The force that keeps our school moving
Invisible Hands
the masters behind the scenes
Before he came to Seoul Foreign School, Mr. Cho was a military man. Now, his duty is different: protecting kids. He pulls into campus before the sun has risen, usually around 6:30, when even the principal hasn’t reported to work (I’m sorry Dr. Le Nezet).
By the time the first students arrive, he’s already walked the grounds, checked the gates, and made sure everything feels safe. What he remembers most, he states, aren’t the long mornings or the quiet routines no one really recognizes, but the little nods of gratitude at the end of the day. A student saying “thank you” as they head home means more to them than they realize. It’s in those small words that he feels his work truly matters.
Mr. Minho Cho - The keeper of safety
Everyone at school knows the name Nathan Doelling. It pops up in our inboxes every week or so when our passwords need an update or when our ID cards need to get renewed. But until I decided to interview him, none of my friends (myself included) had actually seen him in person. He’s the IT staff member working quietly behind the screens, always trying to make our digital lives easier to navigate.
When I asked him about his work, he told me something that helped me understand his undercover nature: he’d rather remain unnoticed. For him, the best sign of a job well done is when no one has to think about it at all.
Let me quote him: “We want you to not know were (the IT office) here.” Hes quite literally the ‘guy in the chair’.
Mr. Nathan Doelling - the technician
Everyone at school knows the library, but hardly anyone really knows Mrs. Won. Before becoming our librarian, she studied at Ewha Womans University and was actually on track to work for the president.
Somewhere along the way, though, she traded policy papers for paperbacks. When I asked her why, she laughed and said she realized she preferred stories to statements. Now she spends her days helping students find books, not briefings, and keeping the library running so smoothly we barely notice how much she does.
Mrs. angie won - guardian of knowledge
A closer look at the people who make things work
