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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at San Diego State University
Project Manager
San Diego, California
Frida Niebla is a Project Manager at a digital marketing agency in San Diego, CA.
Before graduating from San Diego State University in 2017, Frida had the unique opportunity to visit China twice. Her first experience in China was possible through SDSU’s Confucius Institute, where she was able to participate in a two-week faculty-led program in Shanghai.
Two years later, Frida set out on a 6-month journey to study in Shanghai, China through her university’s study abroad program. Frida’s semester abroad allowed her to experience China even further by traveling to cities such as Beijing, Xi’an, Suzhou, Huangshan City and more.
Upon returning to the United States, Frida obtained a semester-long internship with CISDSU.
Over the years, Frida’s passion for travel and foreign languages has allowed her to pursue her trilingual abilities with Spanish, English and Mandarin Chinese. She has studied and passed HSK Level 3 and is currently pursuing HSK Level 4.
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at Alabama A&M University
Undergraduate Educator
Madison, Alabama
A Georgia (USA) native, Kiietti Walker-Parker has been teaching, instructing, and guiding students for 17+ years at Alabama A&M University. A former engineer and computer scientist, she has a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her teaching aims to encourage students to soar in English and writing and love it.
An avid reader, she loves to learn, research, and write. She has presented in Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Providence, RI, USA; and Birmingham, AL, USA and has read her creative works in Italy, France, Ireland, The Czech Republic, Germany, and Greece. She has been the recipient of the Association of College English Teachers of Alabama  (ACETA) John Calvert and the James Woodall Awards for writing on pedagogy and research as well as an honorable mention of the same John Calvert Award.
Presently working on two novels, short stories, and poems inspired by her own ancestral heritage and life, she loves to travel and explore new and different cultures. She and her husband, Arbie, enjoy exploring through the eyes of their inquisitive and enthusiastic son Aiidin.
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" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at The University at Buffalo
Retired
Buffalo, New York
Arthur Stachowski resides in Buffalo, New York with his wife of 42 years, Patricia. He is the father of two daughters: Natalie of San Francisco, California and Alexis of Williamsville, New York. He is also a graduate of the State University College of New York at Buffalo holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Technology.
He has traveled to China for the past ten years; the initial travels were work-related, as a Commodity Manager for the Supply Chain. He has visited the cities of Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wuxi, and Xuzhou. In the summer of 2018 Arthur traveled to Beijing as part of the Summer Study Program at the Capital Normal University, a program facilitated by the Confucius Institute.
Through the University of Buffalo’s Confucius Institute, Arthur continues to develop his Chinese language skills, increase his knowledge of Chinese culture, and is enjoying the experience.
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at St. Cloud State Univerity
Junior, St. Cloud State University
Burnsville, Minnesota
Jerrad Solberg has cerebral palsy and is currently attending St Cloud State University where he is earning a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity.
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institue at George Washington University and the College of William & Mary
Public Affairs Associate
Arlington, Virginia
Carly is a young professional working in higher education. She began studying Chinese in sixth grade and has made it a major part of her life ever since.
Carly attended the College of William & Mary where she double-majored in Chinese and Linguistics. As a student, she participated in a language immersion study abroad program in Beijing and also interned at her campus’s Confucius Institute.
After graduation, she moved to Changzhou, China, for a year to teach English and fully immerse herself in Chinese life. She now lives in Washington, DC, where she attends Chinese conversation practice at George Washington University’s Confucius Institute to keep up her skills.
In the future, she hopes to work in the field of international education, where her Chinese language skills would come in handy when assisting international students or facilitating study abroad programs, and where she can encourage others to pursue eye-opening cross-cultural experiences like those that shaped her own life.
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at Pace University
Business Consultant
New York, New York
Olga Pang Stein is a global executive coach and a trainer currently based in the United States. Olga has coached team leaders and managers at various levels, including C-level executives, as well as multicultural teams within organizations, such as Lufthansa Technik AG, Deutsche Telekom, UN Agencies, and the World Bank Group.
As a coach, Olga creates a safe space for personal discovery and building awareness for her clients. Olga’s special interest is bringing awareness and appreciation of diversity in an organization and supporting women business leaders.
Olga has served in a senior leadership position at Summit, a company that provided business liaison services for US companies operating in Russia. She has worked at the International Monetary Fund, as well as for Creditanstalt International Advisers. Before that, she was a chief negotiator for a logistical company with operations in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Olga is fluent in English, Russian and German. She started learning Chinese in the fall of 2016.
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at The University at Buffalo
Fourth Grader
Williamsville, New York
Jaivi Chandola is a nine-year-old girl finishing third grade at Maple West Elementary School in Williamsville, New York.
She is in the middle of her 4th year of studying Mandarin Chinese with the Confucius Institute at the University at Buffalo. She plans to become proficient in reading, speaking, and writing Mandarin and would like to collaborate with Chinese people to help make the world a better place. Also, she thinks it will help her when she becomes an astronaut and is doing a scientific collaboration with other astronauts who speak Chinese.
She likes writing poetry and this year her poem, “Colors”, was one of the winners of the annual Williamsville Poetry, Music, Art, and Dance Celebration. She also loves to read books as well as learning math, science, social studies, spelling, and writing.
Jaivi is a member of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) and won High Honors in the 2017-18 CTY Talent Search. In her school, she is in the gifted and talented program for both math and English Language Arts and is an outstanding student. She makes comprehensive presentations to help her class learn about concepts like weather, Aborigines, etc.
When she grows up, she plans to be an astronaut, writer, and aerospace engineer. She is also passionate about the environment and plans to raise money to send to a wildlife organization and adopt a whale!
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at the College of William & Mary
Senior, College of William & Mary
Fairfax, Virginia
Michael Briggs is a rising Senior at the College of William and Mary, where he studies Mathematics and Data Science.
Michael is active on campus and involved in a variety of clubs on campus. This past year he was the Vice President of the Residence Hall Association, Service Chair for an anti-trafficking club on campus, a small group leader for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and a Resident Assistant for a freshman hall.
Michael is interested in almost everything, but he particularly likes people, long walks, and challenges.
He also likes to travel. Last summer, he studied at both Beijing Normal University and Renmin University. Two summers before, he biked 200 miles from Osaka to Hiroshima in Japan.
His family is huge. He has 5 sisters and 4 brothers, one of which is adopted from China.
Michael has been studying Chinese for two years and plans to study business in China after graduation.
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at San Diego State University
Real Estate Broker
San Diego, California
Sharon Dang is a Compass real estate broker who travels between California and New York, with her daughter Ava, who has been studying Chinese for the past seven years.
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" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>William & Mary Confucius Institute
Senior Undergraduate Student
Fairfax, Virginia
Michael Briggs is a rising Senior at the College of William and Mary, where he studies Mathematics and Data Science.
Michael is active on campus and involved in a variety of clubs on campus. This past year he was the Vice President of the Residence Hall Association, Service Chair for an anti-trafficking club on campus, a small group leader for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and a Resident Assistant for a freshman hall.
Michael is interested in almost everything, but he particularly likes people, long walks, and challenges.
He also likes to travel. Last summer, he studied at both Beijing Normal University and Renmin University. Two summers before, he biked 200 miles from Osaka to Hiroshima in Japan.
His family is huge. He has 5 sisters and 4 brothers, one of which is adopted from China.
Michael has been studying Chinese for two years and plans to study business in China after graduation.
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at San Diego State University
Real Estate Broker
San Diego, California
Sharon Dang is a Compass real estate broker who travels between California and New York, with her daughter Ava, who has been studying Chinese for the past seven years.
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at Kansas State University
Retired Professor of Physics
Manhattan, Kansas
Dean Zollman is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Kansas State University. He also holds the title of Distinguished University Teaching Scholar Emeritus. From 2001 to 2011 he was William and Joan Porter Professor and Head of Physics. Dr. Zollman’s work in Physics Education Research has an international scope.
He served on the International Commission for Physics Education from 2002 to 2011. He has twice been a Fulbright Fellow in Germany, once each at Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich (1989) and the Institute for Science and Mathematics Education at the University in Kiel (1998).
After attending three conferences in China, he began working with the K-State Confucius Institute in an attempt to learn Chinese. Most recently, under an agreement arranged by the K-State Confucius Institute, he taught a three-week course on quantum mechanics at Jilin University in Changchun.
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at the University at Buffalo
Fourth Grader
Williamsville, New York
Jaivi Chandola is a nine-year-old girl finishing third grade at Maple West Elementary School in Williamsville, New York.
She is in the middle of her 4th year of studying Mandarin Chinese with the Confucius Institute at the University at Buffalo. She plans to become proficient in reading, speaking, and writing Mandarin and would like to collaborate with Chinese people to help make the world a better place. Also, she thinks it will help her when she becomes an astronaut and is doing scientific collaboration with other astronauts who speak Chinese.
She likes writing poetry and this year her poem, “Colors”, was one of the winners of the annual Williamsville Poetry, Music, Art, and Dance Celebration. She also loves to read books as well as learning math, science, social studies, spelling, and writing.
Jaivi is a member of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) and won High Honors in the 2017-18 CTY Talent Search. In her school, she is in the gifted and talented program for both math and English Language Arts and is an outstanding student. She makes comprehensive presentations to help her class learn about concepts like weather, Aborigines, etc.
When she grows up, she plans to be an astronaut, writer, and aerospace engineer. She is also passionate about the environment and plans to raise money to send to a wildlife organization and adopt a whale!
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at George Mason University
Foreign Language Professor
Washington, DC
Dr. Monika Hoffarth-Zelloe has been a foreign language professor for more than two decades.
She received her Ph.D. in Foreign Language Teaching from the University of WĂĽrzburg, Germany, in 1988, and is currently a German Language Proficiency Examiner at the Goethe-Institut Washington.
She has traveled to all seven continents. After her first trip to China in 2010, Dr. Hoffarth-Zelloe decided to study Chinese (Mandarin) as her seventh foreign language at the Confucius Institute at George Mason University.
Since then, she has dedicated much of her time to the Institute, facilitating positive dialogue between China and the United States. Dr. Hoffarth-Zelloe also works as a cross-cultural outreach consultant and is incredibly passionate about cultural exchange between people of different countries.
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" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at San Diego State University
Fifth Grader
San Diego, California
Texas is a fifth-grade student at Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School in San Diego, California. He has been studying Mandarin Chinese in an immersion environment since kindergarten and has become skilled in many of the ancient arts of Confucianism thanks to his school’s partnership with the Confucius Institute at San Diego State University. His favorite activities are abacus, Go, Chinese chess, and dumpling-making.
What Texas loves most about learning Mandarin is the proficiency and confidence he has gained to talk with (and in front of) native speakers. In 2017, Texas traveled to Beijing with the Confucius Institute to compete in the fifth annual ShenMo International Abacus Competition in which he took second place. He gave several speeches in China, including one in front of 1,200+ people and another on live television. Texas enjoyed seeing the Yìshui Underground Grand Canyon in Shandong province and eating bÄ?o zi while he was there.
Outside of school, Texas fences at Team Touché in San Diego is an active camper with the Ecke YMCA Adventure Guides and plays the piano. He likes to read, play with friends, and watch movies.
Additionally, Texas enjoys traveling with his family. He has been to 23 states, eight countries, and four continents. He hopes to travel the rest of the world before going to college.
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" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at SUNY College of Optometry
High School Biology and Chemistry Teacher
Marlton, New Jersey
Kayla Raden is a high school biology and chemistry teacher from New Jersey.
Kayla spent a year teaching science at an international high school in Shanghai, China and traveled to several cities in China during her time abroad.
While in China, she fell in love with the Chinese language and began to study the characters and learn conversational Chinese from friends.
Upon returning to the United States, Kayla joined the Confucius Institute at SUNY College of Optometry and found her Shanghai here at home. She has studied and passed HSK levels 1, 2, and 3 in under 6 months.
In the future, Kayla hopes to use her passion for language learning and science to continue teaching students from around the world.
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" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
High School Junior
Omaha, Nebraska
Trinity Lewis, 16 years old, attends Omaha Northwest High Magnet School.
She has studied and admired Chinese culture for most of her life and seeks to be fluent in Mandarin Chinese before her scheduled trip to China next year with the Confucius Institute at The University of Nebraska.
Trinity is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, practicing the art since she was 6 years old. She is also an accomplished clarinet player, performing with many honor bands and receiving multiple All-City awards.
Trinity is president of her high school DECA club and is a candidate for state leadership. She is a member of the student council as we as a member of the National Honor Society.
Recently, Trinity was accepted into the world-recognized Henry Dorley Zoo Academy, where she will attend classes and work hand-in-hand with zoo officials to protect and preserve endangered wildlife.
She plans to use the years of wildlife training to assist Chinese zoos and wildlife preserves in finding a way to save species, such as the Leaf Turtle, from extinction.
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" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at the University of Massachusetts - Boston
Language Learner and Tai Chi Enthusiast
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Howard Schaefer is a language learner, player of Tai Chi and Yoga, and caring community contributor. Howard first started learning to speak Mandarin Chinese in his teens, while studying Tai Chi. The core principles learned in Tai Chi, of doing your best, and knowing yourself, resonated in Howard’s college education and he excelled in courses ranging from Modern Physics and Organic Chemistry to Visual Arts Figure Studies and Modern Dance.
Currently, Howard enjoys performing analytical work, as well as helping individuals to overcome obstacles and experience better outcomes, predominately working in the employee benefits industry. Last summer, Howard revisited learning to speak Mandarin in anticipation of experiencing personal conversations with the Chinese people he hoped to meet during a trip to China, where he had accompanied his spouse in her teaching assignment at Shaanxi Normal University in Xi’an, China.
On his return from China, Howard continued studying conversational Chinese with the excellent teachers at the Confucius Institute of UMass Boston. The learning experience propelled Howard to become conversant in Spanish and Hebrew as well. Howard resides in Foxborough, MA, and hopes to use his language skills for the betterment of the community and the world.
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at Kentucky University
Senior at the University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Rachel Lietzow is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in International Economics, Chinese, and International Studies. As a Cantonese heritage speaker, Rachel has had a keen interest in foreign languages for as long as she can remember. Rachel was first exposed to Mandarin during high school, where she watched Taiwanese and Chinese-dubbed Korean dramas for entertainment. Though Cantonese and Mandarin are mutually unintelligible, she enjoyed watching Mandarin television programs and listening to Mandarin artists nonetheless. Over the years, this continual language exposure helped improve her Chinese skills and shaped her decision to major in Chinese.
Rachel studied abroad in Hangzhou, China during the summer after her freshman year, and has found even more about Chinese culture to love and appreciate. Her ultimate career goal is to serve as a Foreign Service Officer in a Chinese-speaking country or have the opportunity to work at the Chinese Embassy. Regardless of career path, she aspires to leave her own mark on U.S.-China relations, wherever she ends up.
Having played piano since she was young, Rachel has pursued a combination of music and Chinese culture in recent years, by learning to play erhu and Chinese zither. You usually can find Rachel listening to music, eating something sweet, or both.
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" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Institute at George Mason University
Retired International Affairs Officer
Orlando, Florida
Dennis M. Delehanty received a B.A. in Russian from Colby College in 1974 and received an M.A. in Russian Studies/ International Affairs from George Washington University in 1978.
Dennis is fluent in Spanish and French and besides Russian, has extensive knowledge of Mandarin, Portuguese and German.
In 1979, Dennis entered U.S. Postal Service headquarters as a junior international affairs officer, and from 1986 to 1992, worked as the sole American at the Universal Postal Union in Bern, Switzerland, the only UN specialized agency where French remains the official language. Returning to the Postal Service in Washington, Dennis led the effort to create the UPU’s Express Mail Service Cooperative, a rare institution within the UN system where weighted voting applies. In 2004, Dennis was appointed Director of Postal Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, where he served as the principal official responsible for U.S. policy regarding international postal and delivery services.
During his career, Dennis has taken part in or led U.S. delegations to dozens of postal (and private-sector delivery service) conferences throughout the world and retired from government service in 2012.
Dennis had visited 80 countries, either solely for business or personal travel. Dennis’s choice of a dream career would one where he could help to improve relations between the American and Chinese peoples. Dennis and his wife Elizabeth currently reside in Lake Nona, a new town near Orlando, Florida.
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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=300%2C59" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.ciuscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Webp.net-resizeimage-4-1.png?fit=400%2C78"/>Confucius Classroom at Shaker Heights High School
Freshman at The Ohio State University
Cleveland, Ohio
Ose Arheghan, 18, is a first-year student at The Ohio State University studying Political Science and Public Policy.
Ose graduated from Shaker Heights City Schools and was a member of the Shaker Heights Confucius Classroom in both middle and high school. Ose was awarded an Excellence in Chinese essay writing award from the Cleveland State Confucius Institute all four years of high school and managed to earn a third place overall medal senior year.
Ose is continuing their Chinese language learning at Ohio State and hopes to work with the foreign service upon graduation.
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Senior at George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
Deja Watkins, a graduate from William G. Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC, currently attends George Mason University. She is triple majoring in Global Affairs, Computational & Data Sciences, and Chinese; which she has been studying since 2011.
While at Enloe High School, Deja had the opportunity to participate in a Chinese summer language program sponsored by Troy University’s Confucius Institute. At Troy University, Deja met many enthusiastic teachers and friends, most of whom she is still in contact with today. With the support of friends and family, Deja decided to take the opportunity to push her studies further by studying abroad in China. While spending last year abroad studying at Tsinghua University, she participated in many cultural exchanges where she spoke to classes and traveled with many new friends around China.
In the future, Deja would like to be a data analyst and concurrently working to aid in the effort to bridge the gap between the US and China.
When Deja is not in class, she can be found at various events on campus as a Student Ambassador. If she’s not studying for her classes, she’s studying Chinese or improving her understanding of data and data analysis as it relates to international relations.
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High School Freshman
Flower Mound, Texas
Amelia Engstrom is a 9th-grade scholar-athlete from Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, TX.
She studied Mandarin for 9 years and spent a month in China taking Mandarin classes and teaching English in the summer of 2018.
She is currently the editor of the Flower Mound High School Online Newspaper. Amelia also plays lacrosse on the local club lacrosse team. Amelia has participated in 4 community restoration trips to Middletown, CA, San Diego, CA and Oaxaca, Mexico.
She is interested in movie making and hopes to obtain a film degree from USC, after which she will focus on using her skills to make movies that matter.
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Media Producer and Writer
Wayne County, Kentucky
David Cole is a media producer and writer from Wayne County, Kentucky.
His independent production shop, Coled One Media Ventures, has served clients such as the University of Kentucky, the Kentucky World Language Association, and Breakout Games.
David’s written work took a productive turn after first visiting China in 2016 and he found himself writing in a number of European countries, even taking part in readings with poets such as Justin Samgar. His work deals with how our personal lives intersect with the media we consume and come to represent parts of ourselves, as evidenced in his debut poetry collection “I’ve Been a Prisoner All My Life (And I Can Say to You) OR Young Phill Collins in Love.” He currently lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky.
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Retired Administrative Judge
Boston, Massachusetts
Douglas McDonald is a retired administrative judge from Boston, MA who has recently joined the Confucius Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Boston to tackle yet another language.
A life-long polyglot, Doug is proficient in several languages, including Latin, Greek, French, and German. For two years he lived in Baghdad, Iraq, where he taught sociology at Al-Hikma University, and studied Arabic.
Doug believes that learning a language is critical to understanding a culture. He has been heavily involved in his Confucius Institute, attending the 2018 National Chinese Language Conference in Salt Lake City, UT, and several other local CI initiatives.
Learning and becoming proficient in Mandarin has been a lifelong ambition for Doug, and the Confucius Institute at UMass Boston is providing a solid foundation.
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Seventh Grader
Lakeside, California
Kamila Carter is a conscientious twelve-year-old student finishing the sixth grade at Tierra Del Sol Middle School in Lakeside, California.
She has been learning Mandarin Chinese for seven years since entering kindergarten at Riverview Elementary school.
One of her greatest accomplishments to date has been winning first place at the Chinese Bridge Competition, sponsored by the Confucius Institute at San Diego State. The Institute also sponsored Kamila’s first trip to China to experience the language and culture.
Her parents are deaf and use American Sign Language, Spanish and English when communicating with her. Kamila is fluent in all four languages and interprets for her parents in Sign Language.
Kamila is active in her school Associated Student Body (ASB) which does service work in her community. She is on the honor roll with a 4.0 GPA average and has earned many awards as an outstanding student.
Even though Kamila Carter doesn’t yet know what she will do professionally, she knows that whatever it is, it will impact the world in a positive way.
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Seventh Grader
Lakeside, California
Kamila Carter is a conscientious twelve-year-old student finishing the sixth grade at Tierra Del Sol Middle School in Lakeside, California.
She has been learning Mandarin Chinese for seven years since entering kindergarten at Riverview Elementary school.
One of her greatest accomplishments to date has been winning first place at the Chinese Bridge Competition, sponsored by the Confucius Institute at San Diego State. The Institute also sponsored Kamila’s first trip to China to experience the language and culture.
Her parents are deaf and use American Sign Language, Spanish and English when communicating with her. Kamila is fluent in all four languages and interprets for her parents in Sign Language.
Kamila is active in her school Associated Student Body (ASB) which does service work in her community. She is on the honor roll with a 4.0 GPA average and has earned many awards as an outstanding student.
Even though Kamila Carter doesn’t yet know what she will do professionally, she knows that whatever it is, it will impact the world in a positive way.
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Rep. Matt Salmon, who represented the 5th District of Arizona for five terms in Washington, joined Arizona State University as Vice President of Government Affairs in 2017. Salmon oversees the University’s Federal, State, Community, and Tribal relations, putting his years of experience as a state and federal lawmaker to work on behalf of an institution that is committed to the economic, social and cultural health of the communities that it serves.
Salmon attended public school in Mesa, Arizona and graduated from ASU in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and holds a Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University. He spent 13 years in the telecommunications industry in Arizona, before being elected to the Arizona State Senate, where he rose to assistant majority leader and chairman of the Rules Committee before his election to Congress in 1994.
Salmon served three terms before honoring a self-imposed term limit, leaving Congress in 2000, at which time he worked as a consultant to ASU on matters related to education policy. He returned to Congress in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014. Salmon was a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and he speaks fluent Mandarin. Salmon has served as chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and he has led numerous delegations to China. At ASU, Salmon assists the university in advancing its global strategy, including working with the governments of other countries to advance international projects.
He and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 36 years and are the proud parents of four children and the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.
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Founded in 1926, China Institute (CI) is the oldest bi-cultural organization in the United States focused exclusively on China. It is a resource for “all things China” – Chinese language, art, culture and business. James Heimowitz brings to CI 35 years of experience in building trust and understanding between China and the U.S.
James went to China as a student before it opened to the West, and has formed deep relationships in China over several decades. His background, education, and on-the-ground professional experience have come together to create a unique insight into some of the country’s most important initiatives. Prior to joining CI, James spent nine years at Hill + Knowlton Strategies where he was CEO for Asia, and Chairman, China. He spearheaded international PR for the Beijing Olympics; managed financial communications for the first RMB denominated IPO in Hong Kong; and advised many of the most successful MNC’s and JV’s in the region including helping Chinese companies and SOEs face the challenges of entering new overseas markets.
After earning his MBA from the Wharton School, Mr. Heimowitz joined the Chase Manhattan Bank and led its successful re-entry to China. He opened a representative office in Shanghai and a branch in Tianjin - the bank’s first in China since 1949. Mr. Heimowitz also served as Managing Director for Corporate Strategy at Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank and Manager of the Boston Consulting Group’s World Wide Asia Team.
James is a well-known speaker and author, and his articles have appeared in The Economist, China Daily, The Far Eastern Economic Review, Business Traveller, and the Canada-China Business Review. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on its Independent Economic Task Force on China, which is charged with delivering policy advice to the White House. He is also a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations and sits on numerous boards of companies in the media, technology and China sectors.
