Choungja Lee, a native of North Korea, grew up in a South Korean orphanage, where U.S. soldiers taught the child English. Today, she teaches Korean to the current generation of American soldiers stationed in South Korea. Lee, a professor through the University of Maryland Global Campus, commutes two hours each way for the evening class and offers free tuitoring to her students on weekends. Her lively manner and eagerness to share about her upbringing make the class engaging. UMGC hosts the class at Camp Humphreys, the largest overseas U.S. Military installation in the world, located in western South Korea, according to the U.S. Army. Although Lee doesn't have the opportunity to decorate the multipurpose classroom at the base's educational center, Winters said she adds her own flair, sometimes bringing in Korean ginseng candies to share with her students. Lee said this brings back memories of when U.S. soldiers shared snacks with her as a child.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lee, 83, was born in Pyeonganbuk-do, a northwestern province of North Korea, and at a young age was taken to a South Korean orphanage with her younger brother. She remembers little except for the U.S. soldiers at Camp Page who helped provide her comfort. Lee completed her GED, commuting 75 miles daily to do so, on top of working several jobs. She then decided to attend university, for some years at the same time as her son. Lee earned her undergraduate degree in English language and literature as her masters degree in English education. She also conducted part of her education at Harvard University, all because she wanted to improve her English skills. She also teaches military spouses, like Shelsy Guerrero, who took the class in 2021. Guerrero moved to South Korea with her husband, a member of the Army, and was stationed there for two years. She remembers being nervous to take the class, then seeing how Lee creates a judgement-free classroom. "She makes it seem easy," Guerrero said. Guerrero said she connected with Lee's story because hers is similar. She moved to the U.S. from Mexico as a young child and knew the struggle of being brought to a new country.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The beautiful story about Ms. Lee is that genuine, caring soul that wants to make the world a better place, even though there are no obligations to do any of it.