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.
Jessica Wang was born in Colorado and raised in Taiwan; Jessica Wang brings a unique blend of cultures to Little Panda Academy. Currently majoring in Elementary School Education at UVU, Jessica graduated this spring from the UVU English Language Learning Program (ELL), embarking on a journey to share her passion for language and culture. With a year of tutoring experience at UVU's Language Lab, Jessica is dedicated to building language confidence and fostering cultural appreciation among learners. Beyond academics, Jessica's vibrant personality shines through in the classroom, using her love for singing, dancing, and DIY crafts to create engaging and enjoyable learning experiences. Inspired by a childhood filled with English pop songs and a dream to study in the USA, Jessica is excited to contribute to the enriching environment at Little Panda Academy. Aspiring to become a Chinese immersion elementary school teacher in the future, Jessica is eager to inspire young minds and nurture a love for language and learning.
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.
Seth Kurogi was born and raised in Utah. He is Japanese, and speaks multiple languages. He learned Chinese while serving a mission and later continued his Chinese studies at Utah Valley University. He is currently studying Business and minoring in Languages. Seth enjoys working with kids and helping them learn, progress, and increase their confidence! He is also a Figure Skating Instructor and is a nationally ranked figure skater. He loves to draw and dance to random music whenever he has a chance!
