Chris and Jenny, the driving force behind our Mandarin Chinese school, have a story that began in Meridian, Idaho. Their journey was ignited when their own children were preschool students at Little Panda Academy. Upon relocating to Utah, they faced a striking gap in Chinese language education for young children in the area. While many Chinese dual immersion programs catered to older students, there was a clear void for the younger ones.
This void became their inspiration. Chris and Jenny's passion for early childhood education and their dedication to their own children's language development led them to embark on the journey of founding our Mandarin Chinese school. Their vision is simple yet profound: to provide young learners with a strong foundation in Mandarin Chinese, giving them a head start in their educational journey while nurturing a love for language and culture. Chris and Jenny invite you to join them on this exciting adventure in language and learning.
Jemmy Jin was born and raised in the Hubei Province, China. She graduated from Wuhan Bioengineering Institution with a Bachelor’s degree in English and South China University of Technology with a Master’s degree in Philosophy. She received a Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (CTCSOL) from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation in 2016. She was trained to teach foreigners Mandarin at the Beijing Language and Culture University. She has dedicated over 6 years to teaching children Chinese language andculture. She has experience teaching at the University of Idaho Confucius Institute in Boise,at Gateway Elementary School, at Little Panda Academy in Meridian, Idaho, and atInternational Charter School of Atlanta. She has taught students of various ages including inperson, tutoring and online options. She has a fun, flexible, engaging, creative teaching style.Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, hiking, exploring nature and Zumba dance.
Born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, Mrs. Liu brings a rich, global perspective and a vibrant energy to the classroom. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University–Hawaii, complemented by dual minors in Theatre and Hospitality & Tourism Management.
Mrs. Liu’s extensive international background includes teaching preschool, kindergarten, and after-school programs across Sydney, Taipei, and Mainland China. Working with students from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, she excels at understanding each child’s unique learning style and personalizing her approach to support their individual needs.
Passionate about early childhood development and language acquisition, Mrs. Liu creatively weaves her theater training and culinary skills into her lessons. This dynamic, hands-on approach transforms her classroom into an engaging environment where children naturally absorb a new language, build self-confidence, and gain essential life skills.
Shixiang Chen is from Liaoning province in China. He received a degree in Civil Engineering from Liaoning Provincial College of Communication. Later, he studied and received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University. While at BYU, he was a T.A. for the BYU Chinese Flagship Center where he taught Chinese to BYU students. Shixiang also owns and works for Grandview Structural Engineering. In his free time he loves spending time with his family, cooking, enjoying nature, learning, and working towards his goals.
