Ellie Varn is a lifelong WNC resident and lives in Saluda, NC. She has worked as an English Language Instructor and Curriculum Specialist at AB Tech in Asheville. She also tutors Korean students in business English with Ringle Education Company. Ellie graduated from the George Washington University with a degree in Korean Language and Literature & a double minor in History and Sociology. An alumna of the National Security Language Initiative in Seoul, South Korea, Ellie’s specialization in Korea is evident in her research interests of Korean literature, history, and linguistics. Her most recent research is focused on the incarcerated labor used to construct the Saluda Grade. She holds a TEFL certificate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Ellie also volunteers her time as a board member of Historic Saluda Inc and enjoys contra dancing in her free time.