ILRYONG MOON
Personal
Born in 1957 in Seoul, Korea;
Immigrated to the U.S. in 1974.
Education
T.C. Williams Senior High School, 1977.
B.A., Harvard University, 1981.
Mandarin Training Center, National Taiwan Normal University, 1979-80.
J.D., William and Mary Law School, 1984.
Professional
Retired from law practice in 2024.
Public & Community Service
Member, Fairfax County School Board (1995-1999 ; 2004-2019;
2024 -Present); Chairman, 2006 and 2012-2014.
Commissioner, Fairfax County Planning Commission (2000–2003).
Annandale Rotary Club (1998-Present).
Advisor, NAKS-Washington Association for Korean Schools.
Former Memberships: Trustee, Montessori School of Northern Virginia (1994-1995); Director, American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (2000-2010); Virginia Governor Kaine’s Urban Policy Task Force (2007-2009); Director, EduTutor of Virginia; Executive Committee, Fairfax County Police Chief’s Diversity Council; Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Fairfax County; Fairfax-Falls Church Regional Council, United Way; Congregational Health Partnership Advisory Committee, Inova Health System; irginia State Advisory Committee, U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
Awards
Moran Medal, Order of Civil Merit, from Korean Government (2020).
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Fairfax, Virginia, named ‘Ilryong Moon Gymnasium’ (2021).
Outstanding Washingtonian Award by Potomac Forum (2022).
Regional Leadership Award by Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University (2024).
Publications
Sky Castle School Board Member Stories (2020); Hamburger Coke (2021); Skyhill School Board Member Stories (2025)
Claire Y. Kim
Claire Y. Kim, a Korean-American student, is set to graduate in the class of 2026 from Centreville High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. Claire serves as the captain of the varsity tennis team, a board member of the debate and speech team and orchestra, and holds various leadership positions in student-led initiatives.
Claire’s artwork has received multiple awards and has been exhibited in airports and galleries. Each year, she also sells hand-drawn greeting cards to raise funds for children in need.
Looking ahead, Claire plans to double major in linguistics and international relations. She aspires to pursue a career in law, where she hopes to make a meaningful impact through thoughtful, globally minded work.
The photo above was taken at the entrance of the apartment complex where the author’s family first lived after immigrating to the United States. The street sign
“Skyhill,” which appears in the title of this book, can be seen.
