When Warren Kim moved to Dallas after spending four years as a Shocker, he found himself missing the warmth of Wichita. After graduating from WSU, he pursued graduate studies at Texas’ Southern Methodist University. He received a master’s degree and a post-graduate diploma as well as a doctoral degree from the University of North Texas.

However, Kim found his way back to  the Shockers: not as a student, but as a visiting teaching assistant.
Currently, he teaches private piano lessons as well as a piano literature class and a piano accompanying class. Kim is excited that he now is able to contribute to WSU in a unique way, and keeps his experiences as a student in mind when teaching.

His piano literature class, for example, has a lot of content to cover. From romanticism to modern music, the course encompasses many art periods.

“It is an intensive course with many listening quizzes and a lot of materials to memorize,” Kim said. “I try to keep the class atmosphere pleasant and lighthearted because the students already have a heavy course load to study for.”

Even after completing his educational journey, Kim’s path back to WSU was far from linear, with thirteen years in between his graduation and his return.

“I was fortunate to travel around the country, visiting many large cities,” Kim said. Looking for employment, he had interviews with other schools and was even offered other positions. What drew him back to working with Wichita State, though, was the people.

“When I got here and met my colleagues, I realized I made the right choice by coming here,” he said.
Kim was pleasantly surprised at all the changes that campus has made, and is excited to contribute to WSU’s growth.

“There is something about coming back to your alma mater,” he said. “There is a sense of attachment. I care about the school and want to see this place grow even more.”