Ms. Kooiman is originally from Southern California. She grew up going to Catholic school in Orange County, playing sports for her school and club teams. It was collegiate volleyball that brought Ms. Kooiman to the Carolinas. She attended the University of South Carolina where she majored in Middle Level Education and played on the beach volleyball team. While at USC, she had the privilege of teaching abroad in rural Vietnam. After graduating from USC, she earned her M.Ed in Science and Mathematics Education from the College of Charleston.
After her time in Charleston, Ms. Kooiman moved to Wilmington where she began her teaching career. For the last few years, Ms. K taught math in 7th grade, 8th grade, and math 1. She is beyond excited to transition to St. Mark, teaching 8th grade math and science this school year. She has always had a passion for working with kids shown through her time as a camp counselor, swim instructor, coach and various other positions. It is the chance to help students grow into faith-filled and kind individuals that led Ms. K to choose education. Her focus as an educator is to build students’ confidence in their ability to adapt, overcome, and succeed in both academics and life.
Ms. Kooiman is extremely grateful for her family and their continuous support through every chapter of her life. She spends time with her parents and brother regularly and visits her sister and new nephew as much as possible. The Kooiman family would not be complete without several rescue dogs in their mix including Ms. Kooiman’s dog, Zeke. You can often find Ms. K and Zeke at the beach or hanging out with friends. If you see them around Wilmington, be sure to say hi!