. From my own experience, God showed me His grace and compassion through people (staff, teachers, fellow parents, students, and more) in the EC community and I am so grateful to have received the opportunity to be part of God’s story here at EC.