What We Have In Common

 “Well-written and well-spoken words delight my soul and spirit,” says Mi-Ae Wartenbee. New friendship delights my soul and spirit, and it is such a joy to connect with Mi-Ae (pronounced Mee-eh), who exemplifies her name meaning: beautiful love. 

At first glance, it may not seem like Mi-Ae and I have much in common. She is the Unit Chief of the Evaluation and Mitigation Unit at the Department of Justice. I teach elementary school. She was born and raised in Korea and I have lived in the U.S. my entire life. But I have a theory: when you take the time to connect and form a relationship with someone, you will realize how much you have in common. Collaborating on a project together in our journalism class at UPenn gave me an opportunity to test my hypothesis. 

 

It doesn’t take us long to discover two things we have in common. “I’m a voracious reader and coffee lover,” Mi-Ae tells me. I love her already! Mi-Ae reads an impressive panoply of genres, including philosophy, theology, social science, leadership, management, and world classics. Her two all-time favorite authors are Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. I still have my copy of Anna Karenina from my world literature class in college. It was the first time I remember devouring an assigned reading for class. Mi-Ae’s favorite is The Brothers Karamazov, which I haven’t read…yet.

 

It’s amazing either of us have time to read in addition to both holding busy full-time jobs. At the Department of Justice, Mi-Ae leads a unit that assesses compliance with statutes, regulations, and policies to make improvements in programs. The process of each review takes a few months to prepare, but the results are impactful and she’s proud of her contributions to the organization’s mission. In addition, she serves as an adjunct faculty member in East Asian-related topics. As she reflects on the positive impact she has, Mi-Ae draws connections with her job and mine. “I am a servant leader who serves people, which is a noble task,” Mi-Ae tells me. “For that reason, I became a dedicated public servant and teacher, and serving the American people along with helping students is my calling. For me, leadership is recognizing greatness and potential in people and helping and inspiring them to maximize them and exceed their expectations for the greater cause.”

 

Thinking about how our jobs have changed in the past two years, we reflect on how the pandemic gave us a chance to reflect on our priorities and roles as leaders. “I have become more sensitive to my team members’ needs and have tailored my leadership more to those needs since the pandemic, Mi-Ae says. “I also communicate more often and show how deeply I care about them by being very flexible, accommodating, celebrating our accomplishments together, and spending time with them more.” Mi-Ae attributes her growth mindset to her ability to see challenges as opportunities. “I was always thankful for each challenge that refined my leadership skills and gave me time to reflect on myself. I always regard those challenges as great opportunities that will develop me as a next-level leader. Each time, my expectations never failed.  I've become a better person and leader because of those challenges.”

  

Perhaps a growth mindset also contributes to our love of learning. After receiving my M.A. in Education, I’ve continued to take classes, earning Endorsements in ESL and Gifted Education. Mi-Ae earned an M.A in both Biblical Studies and Communication, as well as a Ph.D. in International Studies. Neither of us need this class for an additional degree--we are both self-described “lifelong learners” who want to improve as writers. “I have a deep desire to be a better writer and speaker to contribute to bridging East and West. This Journalism course will help me get closer to achieving that dream,” she tells me.

 

Relationships are also a priority. “An effective leader is a person who can foster trusting relationships” Mi-Ae asserts. “Honest, frequent communication fosters a trusting relationship, which is one of the principles that I try to practice and instill in my unit. By communicating with them often and having good relationships, I try to find their career goals and dreams and try to help them achieve or prepare for those dreams while working in my unit.” Mi-Ae goes beyond communicating with her unit; she prays for them. During her commute into Washington, D.C., she sings along to old hymns, listens to the Bible, and prays for herself and her team.

 

Mi-Ae works with adults and I work with children. Yet when we think of our mission and values, her words could easily be mine: “I will try to help you shine, maximize your potential, and exceed your expectations.”