Staff
Irene Ng: Founder, Mandarin Chinese Teacher
Irene and her family founded Mencius Mandarin Preschool in 2009 to provide a formal setting where her children could learn Mandarin Chinese from a young age. She received her B.A. in economics from Harvard University where she was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. Irene writes, reads and speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently, in addition to three other Chinese dialects and two other languages. She is certified in Childcare Management by New York University and worked at New York City's Philosophy Day School in 2007. She also holds the nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Prior to a career in early childhood education, Irene was an international banker with Merrill Lynch (7 years), covering Asia, and traveled frequently to Greater China for business, where she conducted business in Mandarin Chinese. In her teen years she also starred as the lead in the Nickelodeon television series The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo and had a principal role in the movie The Joy Luck Club, in which she spoke only in Mandarin Chinese. In 1998 she was named to the list of "Top Ten Female Role Models of the Year" by the Ms. Foundation for Women, and was a celebrity spokesperson for Jane Fonda's Girls Inc., championing the specific cause of "A Girl's Right to Do Interesting Work and be Financially Independent."
Xiaoxi Song: Assistant Director
Born in Shanxi, China, Xiaoxi Song is currently pursuing her Connecticut Director Credential. She is also certified by the State of Connecticut as a Preschool Head Teacher, and holds the nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. She has been working at Mencius Mandarin Preschool since September 2013. She has also been teaching Mandarin to preschoolers in Huaxia Chinese School of Greater New York, where she is also assistant teacher for music and folk dancing. She received her B.A. in Computer Science in 2006 from Taiyuan University of Science and Technology in China.
Summer He Mandarin Chinese Teacher
Born in Zhengzhou, China, Summer has a bachelor's degree from Xi'an Fanyi University, and an Associate Degree in Childhood Education from Westchester Community College. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Childhood Education at Hunter College in New York City. She has taught in Rockland Chinese School and currently teachers 3-5year olds, as well as 10 year olds in Huaxia weekend Chinese School.
Yang Ping: Mandarin Chinese Teacher
Yang Ping was born in China and graduated from Henan University of Economics and Law with a degree in Accounting. She worked at Zhengzhou City's Industrial and Commercial Bureau for several years before moving to the U.S. A mother of three young children, she also teachers arts and crafts and songs to preschoolers at her church's Sunday School. She has been teaching at Mencius Mandarin Preschool since March 2011 and is currently pursuing the nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential.
Yuqi Liu: Mandarin Chinese Teacher
Yuqi was born in Jilin, China and received her bachelor's degree from University of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2014. She has been teaching at Mencius Mandarin Preschool since summer 2015. Since 2014 she has served as Head Teacher for pre-K class in Huaxia Chinese School of Greater New York.
Lulu Han: Music and Mandarin Teacher
A native of Liaoning, China, Lulu Han holds a B.A. in Journalism from Shanghai Physical University, a Masters Degree in accounting from Suffolk University in Boston, and is a certified piano performer from Shenyang Conservatory of Music. She is an award-winning piano performer in Shenyang and also a journalist for local television station. She has taught Mandarin to young children at CLP Chinese School in Scarsdale. Since 2012 she has served as Head Teacher for both Chinese and Music enrichment (singing, dancing, music and acting) classes in HuaXia Chinese school of Greater New York, where she has been named "Outstanding Teacher of the Year." In 2018 she received a National Teacher's Certificate from HuaWen Education Institute.
Jian-Hong Pan: Mandarin Chinese and Music Teacher
A native of Suzhou, China, Jian-Hong Pan started working with Mencius Mandarin Preschool as Assistant Teacher in March 2014. She has also been Assistant Teacher at Hua Xia Chinese School (White Plains, New York) since February 2013 for pre-K class, ages 3-4. She volunteers every week at Purchase Elementary School in their 5-6 year old class.
