MEET OUR TEAM
Chinese Program
PinYan Chen
Ms.Chen is an esteemed TESOL Master and World Language Educator at NYU, specializing in Chinese language instruction. With over five years of experience teaching both native and non-native speakers, Ms. Chen is passionate about working with young learners. She skillfully employs diverse teaching methods to engage and inspire students of all learning styles.
Ting Choi
As a native Mandarin speaker, Ting is committed to guiding young language learners. With a Bachelor's degree in English and an MBA from Johnson & Wales University, Ting brings a strong academic foundation to her teaching. Drawing from Ting’s personal language learning experiences and life abroad, she strives to create engaging and effective lessons that foster a love for language and culture. Join Ting on a journey to discover the beauty of Mandarin.
Lizzy Ma holds a Master’s in TESOL from NYU and a bachelor’s degree in Business English from China, where she developed a strong foundation in cross-cultural communication. She has taught learners of all ages, from children to adults, and focuses on interactive, culturally responsive teaching to build practical language skills in diverse educational settings.
Anna Tang
Anna Yanan Tang is a passionate educator with a degree in Global Education from NYU and a minor in Media, Culture, and Communication. Born and raised in China, she is fluent in Chinese and dedicated to sharing Chinese culture through engaging, cross-cultural teaching. She brings strong educational experience and uses creative, media-integrated methods to make learning dynamic and meaningful.
Adult Chinese Program
Alesa Li
Ms. Li is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) after having obtained a Master's degree in the same field. With her extensive theoretical knowledge of Chinese teaching and over two years of experience in teaching Chinese to both native and non-native speakers, Alesa is a highly qualified instructor. Her teaching style is characterized by passion and patience, and her cheerful and lively demeanor makes for a comfortable and engaging learning experience.
Yanjie Han
Ms. Han graduated from Capital Normal University with a major in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL). She previously worked as a Mandarin teacher at Beijing Foreign Studies University, where she taught Intensive Chinese and Business Culture to undergraduates. Ms. Han specializes in both oral and written Chinese, and is particularly skilled at teaching Chinese grammar and characters in a fun and engaging way. Her friendly and helpful teaching style makes her popular among her students, who appreciate her dedication to helping them improve their language skills.
Math Program
Jie Geng
Ms.Geng holds a M.S. in Mathematics from NYU, a B.A. in Mathematics and B.A. in Statistics from UC Berkeley. She has extensive experience in teaching and preparing students for AMC/AIME level math, Beast Academy, Singapore Math, AP Statistics, UK college interviews and undergraduate level math courses. She believes mathematical processes (definition→ reasoning/proofs→ applications) are important from a young age. As a mother of two, she is looking forward to immersing young friends in mathematical thinking at TongYan School
Shaun Zhou
Shaun Zhou holds a Bachelor degree in Mathematics from University of Waterloo in Ontario Canada, and a Master degree in Engineering from Columbia University. He believes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for math education. Every student can be inspired to reach their full potential.
Art Program
Shaheen, a self-taught artist, draws inspiration from everyday objects in her art. Her memory and recall is associated with how she feels and that is many times translated into her art. Her interactions with people and nature are a valuable part of the creative process.
Danielle Tuiran
Danielle is a visual artist with a strong focus on video production. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stevens Institute of Technology in Visual Arts, and soon a Masters in Professional Studies in Film Directing from the School of Visual Arts. With over 10 years of experience with the arts, she strives to express the importance of art and how it can be used to inspire and influence students of all ages.
Dance Program
JINGXI LI
Jingxi Li is a dance educator, choreographer, and dancer specializing in Chinese folk and modern dance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Choreography from Yunnan Arts University and a Master’s degree in Dance Education from New York University. She has taught and choreographed at various institutions and dance studios in China and the US, gaining extensive experience in the field. Her passion lies in blending traditional and contemporary dance to tell cultural stories through movement while promoting diversity and inclusivity in the dance community.
Online Chess Program
WIM Marija Stojanovic-Gagunashvili
GM Merab Gagunashvili
GM Merab Gagunashvili was born in Tbilisi where he started playing chess at the age of six and repeatedly won Georgian championships in the age categories. He represented Georgia in several European and world championships in the age categories. He finished second in the Junior World Championships when he was 16 and by the age of 17, he had won the title of grandmaster and became Georgia's youngest grandmaster. He participated in and won many international tournaments, as well as individual medals at European team championships. In 2004 and 2007, he participated in the individuals’ World Cup.
For the last 10 years, he has worked as a coach and a second. He was head coach of Kuwait's national team at the 2018 Olympics and Iraq's national team at the 2011 Arab Games.
GM Mihajlo Stojanovic was born in Belgrade and started showing interest in chess at a very early age. He repeatedly won Yugoslavia’s championship in the age categories and represented the country at European and world championships. He participated in and won many international individuals and team tournaments in Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, and many other countries.
He has been a chess coach for more than 20 years. At the last Olympics, he coached and captained the Japanese team. Since 2005 he has been the title holder of FIDE Instructor and from 2006 to today, he coached the national teams of Serbia, Switzerland, and Japan.
IM Jovan Todorovic was born in Kraljevo, where he made his first chess steps. He participated in many domestic and international tournaments, which enabled him to win the IM title in 2008. Since 2000 he has worked as an individual and team coach, and he was awarded the title of FIDE
Instructor in 2018.
WIM Marija Stojanovic-Gagunashvili was born in Belgrade and started learning chess from her father at the age of 4. She has participated in tournaments since the age of 8 and has repeatedly won the Yugoslav championship in the age categories. At the European Rapid Chess Championship, she won bronze medals in individual and team under-18 competitions. She has participated in many domestic and international tournaments. She won the WIM title at the 2014 Olympics, where she played for the Montenegro team.
She has had the title of International arbiter since 2010 and has arbitered at many European children’s and adult championships, European clubs CUP, and world championships for children, as well as many domestic and international tournaments.
She has been coaching since 2004 and she won first place in the Junior League of Belgrade as head coach. She has coached children individually and her students won medals at the championships of Serbia, Montenegro, and the State of Tamil Nadu. She has the FIDE Instructor title which she was awarded at a seminar held in 2014.