About Me
Growing up in a small town of 13,000 people, I was unaware that my future held an unforeseen destiny that would lead me across the sea to the other side of the world. As a child sitting in the school library, I loved to read a book series that featured children and their cultures from around the world. I was fascinated with the diversity and allure of difference.
Becoming enamored by the philosophies and martial arts skills of Bruce Lee, I found myself moved to further study martial arts and Chinese culture. While studying in university, I participated in a student exchange program, spending one semester at Hong Kong Baptist University, solidifying my passion for Asian culture.
I graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications and Asian Studies in 2010. Immediately following graduation, I pursued my dream of moving to China to study martial arts and deeply immerse myself in Chinese culture in 2011.
Soon after arriving, I began studying Wushu and Wing Chun, both traditional martial arts of China. As a painter expresses himself through painting or the singer through song, I discovered that through martial arts, I was able to honestly express myself.
My Wushu coach would later become my husband and we have one son born in 2018.
Lead the future
Teaching in English training centers, to kindergartens, to formal schools over the previous ten years in Beijing have helped to define who I am as a teacher. From the moment I stepped into the classroom, I felt a sense of liveliness and vibrancy. Over the years, I spent time contemplating on how I can contribute and make significant changes to the English language eduation field. Each child and adult that I have taught have made the effort to better themselves through the English language and so they deserve only the best from me.
I am pursuing the alternative route towards becoming a certified educator. After completing my Master of Arts in Education at Michigan State University, I will formally begin my teaching license certification. Looking to the future, enrollment into a doctorate program is on the horizon. I am looking forward to where it will guide me. Through future research, I will refine the implications of English language learning in order to facilitate a better, more culturally inclusive learning experience for all.
Throughout my ten years of experience teaching in China, I've had the privilege of working to help students from different backgrounds and linguistic levels meet their desired needs. As the world is perpetually evolving, my practice must as well. Improving myself allows me to better guide my students towards self-actualization through the knowledge I pass to them in hopes that they discover more about themselves along their English learning journey.
Jessica
"Cultural diversity was a term I didn't learn until I sought it out myself."
