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“We feel that talented students, who have the courage to travel and study abroad, deserve ethical and comprehensive guidance on such important decisions.” -Michael J. Novielli and Andrew Sohn, Co-Founders Management
Andrew Sohn Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Columbia College of Columbia University. After graduating from Columbia, Andrew joined the Investment Banking division of J.P. Morgan, where he worked in the Financial Sponsor Group. Outside of work, Andrew co-founded 116 to Wall Street, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating college students about the financial services industry. Through 116 to Wall Street, Andrew mentored hundreds of students who went on to secure jobs in finance. He is also actively involved with the Columbia College Alumni Association (CCAA), serving as the Chairman of the Class of 2004 Alumni Fund, as well as Vice Chairman of the CCAA Board of Directors’ Career Services Committee. Prior to founding Due West, Andrew worked at Irving Place Capital (IPC), a leading New York-based institutional private equity firm focused on middle market investing with $4.4 billion assets under management.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History & East Asian Studies with a concentration in Secondary Education from Columbia College of Columbia University. Michael also holds two Master of Education degrees: one in Higher Education Administration from Harvard University and another in Comparative & International Education from Teachers College of Columbia University. After receiving his Master of Education degree from Harvard, Michael worked at Columbia University, holding several senior positions, including Assistant Director of the Student Service Center, Director of Student Outreach, and Chief of Administration for Student Auxiliary & Business Services. Michael also interviewed prospective students for Columbia’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions for six years. Prior to founding Due West, Michael worked as an SAT teacher for TestTakers and as Director of Recruitment for the highly selective Lex Kim English School in Seoul, Korea.
Adam Presser holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese from Yale College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in East Asian Studies from the Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. At Yale, Adam was a pole-vaulter for the Varsity Men’s Track and Field team, and spent three summers studying and working in China. After graduating from Yale, Adam studied at Tsinghua University’s Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies as a Blakemore Freeman Fellow. Adam later joined Ticketmaster’s China offices as a Senior Director, overseeing much of the company’s China operations. While at Ticketmaster, Adam was also General Manager of the majority Chinese state-owned joint-venture entity that served as the primary ticketing provider for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Adam is currently a JD/MBA candidate at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Law School.
College Counseling Team
Keith E. Hernandez Keith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History & Hispanic Studies from Columbia College of Columbia University. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Chicago. Keith previously worked as an Undergraduate Admissions Officer for Columbia University, where he managed a portion of submitted applications and coordinated recruitment and selection for the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program. As an educational innovator and an expert on educational exchange in China, Keith often shares his insights at conferences and with the media. He is a member of the admission organizations OACAC, NACAC and ABAFOILSS.
John Beck John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government with a focus on International Relations and a minor in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth, he was a Dickey Center War and Peace Fellow and a Senior Leadership Fellow at the Rockefeller Center of Public Policy. John worked as a Senior Assistant Director at the Dartmouth Admissions Office, where he was responsible for both U.S. and international (Middle East and South Asia) recruitment and selection, which included travel to India, China, and Southeast Asia. In his final year with Dartmouth, John served as the International Recruitment Manager, overseeing the selection process for all of Dartmouth’s international applicants. Prior to joining Due West, John spent 6 months backpacking abroad, including in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Tania Dias Originally from Lisbon, Portugal, Tania holds a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in African and African American Studies from Amherst College. Through her major coursework, she focused on issues of race, migration and colonial identity in Africa. She also pursued the pre-medical requirements and completed a certificate in social innovation and entrepreneurship. While at Amherst, Tania was a Civic Engagement Scholar and selected as Class Marshal. Upon graduating, Tania worked as a special assistant to the Provost, having helped coordinate Amherst’s strategic plan for the next decade. She transitioned to the Amherst Office of Admission as a Senior Admission Fellow and then subsequently as Assistant Dean of Admission. She was responsible for U.S. and international recruitment and selection, traveling extensively around the world to meet prospective students and evaluating thousands of applications. As a former Admission Officer, she believes in the power of education to transform lives and is committed to supporting young people in achieving their full potential. Tania is currently Class Alumni President and is actively involved with the Amherst Alumni Association as member of its executive committee.
Kate graduated magna cum laude with her Bachelor of Arts in both Communication and Spanish from Millikin University. As a student, she was actively involved in the MU athletics department as a varsity athlete and was a radio DJ on Millikin’s student run radio station. She earned her Masters of Science in Service Leadership and Innovation from the Rochester Institute of Technology. During her time at Due West, Kate previously served as a Director on the Secondary Counseling Team in Beijing, where she placed students in elite boarding schools across the U.S. Prior to joining Due West, Kate was an International Student Advisor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she advised international students on immigration and cultural adjustments issues. She also provided mentorship and leadership training to major student organizations at RIT.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Taylor graduated cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Within her major, she focused on the intersection of gender, race, and law in the United States. Taylor is passionate about research, writing, and storytelling: This passion has influenced her personal and professional trajectories. Her senior essay won Yale’s Steere Prize in Women’s Studies. At Yale, Taylor played on and coached the women’s club water polo team, served as an administrative aide in her residential college (Branford College), volunteered with a local New Haven nonprofit, and interviewed prospective applicants as a Senior Interviewer with the Admissions Office. Taylor also studied abroad in Paris, France, where she pursued French fluency and first became interested in building cross-cultural connections and living outside of the United States. After graduation, Taylor joined the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship and moved to a small village near Huangshan in Anhui Province. There, she was responsible for designing, building, and teaching a supplementary Oral English/American culture course to 115 Senior 1 and Senior 2 students at a local public high school. Taylor is thrilled to continue working with students on their applications and supporting them as they discover and delve into their academic passions at Due West.
Blake Mei holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. He also holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, where he advanced to PhD candidacy. He is an admissions mentor and ambassador for Washington University in St. Louis, and a member of the American Mensa. Previously as a SAT/ACT test prep teacher, Blake had 100+ students with 30+ ACT scores, 40+ students with 33+ ACT scores. While in high school, Blake received recognition as a Presidential Scholar for having taken 21 AP Tests with an average score of 3.5+. During his free time, Blake likes to play sports, travel, and hike. Prior to joining Due West and since 2011, Blake served as teacher and counselor for various education organizations, most recently working as a lead teacher for a global test preparation and consulting agency in Beijing.
Raven grew up in Georgia. She participated in the IB Program at North Atlanta High School where she received the IB Diploma. She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Asian/Middle Eastern Studies. During her time at Dartmouth, she studied Mandarin, lived and worked in Beijing, and became passionate about education in China. She also worked for Teach For China and Dandelion Middle School, a middle school for migrant children in Beijing. Prior to joining Due West, Raven taught English in Beijing to students aged 3 to 16.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Connecticut College, with minors in Economics and Italian Studies. During his time at Connecticut, he was a member of the Varsity Soccer team, served on the school’s Government Department Student Advisory Board, and spent a year living in Italy working for an Italian newspaper and studying Italian economics, politics, and history. After graduating from college, Nick lived in Taiwan for two years where he joined a semi-professional soccer team and studied Mandarin at Taipei Language Institute. Afterward, he further pursued his Mandarin studies at Southwest University of Nationalities’ in Chengdu.Prior to joining Due West, he taught Business English and provided cultural consulting to Chinese undergraduate university students who were preparing to study abroad for their Master’s Degree. Nick has been involved in education in each country he has lived in and holds a graduate level TESOL certificate from U.E.C. in Bangkok, as well as another TEFL certificate from HESS International in Taiwan.
Originally from Chengdu, China, Wenjing Zhou received her B.A. from Sichuan Normal University, M.A. from Sichuan University, and M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to Due West, Wenjing worked at the Intensive Language Training Center (ILTC) of Sichuan University, where she started as a graduate student intern and received an offer later on upon finishing her Master’s degree. During her four years at Sichuan University ILTC, Wenjing taught IELTS and TOEFL classes, advised students, and prepared them for study abroad programs in the US, UK, and Australia. Wenjing joined Due West after graduating from HGSE in 2012 and has since been on the undergraduate team. In her roles as counselor and strategy counselor, Wenjing works closely with students and families in college preparation and application processes and helps students gain admission into the most competitive liberal arts colleges and national universities in the US.
Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Wisconsin. While in college he served as a reading tutor to students in a low income school district, worked as an after school program leader at a grade school, and was a camp counselor for 3 summers. Prior to joining Due West, Jason worked in admissions at several universities throughout the United States. After spending a number of years in Higher Education, Jason took time off to spend 4 months traveling throughout the United States, Europe, and China. He is passionate about Higher Education, with a specific interest in international exchange at the university level.
Born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, Jayson received his Bachelor of Arts degrees cum laude in Physics and Philosophy from Amherst College in Massachusetts. His academic interests span the philosophy of language, to literature, to ethics and the philosophy of science. A vocalist from a young age, Jayson performed and travelled to Ireland with the Amherst College Concert Choir and took part in several musical productions in the local community of Western Massachusetts. He also served on the Board of Directors of the town of Amherst’s community theater. Apart from performance, Jayson led several student groups including the Philosophy Club, Chess Club and Mindfulness Club on campus. After graduating, Jayson joined the staff of the Office of Admission at Amherst College where he served as an Admission Counselor for two years, a job he thoroughly enjoyed. He travelled internationally and regionally, read and evaluated applications, co-directed several on-campus programs and managed student workers. Jayson’s career interests lie squarely in higher education – he is committed to technological education parity and has a particular interest in international admissions and student affairs.
Sijia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree Yale University in Humanities, with a focus on 19th-century British art and literature, and in Economics, with a focus on the post-liberalization Chinese economy. While at Yale, she was a member of the Yale Political Union, joined the Yale novel-writing club, and wrote for the Yale Daily News. Prior to joining Due West, Sijia helped found a preparatory program for high school students in Beijing, which intends to ease their cultural transition to the United States. She also has experience advising and tutoring Yale students in terms of writing and classwork.
Kristen graduated magna cum laude from Hainan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Exchange. In her senior year, she worked as an academic advisor for an international education company. As the student ambassador and athlete, she won multiple scholarships, worked, and conducted research for professors in the topic areas of economics, marine agriculture, and journalism. Kristen holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston College, with a focus on international education policies and curriculum instruction. She holds a state Teacher’s License in secondary education in Massachusetts and worked as a public high school teacher and for the US college admissions counseling. During her time as a teacher, she helped students organize fundraising events, Asian club activities, and was the core faculty for the city’s foreign language curriculum framework upgrade. Prior to joining Due West, Kristen was the program facilitator for one of the United States largest summer programs in Minnesota, where she was responsible for hundreds of students and over 30 faculty and staff. She has worked with several Charter and private schools in Brighton and Cambridge, MA, in educational administration.
Michael was born and raised in Southern California. He graduated from USC with a BA degree in English Literature. While studying at USC, Michael volunteered at local high schools around Los Angeles, where he helped students brainstorm their personal statements and apply to college. During his senior year, he worked for the school’s newspaper The Daily Trojan as a photographer, news writer, and blogger. Over the past four years, he has also worked part-time teaching English writing skills to Chinese students via an online learning platform. After graduating, Michael came to China as an English teacher for kids and teens. Prior to Due West, Michael worked at a college consulting firm where he provided services to aspiring high school students who were interested in American Colleges. Michael not only wants to be an inspiration like his previous teachers before him, but also a mentor and a guide for his students.
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College with a concentration in Anthropology and minors in Economics and Government. While at Hamilton, Elizabeth served as a Levitt Center researcher, an alumni office intern, and a varsity cross country runner. Through her role at the Levitt Center, Elizabeth tutored English in Utica, NY. She also studied abroad at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland and studied Politics and Conflict Resolution, which sparked her interest in cross cultural education and helping students from other countries study abroad in the United States. Following graduation, Elizabeth worked as an education research assistant in Washington, DC, where she studied the effectiveness of US education policies and grant programs. She went on to teach English in Thailand through a US State Department Fulbright grant. Additionally, Elizabeth has worked as an editor and writer for both international and American publications, and she is a volunteer fellowship application coach for the Posse Foundation.
Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and East Asian Studies from Vanderbilt University, as well as a Master of Education from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. While studying in Nashville, TN she was involved in several multi-cultural student groups and a founding member of the Vandy Undergraduate Chinese Association. As a graduate student she collaborated with Humphrey Fellows focused on Educational Administration. Prior to joining Due West, Laura worked as a Senior Consultant for New Oriental in the US Undergraduate department.
Originally from Monroe, Michigan, Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Culture along with a specialization in French from Michigan State University. Chris also holds a Master of China Studies with a focus on International Relations and Public Politics from the Yenching Academy of Peking University, where he analyzed changes in US-China immigration frameworks. Chris is fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin, and is passionate about foreign language acquisition and community building through service projects. Through various study abroad programs to Latin-America, Europe, and Asia, Chris put his bridge-building values into action over the course of organizing community cultural exchanges, and by teaching French and Spanish in locations such as the US, Belize, and in China. Chris also has an extensive amount of mentoring experience. For instance, while studying abroad in Belize, Chris organized service learning projects designed to promote student learning, civic service, community development, and education on health, nutrition, and hygiene. Chris expanded on his mentoring abilities during his two years at Yenching Academy, where he served as a mentor and provided paraprofessional advising to 28 scholars scholars (International and Chinese), and regularly developed innovative strategies to bridge gaps between both communities. Most recently, Chris successfully increased the Public Speaking skills of 300+ students between ages 14-19 in a Model UN conference held in both Beijing and Chengdu. When Chris is not traveling, taking photos, studying Chinese, exercising, playing the ukulele, laughing or eating.
Originally from Los Angeles, Antonio holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy from California State University, Long Beach. He also holds a Master of Arts in East Asian History from Columbia University. While studying abroad in France as an undergraduate, Antonio developed an interest in Chinese history, and he has spent the last several years studying modern Chinese history, the history of medicine, and the Chinese language. His master’s thesis was on the development of plastic and cosmetic surgery in twentieth century China, which began as early as the 1920s. Fond of both travel and teaching, before arriving at Due West, Antonio taught as a Graduate Student Instructor at the University of California, Berkeley and an Assistant English Teacher for the French Ministry of Education. He has also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and National Taiwan University in Taipei.
Gwen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated with honors and distinction. She also holds a Masters of Arts degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. She was a recipient of the 2014-2015 Foreign Language Area Studies scholarship for Arabic. Gwen has worked in education for five years. She spent a year working as an education consultant in India with University of Chicago’s International Innovation Corps where she partnered with the Haryana State Government, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and the Boston Consulting Group to improve education levels in 15,000 government schools. She taught English in the Czech Republic for one year before starting her own English language service organization in Argentina, helping students and young professionals write and edit essays, CVs, and research papers as well as helping them improve their spoken language ability. In her free time, Gwen enjoys creative writing, reading, and learning new languages.
Born in China and raised in Seattle, Siyu earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington, majoring in Asian Studies and minoring in Geography. Afterward, he earned a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During his undergraduate and doctoral studies, he spent a year abroad in Chengdu and Beijing, respectively. At UCLA, Siyu worked for six years as a teaching assistant and lecturer, mentoring and teaching 520+ students. He taught courses on Economic Geography, Introduction to Globalization, Global Development and Environmental Issues, in which he developed course syllabi, lecture slides, midterms, final exams, and held office hours. As an experienced instructor with a demonstrated history of working in the education industry, Siyu enjoys working with students and parents. Outside of work, Siyu has served as a youth mentor and head basketball coach at a Boys & Girls Club, played varsity basketball, and participated in Toastmasters International, a leadership and communication development club.
Originally from West Orange, New Jersey, Jude holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Chinese Language and Culture from Boston College. While studying in Boston, he was heavily involved with both the local and international Chinese community after founding the Duihua club, a community for students to have round table discussion in Mandarin comparing and contrasting mainland experience from American life. After graduating, he moved to Taiwan for a summer in order to continue pursing Chinese language and culture through studying in Tainan at National Cheng Kung University. While there he continued to find opportunity to serve as language partner and facilitate open dialogue among his peers in differences in lifestyles between China and the United States. Prior to joining Due West, Jude served as a volunteer for underrepresented youth tutoring basic middle school subjects. He has also worked as an English Specialist guiding and teaching young learners educational independence through the English language. In his spare time, Jude enjoys contributing to modern culture via music production and photography.
Diana holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, with a concentration on Creative Writing, as well as a Minor in Theater & Dance from Colby College. She graduated with Honors and Distinction in her major. As a student, she worked as a Research Assistant for the Theater & Dance Department, performed with the Flute Choir, and participated in numerous theatrical performances as an actress, designer, dancer, and playwright. She also holds a Masters of Arts in English from Boston College, where she focused on Medieval and Renaissance Drama. At Boston College, she she designed her own syllabus for a First Year Writing Seminar and taught her own class of 15 freshman students. She also worked with many Chinese students in Boston College’s tutoring center. Diana is additionally an Off-Broadway playwright, having made her debut with her short play “With Love” in 2014.
Molly graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations with a concentration in Arabic and Islamic Studies with a minor in Anthropology. During her time at Penn, Molly worked in the University’s Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology as a Digital Specialist in the Babylonian section, an Archivist in the Physical Anthropology department, and a Youth Educator for the program Forty Winks with the Sphinx. She also served as a Program Coordinator for the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia. Since 2014, Molly has worked in education with a focus on long-term development and success in higher education. Her experience includes editing doctoral dissertations written by ESL students, tutoring students in TOEFL essay writing, SAT and ACT test prep, reading comprehension for English literature, understanding essay structure, and colloquial English for education, travel, and socializing. She has also developed learning materials and curriculums for students of both English and Arabic. Molly has served the Due West College Counseling Team as an Editor for the past two years and is currently serving as a Counselor based in Boston.
Melody is a first-generation Taiwanese-American who grew up in Southern California. During her time at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Melody participated in a dual study abroad program at Rome, Italy and Madrid, Spain. Upon her return, she worked as a Global Marketing Intern for UC Education Abroad Program- planning, budgeting, and processing applications for students interested in one of the 400+ study abroad options offered by EAP. She fell in love mentoring and guiding students, and decided to pursue a path in the education industry. Thus, after receiving her bachelor’s degree, Melody pursued a math teaching credential and taught math at both middle and high schools in Southern California. Melody has also taught Mandarin and English at a Chinese School in the South Bay. With more than six years of classroom teaching experience, Melody is confident in her abilities to develop long-term plans personally designed to suit students and parents. The certificate was then followed by a Master’s in Education for Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs at USC. During her time at USC, Melody worked for both the Master’s of Arts in Teaching (TESOL) office and Master’s Programs Office. In addition to responding to student inquiries about academic and co-curricular experiences, she assisted faculty and staff in the preparation of syllabi, course readings, teaching evaluations, and other material related to the operations and delivery of the master’s degree programs at the Rossier School of Education. In her free time, Melody enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading.
Hailing from the Highlands of Scotland, Jonathan received his B.A from The University of Edinburgh and M.A degree from The University of Chicago in Political Science. 5 his studies, he focused on ideas of Pan-Asianism, modernity and the philosophies of modern Chinese intellectuals, ranging from Liu Shipei to Zhang Taiyan. After graduating from Edinburgh, Jonathan studied at National Taiwan University’s Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies as a recipient of the Huayu Scholarship. After almost two years of intensive study, Jonathan returned to Edinburgh to work for the Chinese tour guiding company Beiwei 55. Following this, he worked as the Global Research Fellow for the University of Chicago’s Global Initiatives Office. Jonathan is now located in Duewest’s Suzhou office. When not working there, one can find Jonathan discovering new tea houses in Suzhou, reading and training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Donghai Yu graduated Magna Cum laude from University at Buffalo, State University of New York, where he studied history and studio arts. At UB, he focused on European intellectual history and modern Chinese history. In his senior year, his paper on Chinese foreign policy in Africa won the Best Undergraduate Paper at the New York Conference on Asian Studies. Donghai also holds a Master’s of Arts from The University of Chicago, where he focused on social and legal history of modern China. Donghai’s MA thesis examined the westernization of Chinese legal system and the implication of it in the Republic of China in the 1920s and 1930s. Donghai has wide experiences of advising and mentoring students. In Chicago, he participated in the Alumni Connect Mentorship Program, a mentorship initiative in which experienced graduates guide and advise new students in order to make their relocation to Chicago and UofChicago’s academic atmosphere smooth. In Buffalo, Donghai served as College Ambassador, a role that connects students and the faculty. In his spare time, Donghai enjoys hiking, cooking, and painting.
Secondary Counseling Team
Rick has a BSFS in international economics from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a MSc in international relations from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. He also has a MSc. TESOL from Aston University, now a part of the University of Birmingham, and M.Ed in Curriculum Design and Educational Leadership from Plymouth State University where he was inducted into Phi Delta Kappa. Rick joins Due West after working for a long time at Cardigan Mountain School where he served as Director of International Student Program and International Relations. Rick oversaw Cardigan’s international student placement, international fundraising, and international alumni and parent associations. During his years there, he also coached, taught several foreign languages, and served as a dorm parent. Prior to working at Cardigan, Rick was a foreign expert in Changchun, Jilin where he taught International Business and Multinational Corporation Management at the Changchun Tax College. He also taught at the Changchun Foreign Languages School. Rick worked in business before he became an educator. His children, Elizabeth and Joe, are attending college in the US. Mary, his wife, also lives in Beijing. Rick is fluent in several languages, including Chinese.
Will Berrey graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Vermont with his Bachelors of Arts in both International Relations and Asian Studies and a focus on Chinese and Japanese language and culture. As a student, he was actively involved on the Rowing and Brazillian Jiujitsu club teams as well as culture and language clubs. As a high school student, Will attended boarding school in Wisconsin, where he participated in athletics, theater, music, and a variety of other extracurricular activities. He has also studied Chinese for over 10 years and has lived in China three times, the first during a yearlong high school study abroad program with School Year Abroad (SYA) in Beijing. Prior to joining Due West, Will was an International Admission Officer at the University of Rhode Island, where he was responsible for international student admissions. He was also responsible for managing and developing a worldwide education counselor network at URI.
Indiana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Forensic Psychology from Seattle University with a minor in Japanese Language. After graduation, she moved back home to Bamako Mali and taught English for a year. Finding that her passion was in education, she decided to pursue further education in teaching, moving to Hong Kong to get her Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Prior to working at Due West, Indiana worked as an International Tutor at the Education University of Hong Kong.
Menas Shongnas Yang was born in Stockton, California, graduated from Boston University in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Chinese Studies.
Calvin was born in Los Angeles, California and graduated from Humboldt State University with a BA in International Studies and minor in Spanish and a MA in Chinese Studies from Valparaiso University. As a student, Calvin worked with students of all ages from elementary to high school. After graduation, he worked at multiple universities on international student services teams and helping students with their cultural and academic transition to campus. Prior to working at Due West, Calvin was working in Boston as a study abroad advisor and international student advisor. In his spare time, Calvin enjoys watching sports, staying active, traveling and trying new food.
English Language Program
Rhianna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University. She also holds a CELTA teaching credential obtained through Cambridge University. She has teaching experience in the U.S., Sweden and Japan. Prior to joining Due West, she spent four years on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, a Japanese government initiative to improve foreign language education and promote internationalization. As a JET participant, Rhianna served as an Event Manager, Regional Advisor, and Chairperson for various special interests groups including the Oita AJET Council and JETs of African Descent. During her tenure she also managed charity events that improved access to affordable education in Japan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. She’s been described as a creative, fun-loving, and enthusiastic educator whose students consistently look forward to participating in her classes.
Parent Coordination Team
Mary Exton earned her Bachelor’s degree from Hunan Changsha University of Science & Technology. After graduation, she worked in the training center of SongLiao Water Resource and Electric Power Institute. In 1995, she moved to New Hampshire, US with her husband, and worked on the campus of Cardigan Mountain School. Mary obtained her Master of Education with the focus on Information Technology from Plymouth State University. She has taught Algebra, Computer Science and Mandarin Chinese language in the US high schools for 17 years, where she established the computer program and the Mandarin Chinese language program. She was selected as AP Computer Science Reader by College Board in 2008. Mary is passionate in Global Education, project base learning.
Lina earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Hotel Management from Hebei Foreign Studies University. During her studies in college, she volunteered in the school’s international students center as the coordinator of admission office. and she also graduate as an outstanding graduate. Prior to joining Duewest, Lina works in the Intercontinental Hotels Group as a guest service manager.
Jessie moved to Beijing when she was 10 years old and grew up here since then. Before going abroad to study in the UK, she studied at an international high school, Cambridge International Center at New Talent Academy. Jessie graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a B.A. in fashion design. Prior to joining Due West, she worked at Lane Crawford as a personal stylist where she had gained valuable experience in personalized customer service. She also worked as a freelance translator, conducted interviews with designers and translated English written/audio content into Chinese. Her contributions can be found in magazines like VISION and GQ. Jessie is passionate about interpretation and translation, she speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English fluently. She is dedicated to providing the greatest support to families, and communicating their needs with the team to build and sustain partnership and trust.
Kay graduated from Inner Mongolia Normal University where she earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Pedagogy and Geography. Prior to joining Due West, she gained plenty of experience in teaching English and coordinating in an international English training school. Moreover, she served as coordinator and translator for the international program at a large Bio-Pharmaceutical company located in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Kay is always a passionate, fun-loving, and accommodating person.
Shane graduated from Hebei University of Science and Technology with a degree in English. She earned Test For English Major 8 certificate as well as TL9000 Internal Auditor certificate. She has rich work experience on coordination and project management. Prior to joining Due West, she worked in global leading telecommunication service vendor Aicent, where she was in charge of translating, service quality assessment and analysis.
Judy graduated from Beijing International Studies University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Then she earned MBA degree from De Montfort University, UK. Prior to joining Due West, Judy worked for an US business consulting firm as Executive Assistant, Translator/Interpreter between English and Chinese, Project Liaison and Coordinator, and Accounting Manager.
Betty graduated from Capital Normal University, majoring in computer science and technology. She is very interested in languages and self-studied English, Japanese and basic French. After graduation, she worked for an international exhibition company and a 3D film production company respectively. Betty is a dreamer, having infinite curiosity to the world. She has a passion to good food.
Rae Yang graduated from Heilongjiang University and has worked in education for over two years Prior to joining Due west, Rae worked at an English training agency and really enjoyed teaching children ages 3-12.She is very glad to join due west ,and she hopes she can help students apply to their dream school. She is very passionate about her work, and likes to communicate with people.
Meiting Li （Melanie） is graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor Degree of Hotel & Restaurant Management. And She earned a Master Degree in Global Management from Thunderbird School in US. Prior to Due West, she has four years of working experience as manager in hospitality industry in Los Angeles in the US. Meiting Li is proficient at Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. She is customer oriented and provides good customer service.
Kelly graduated from Zhejiang Normal University holding the TEM 8 Certificate and Outstanding Graduates of ZJNU. Before Due West, she has worked in study abroad sounseling for three years, helping many students apply schools and be admitted to their ideal one. Thus, she is experienced and devoted to her job. Born in northern China, she is honest and patient, willing to communicating with people and opens her heart to every student and parent, and she will help them to realize dreams. Her work principle is that being responsible for all students and parents, treating them as her friends, trying her best to help them. In daily life, Kelly loves food and gym!
Aileen graduated from Beijing forestry University, after graduation, she worked as coordinator in two foreign companies. Outside work, she wants to have a wide view of the world, so she visited many places and even has traveled abroad for 1 year, she loves to explore all parts of the world. On the way of her work and life, she likes to take on different challenges and keep moving.
Course Consultant Team
Victoria holds a bachelor degree in marketing from Harbin University of Science and Technology. Prior joining Due West, Victoria worked in the Heilongjiang branch of Boneco Air treatment in Switzerland as a sales manager and assistant of the general manager. She was fully responsible for the sales in Heilongjiang province. Due to her love for education, she joined EF , the largest private English group in the world. During her six years’ service, she was responsible for the comprehensive management of Marketing Department, sales department and school management. She believes that love and responsibility are the soul of education. Through love and responsibility, more and more students will realize their dreams.
Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and International Trade from Dalian University of Foreign Languages. Prior joining to Due West, she worked at the Kerry Centre Hotel Beijing, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, and Raffles Hainan as sales manager. In those roles, she built and developed relationships with international companies and government agencies. She was also responsible for business development and event organization. All these experiences contributed to developing her strong background in the service industry.
Jean holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from School of Foreign Languages of Anhui University of Technology. Her second foreign language is Japanese. Prior joining to Due West, she has been experienced in overseas study service industry for many years. She worked for China Office of Bangor University, UK as Program Coordinator, where she helped build up and develop relationships with several “211” and “985” universities and higher education institutions as well as a wide range of top Chinese overseas study agencies. She’s pretty familiar with overseas study application process and has sent a great number of students abroad. Prior to joining Due West, Jean worked in immigration and international business industry.
Iris graduated cum laude from Bohai University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business English. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Management from the University of Surrey. She worked for CSSA (Chinese Students and Scholars Association) office for 3 years while in UK in order to help Chinese students deal with various obstacles. In this role she helped students delegate with the administration and also assisted with the communication between her Association and the University. She also was involved in two volunteer outreach programs; one which supports the western area of Chinese education and another with helped to foster the educational development of Nepalese children. She is passionate in working with students and prides herself in being able to help them solve their problems. Prior to joining Due West, Iris worked at an international business commercial company as an export manager, in charge with exporting business.
Crystal graduated from Beijing City University in the direction of foreign tourism management with a Bachelor of Management, minored in Japanese. She had worked in Yellowstone National Park for half year in college years, as a team leader with Chinese partners to promote Chinese traditional culture, thus gaining a deeper understanding and experience of American education and life in the exchanges. Prior joining to Due West, she has many years’ experience in the International Hotel Management Group as a Sales Executive, mainly responsible for the market development and relationship expansion of the multinational companies and Embassy in China. During this period, she was responsible for the exchange activities held by educational companies and foreign schools, has a high degree of sensitivity to information about studying abroad and is very keen to work with students. She believes that education is a way to encourage, and the education is to promote mutual growth.
Zoe graduated from Beijing Foreign Language Studies University where she obtained a major in English Undergraduate Course. Prior to joining Due West, she worked at an Israeli electronics company, where she worked as a logistic coordinator for sales and marketing department of North of China area.
Business Development Team
Wenjing Zhang received a bachelor’s degree in law from Ningbo University and a master’s degree in international law from Nanjing University Law School, and passed the national judicial examination. During her postgraduate years, she studied at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies (HNC) for a year and was responsible for helping Emory University and Northeastern University students studying in China with their summer education programs coordination. Prior to joining Due West, Zhang Wenjing worked as an intern at Fangben Law Firm, a leading law firm in Shanghai.
Marketing Team
Carrie graduated with distinction from Beijing International Studies University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel Management. She worked at China World Hotel after graduation. She received an MBA degree from University of Colorado at Boulder in the US. She joined DISH Network, the second largest satellite company in the US, as an International Programming Operations Coordinator. She assisted General Manager to create, implement and track marketing and operational strategies. She gained an abundant understanding about how a US company was run and developed a deeper understanding about the cultural difference between the US and China. Carrie assumed various management roles at several well-known media companies in China. Prior to joining Due West, she was a Deputy General Manager of a US-based media company in Beijing. She was in charge of marketing, PR, business development, government relations and management training programs etc. Chinese Executive Media Management Program, a program that she led has received recognition from industry leaders and ignited her passion for education. She is determined to dedicate herself to helping Chinese students achieve their educational aspirations and empowering them to be the next generation of globally-minded scholars and leaders.
Chloe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communication from Beijing Technology and Business University. Prior to joining Due West, Chloe worked as a Project Manager at a French design company.
Operations Team
Elisa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language from Hefei University of Technology. She also holds a Master degree in Human Resources Management & European Labor Law from University of Toulouse . Prior to joining Due West, Elisa worked at a leading Seattle-based Public Relation company for 5 years, managing a full spectrum of human resources programs, services and functions.
Charlotte holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies with a focus on conservation and development from Carleton College. While in college, Charlotte volunteered as an environmental education teacher at a local elementary school and tutored middle school Spanish-speaking students in English. She has also taught English to preschool through 6th grade students at a rural school in northeastern Thailand. She is passionate about international relations and development and exploring cross-cultural experiences. Prior to joining Due West, Charlotte worked at boutique market research and public relations agencies in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Diana graduated from dongbei university of finance and economics with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Before joining Due West Education, she worked in a top 500 IT US company, as the company’s China and Mongolia human resources related work.
Tong holds a Master of Arts degree in MBA from the San Diego State University. Prior to joining Due West, she worked at China Marine Surveillance as an intern in the Human Resource Department.
Jessica graduated from Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology where she obtained a major in English. Prior to joining Due West, Jessica worked in Bangkok as Chinese Teacher Director and an educational company as Recruiting Specialist.
Anne graduated from Beijing International Studies University where she obtained a major in English.
Simin graduated from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture where she obtained a major of International Construction English. Prior to joining Due West, she worked at China Construction Eighth Engineering Division. Co. Ltd. as a Senior Administration.
The Due West CouncilThe Due West Council also includes former admissions officers and directors from Ivy League and other prestigious institutions including: Harvard University, Columbia University, Tufts University, Barnard College and New York University. With decades of experience working in admissions, the Due West Council unlocks the secrets to university admissions, coaching our students throughout the application process. |
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“We feel that talented students, who have the courage to travel and study abroad, deserve ethical and comprehensive guidance on such important decisions.” -Michael J. Novielli and Andrew Sohn, Co-Founders Management
Andrew Sohn
College Counseling Team
Keith E. Hernandez
John Beck
Tania Dias
Secondary Counseling Team
English Language Program
Parent Coordination Team
Course Consultant Team
Business Development Team
Marketing Team
Operations Team
The Due West CouncilThe Due West Council also includes former admissions officers and directors from Ivy League and other prestigious institutions including: Harvard University, Columbia University, Tufts University, Barnard College and New York University. With decades of experience working in admissions, the Due West Council unlocks the secrets to university admissions, coaching our students throughout the application process. |
