About Us
As members of the Child Development Department at Humboldt State University (https://childdev.humboldt.edu/), we are committed to supporting and promoting positive experiences for children and families. We believe that children thrive in warm, sensitive, responsive, and predictable relationships with adults. Appreciating rich history, unique strengths, and diverse culture of our community, we are committed to building a resilient community.
Hyun-Kyung You
Hyun-Kyung You is an Associate Professor of the Department of Child Development and Program Leader of the Child Development Lab at Humboldt State University. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, now she finds Humboldt County as her home. Her scholarship involves children with disabilities and their families with attention to stress, coping, and resilience in social and cultural contexts. She also has taught several courses on the impact of traumatic experiences and toxic stresses on young children in courses like CD 251: Children, Families, and their Communities, and CD 362: Children and Stress. Hyun-Kyung has been a member of Early Childhood Education Committee of First Five Humboldt since 2013 and recently been appointed as First Five Humboldt Commissioner.
Carol West
Carol West has worked with children and families for over forty years: as a family childcare provider, preschool teacher, early childhood specialist and consultant and university instructor. Carol graduated from HSU with an undergraduate degree in Child Development and earned a Master of Arts in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College. She is trained in the Child Trauma Academy’s Neurosequential Model in Education as well as in Dr. Kristie Brandt’s Mobius Model & Tile and Grout approach for intervention in infant and early childhood mental health. Carol is on the leadership team of the 0-8 Mental Health Collaborative and is part of First Five Humboldt’s ACEs Speakers Bureau. She has done numerous trainings in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties for early childhood professionals, families, childcare providers, foster parents, elementary school teachers and others.
Kelsey Taylor
Kelsey Taylor is in her fourth year at Humboldt State University, where she is majoring in child development and family studies with a minor in English writing. She is also currently employed as an assistant head teacher at HSU's Child Development Laboratory. Kelsey grew up in the Central Valley, before moving to Humboldt County to attend university. After regularly volunteering at a preschool while in high school, working with young children in other various settings, and working with children with disabilities and their families through volunteer work and her own family, she is particularly interested in working with young children and children with disabilities. Kelsey aspires to one day work in early intervention or as a special education teacher.
