From AP Environmental Science teacher to College Board AP Director, Diamond Bar High School principal, David Hong, has worn many hats throughout his career in education. Coming full circle, Hong now returns to campus, serving the students and our community.

“So far, my experience as principal has been great,” Hong said. “I have really enjoyed being back on campus, meeting our students, getting to know our new staff members and reconnecting with our staff.”

Spending the previous four years at College Board, as the Director of Environmental Science, Hong worked beyond a school campus. In contrast to his start as an AP Environmental Science teacher, his work reached students on a national scale, as he produced curriculum and exams for the course. 

“Teaching and learning environmental science are incredibly important, and never more so than now,” Hong said. “However, remote work was not as fulfilling as I thought it would be, and I missed working directly with other humans. I felt that being the principal at DBHS would be the most meaningful work for me to do at this time in my life.”

As both a hobby and means of fulfilling goals, Hong consistently competes in marathons, and has completed 24 races. In the future, he hopes to race the Boston Marathon for the fifth time.

“I tend to be goal-oriented, and I like to set goals for myself,” Hong said. “One of the goals I set for myself when I started to run was to try and run a marathon every year. I thought that if I could stay in good enough shape to run a marathon each year, that would probably meet my fitness goals.”

In his day-to-day at DBHS, Hong is committed to meeting as many students as possible—a goal that has allowed him to form deep connections with students and learn each of them by name.

“[Students] should know that I am just another person on campus here to support them and that I’m available to help out in whatever ways I can,” Hong said. “Stop me on campus anytime you need to talk or you need help.”