WHO I AM

Leanne Yoon is a writer, speaker, leader, and occasional a cappella singer who wants to study environmental science & journalism because she is dedicated to changing systems & organizations to make them more effective & sustainable – from leading student journalists in her school newspaper & beyond to implementing an educational game & curriculum to decrease energy use in schools.

JETS FLYOVER

Editor-in-Chief

After starting out as a staff writer in eighth grade, I enrolled in Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Summer Editorial Leadership Program and learned how to systemically train leaders and manage a publication. Since then, I have authored our inaugural 37-page Staff Manual, negotiated press freedom with the administration, and trained 9 editors to carry on the legacy.

As editor-in-chief, I have also led the Jets Flyover to become the first international school and the fourth on School News Online, a student publication platform that hosts more than 3,000 websites. Now, I am working to build a community of high school journalists throughout the international school community.

High School Press Central

Founder, Executive Director

Conversations with other international school papers made me realize that most editors struggle to take their publication to the next level because of a lack of for-students, by-students resources. High School Press Central aims to provide practical guidance on everything that goes down in the newsroom, from writing articles to editorial leadership.

High School Press Central hosts over 30 resource posts for student journalists around the world. Through a collaboration with PressPassNYC, I worked with 14 New York high school editors to co-create content that showcase diverse newsrooms. My guides have also been featured in The Nutgraf, a student journalism newsletter with over 5,000 readers, and the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University.

The High School Journalist’s Handbook

Author

At Jets Flyover, editors use our Staff Manual to mentor new writers—but I realized that many student-led publications lack the experience to build such training from scratch. To bridge that gap, I authored The High School Journalist’s Handbook—an A-to-Z guide covering writing, editing, and newsroom management for student writers, editors, and advisers. The handbook includes annotated sample articles and classroom-ready resource sheets to support both independent learning and curriculum integration.

Now available on Amazon Kindle, the book has been reviewed by five journalism educators, including Ms. Katina Paron, New York State Director of the Journalism Education Association, and Mr. Kyle Phillips, Education Training Specialist at School News Online.

Enomad, NetZero@School

Student Developer

My climate action journey began with the DiscoverMUN x Enomad Sustainability Forum, where I brought together over 500 participants from 30 countries to explore the role of individuals in addressing global climate challenges. Drawing from these insights, I spoke at UN COP28—the world’s largest climate conference—on the role of youth in climate action.

Soon after, I joined Enomad as a student developer, where I interviewed students to enhance and further develop NetZero@School, a carbon literacy curriculum that offers actionable strategies on how students can reduce their school’s emissions. I also launched EcoPITCH—an international youth ideathon that brought together students from 45 countries to present interventions to encourage pro-environmental energy consumption. The outcomes from EcoPITCH informed my proposal to implement NetZero@School at 200 schools. To further support Enomad’s global outreach, I presented to the UNESCO Greening Education Partnership in Paris.

EcoQuest: The World's First Carbon Reducing Game

Executive Director

While working as a Student Developer for NetZero@School, I realized that carbon literacy wasn’t resonating with some students. As a teenager myself, I understood what truly engages my peers—so we created EcoQuest. Designed to empower students as climate leaders, EcoQuest transforms environmental education into a student-led, gamified experience that builds self-efficacy, inspires long-term sustainable habits, and drives measurable emissions reductions. Based on classroom energy data, I projected that EcoQuest could reduce emissions by 3.75%.

To evaluate its impact, we’re conducting a validation study from June to September 2025 in collaboration with the Daegu Youth Culture Center and NetZero@School, measuring engagement levels and behavioral change. Following this research, our goal is to expand EcoQuest to all 104,000 students in the NetZero@School network.

Sustainability Education Research

Author

To strengthen EcoQuest’s foundation, I conducted a literature review of 53 studies identifying key elements of effective climate education. Four core themes emerged—scientific literacy, personal relevance, engagement, and self-efficacy—which directly informed the design of the EcoQuest model. This research was reviewed by Professor David Cohen of Stanford University and submitted to the National High School Journal of Science.

Students Organizing Against Racism

President

Students Organizing Against Racism (SOAR) is one of the largest student-led organizations at Daegu International School, dedicated to raising awareness of local racism and combating discrimination on campus. We’ve hosted over 15 monthly discussions on racial justice, collectively engaging more than 450 participants, and have featured guest speakers from Brown, Stanford, and George Mason University.

In May 2025, SOAR led an all-staff workshop on discriminatory language, grounded in anonymously collected data from over 70 representatives from student clubs. The session focused on recognizing classroom microaggressions and equipping staff with strategies for intervention.

Beyond our discussions and advocacy, SOAR also organizes the school’s largest cultural event: Holi, a celebration aimed at challenging stereotypes and honoring the Indian community on campus.

Lean In/Menstruation Station

Founder, President

Lean IN is a student organization that champions women’s rights through monthly leadership development meetings and advocacy initiatives. In partnership with the Menstruation Station, we led a program to provide school-funded period products in campus bathrooms. We also educated fourth and fifth graders on menstrual hygiene and donated over 4,000 pads to support underprivileged women.

Debate, Speech & MUN

As captain of the DIS Competitive Debate Club, I led our team to become the highest-ranked in South Korea in the World Schools Debating League. At the YTN-HUFS Youth English Debating Championship—the nation’s most competitive tournament with over 200 speakers—we became the top-ranking team in the 14-year history of the Daegu-Busan region. I was individually recognized as the 4th best speaker.

In public speaking, I won consecutive national championships in Persuasive Speaking and Interpretive Reading at the Korea National Public Speaking Championships. I also placed third in the national team qualifiers and represented South Korea at the 2024 World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships in Canberra, Australia.

Currently, I’m channeling my experience into mentoring younger students through Global Junior Debaters, where I’ve coached over 60 students from grades 3 to 8 in debate and public speaking.

Concert Band & Composition

My musical journey began at age four with the piano and violin. After a permanent wrist injury reduced the function of my left hand by 30%, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to play again, so I turned to composition. Since then, I’ve written original works for piano, strings, and full concert bands. One of my arrangements, a rendition of 015B’s 1991 Korean ballad “Now, Goodbye,” was performed by the DIS String Orchestra.

Despite the injury, I continue to play both the violin and clarinet, and was honored to perform as a clarinetist at the Korea International Music Educators Association Honor Festival.