Dee Dee Hong is a doctoral student at the Gevirtz School of Education. Before starting the Ph.D. in Education program at UCSB, Dee Dee worked as a Student Services Specialist in the International Education Center of Santa Monica College, and as a Conduct Coordinator for the Housing Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She also has experience working as an English teacher in South Korea, and as a Peace Corps volunteer in the education sector in Indonesia. Dee Dee received a BA in Political Science from UC San Diego and a MA in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University. Dee Dee’s research interest is in how multiple, sometimes invisible aspects of students’ lives and identities – such as their immigration status, economic conditions, and sexuality – interact with their engagement in and attitudes toward education. She is passionate about the intersection between culture and education, and how the education system can better foster healthy learning environments that support students’ holistic growth. Currently, she is working on a project that examines how education systems disseminate information about translation and interpretation services for parents.