Current Executive Board 2013-2014
Jeanette Chin (MC '14), Co-President
Jeanette went on a service trip one summer in high school to the Liannan province in Guangzhou, China to teach English to middle school kids from the Yao minority village. Her experience with the students heavily influenced the way she looked at her own life, and she is thrilled to be able to join Building Bridges at Yale so that she can once again teach and learn from the children there. Jeanette comes from sunny California and has always been interested in the Chinese culture and language. Apart from Building Bridges, she is also learning Wushu and T'ai chi in order to further connect with her Chinese background.
Chang Liu (CC '14), Co-President
Chang is a junior majoring in humanities and political science, with a focus on Western political philosophy and its encounter with the East. Born and raised in Jinan, China, she is interested in the prospects of China's political reform. She has co-launched and organized panel discussions, lectures, and forums regarding Chinese politics together with the Chinese Economic Forum, the Chinese Undergraduate Student Organization, and the International Student Organization Political Council. As the China outreach chair for Building Bridges, she is eager to expand the horizons of the organization and deepen trip participants' knowledge of rural China's dynamics of reform and struggle. In her free time she reads extensively, watches tons of boring French movies, visits museums non-stop and sometimes dances with the beautiful people in Danceworks!
Lucy Wang (MC '15), Secretary
Lucy is an Environmental Studies major from Austin, Texas. In her free time, she loves to run, dance, and watch TV. She also regularly devotes herself to various types of service work. Spring break of 2012, Lucy had the wonderful opportunity to teach English in rural Yunnan, China. It was an eye-opening experience to see something other than the usual city lights. Through Building Bridges, she hopes to partake in fostering an even stronger connection within the Chinese culture.
Justine Yan (JE '14), External Relations (China)
Justine is a junior in Jonathan Edwards College majoring in architecture. Having frequently visited China throughout childhood (ten times!), she considers the southern coastal city of Guangzhou to be her "real" hometown. At Yale, she plans to study architectural preservation and urban design in the Chinese context and hopes to work in China upon graduation. She is excited to be a member of the Building Bridges board and a trip leader for the summer of 2012 because she has spent most of her time in coastal metropolises and is eager to learn more about rural Chinese life. The experience of teaching, living with, and befriending village residents promises to be fulfilling, eye-opening, and unforgettable.
Christina Wang (PC '15), External Relations (US)
Christina is a sophomore in Pierson College from Bellaire, Texas, and is a prospective Political Science, Economics, or Computer Science major. Her grandparents have lived with her family since she was young, so she grew up in appreciating all the beautiful nuances of Chinese culture and learning to speak Mandarin- albeit with a slight southern-China accent. Last summer, she had the wonderful opportunity to be a trip leader for the Building Bridges trip to Zaoyang, where she was influenced to think more about the very specific economic, political and social challenges that students and villagers face in modern rural China. She is excited to expand Building Bridges' presence across the country in order to raise awareness among college students who will eventually do something about these problems.
Andrew Ma (TC '15), Co-Campus Outreach
Andrew is a sophomore intending to double major in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and Psychology at Yale University. Growing up entirely in California but living in an area with a high Asian population, Andrew was exposed to Chinese tradition while never learning to read and write Chinese characters. Having only visited China twice when he was much younger, Andrew plans to go back during his college years and learn more about part of his culture and himself. In the foreseeable future, he will be building bridges between the hearts of Yalies and those of Chinese children.
Cynthia Chan (SM '15), Co-Campus Outreach
Cynthia is a New Yorker who can't find her way around Manhattan, a poet who paints, a bowler who wants to learn how to swim, an avid karaoke fan without vocal talents, and a potential biology major who enjoys psychology. Cynthia knew she wanted to be part of Building Bridges before she interviewed for Yale. BB combines three things she values most: children, service, and Chinese culture. In summer 2011, Cynthia taught English to underprivileged children in rural Taiwan. Somewhere between making lesson plans at 2 AM, riding mopeds among rice patties, and getting lost in night markets, she fell in love with the culture and experience. She gained so much more than she could ever teach in return, and that is what makes service and education so beautiful: memories and exchanges.
Peter Zhan (CC '15), Treasurer
Peter is a sophomore majoring in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He served as one of the trip leaders for Building Bridges’ Spring 2013 trip to Fujian province and was deeply moved by his experience with the local students. He is excited to be a part of Building Bridges and looks forward to strengthening cultural connections between the United States and China. Peter grew up in a suburb of San Francisco, where he developed an interest in the sciences and in music. Since his senior year of high school, Peter has been very interested in learning more about the Chinese culture and language.
