We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Sara Lim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy Sara, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Hi, I’m Amy! I’m an LA native, and grew up mixed-race in a city that is diverse and accepting. At a young age, I had an affinity with academics and art and knew that I wanted my future career to be a blend of the two. In particular, I loved words. Perhaps this had something to do with my father being a lawyer or growing up doing music and musical theater. By the time I was eleven, I had read a book called Millicent Min: Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. It was about an eleven year old girl who went to college. So, inspired by this book, I asked my parents to take me to the nearest community college to enroll. When I was eleven, I was the youngest student at Pasadena City College and took both English and Theater classes. Today at the age of 27, I am happy to report that I am an English and Choir teacher, doing social media, modeling, and writing on the side. Reflecting back on my own precocious college days, I now get to help my own high school students concurrently enroll in community college. Additionally, I have joined a Polynesian dance studio, Moana Nui, where I have an additional creative outlet. I think I am most happy when I have a blend between these two worlds. Teaching, creating, and writing feel like reciprocal processes to me, and I am very grateful to have grown up with a supportive family who took my dreams seriously.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Becoming a teacher always felt natural to me. School was my safe place, my place where I felt like I was always able to succeed and stand out. Labeled as a “gifted and talented” student from the beginning, I loved helping other students who might need it. In 6th grade, the year after I attended college at Pasadena City College, a new boy in my class arrived from Iran with little English. My teacher asked me to tutor him when I had time in class. This was such a fun and gratifying experience for me. This student, Patrick, and I learned from each other and collaborated on what was an extremely impactful year for both of us. By the time we were seniors in high school, Patrick was in the same AP English class as me.

From high school, I became an education major at Chapman University and worked at the Alison Kalmus Theater Academy in Sierra Madre. Working at the academy was a formative experience— one in which I honed my teaching techniques and also learned to overcome my anxiety. I received my bachelors in English at Chapman in 2020, and my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in 2021.

The biggest challenge for me when becoming a teacher was the anxiety. Being a teacher is incredibly overwhelming and overstimulating in my aspects— but my biggest advice would be to set boundaries. My first year teaching, I would literally be working until I fell asleep at night. It just wasn’t sustainable, and I had to learn how to put the work down. Having balance makes me feel more human and ultimately makes me a better teacher for my students.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live both in Orange County and LA County, so I have a ton of spots I would take my friends to. In OC, I have to say Disneyland, of course. In LA, my personal favorite spots are the Huntington Library or Getty Museum. As an academic, I absolutely love museums, and LA is home to some of the best. People watching in the museums is an added bonus! Both the Huntington and the Getty have great restaurants in them, but outside of those spots, I would take my friends to Pampas Brazilian Grill at the Old Farmers Market at the Grove. It’s a hidden gem for sure! Then after eating, you can stroll around the Grove for some shopping!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout first and foremost my parents of course for raising me and giving me endless love and opportunities. I would also like to shoutout all of my teachers and mentors.

I would also like to shoutout Repit Haircare for being the first brand to take me on as a social media content creator and for nurturing my journey.

Here are my book recommendations:
The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amysaralim?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@amysara3116?si=Q4jrutwdY1puq6bo

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.