Fun Facts

I love animals! I have grown up with cats, dogs, fish, and snakes, and I'm always excited about the opportunity to work with animals up close and personal. I have volunteered at animal shelters over the years, but the best experience I have ever had is probably when I volunteered at the rehabilitation center at Cornell for birds of prey like eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures. The owls were my favorite! So adorable. I also love to write, and hope one day to become a published nonfiction author.

About Me

I am a PhD Candidate in Chinese Literature at the University of Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate, I studied Comparative Literature at Cornell University and graduated summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA. My ultimate goal is to become a professor of Chinese, a freelance translator, and a freelance author.

Experience

I have had over four years of experience in tutoring ESL (English as a Second Language) and SAT Test Prep. I also taught beginning spoken Mandarin for one year at the University of Pennsylvania. I have taken seven years of high school and college-level coursework in Chinese, in addition to two Chinese-immersion programs in China. Altogether, I have lived in China and Taiwan for two years interning, studying, and researching.

Approach

When it comes to learning a foreign language, I believe it is essential to get students speaking and using the language as soon as possible. Thus, when I teach Chinese, I integrate grammar and vocabulary we are learning into mini-dialogues with students, so they are speaking from the beginning. I can also focus on either speaking and listening, writing and understanding characters and reading, or both as students demand.