Meet the team
our experienced staff
With more than 20 years experience leading exchange trips, our caring staff will do everything they can to ensure your student has a safe and memorable experience.
Eric Chipman
麦老师 | Director
Eric has a Master of Arts in World Language Pedagogy and is a certified secondary teacher of Chinese and ESL. He has a Chinese ACTFL proficiency rating of Advanced-High and has worked in the field of Chinese language education for his entire career. Mr. Chipman is a highly regarded classroom teacher with experience teaching 3rd-5th grade Chinese Dual Immersion, as well as middle and high school language courses.
Outside of the classroom, Eric was an Assistant Director for the Utah Chinese DLI Program, the Associate Director of the University of Utah Confucius Institute, and the Chief Education Officer for Mandarin Matrix, an international Chinese education company. Mr. Chipman is a widely respected Chinese teaching mentor and teacher trainer. Over the last decade, Mr. Chipman has helped lead many curriculum development and publishing projects purchased and used daily by learners around the world. He has guided many student groups and school administrator delegations to China.
For 13 years, Eric has either directed or taught in a variety of Chinese STARTALK programs and summer camps. He is also an Eagle Scout and lifelong outdoor enthusiast. He has volunteered as a Scout Master to a Chinese heritage scout troop and other youth groups, guiding dozens of outdoor expeditions for teens. He is a certified First-Responder, Life Guard, and Climbing Wall instructor.
MARTY CHEN
陈老师 | Director of Education
Marty Chen has worked as a lead instructor with Gung Ho programs since 2021. She is a former Associate Instructor of Chinese at the University of Utah in the Department of World Languages & Cultures. With over two decades of experience in K–12 and university-level language education, Marty has taught across a wide range of grade levels, including leading roles in Utah’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs and concurrent enrollment courses.
She holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Weber State University.
Marty is a frequent presenter at national conferences such as ACTFL and STARTALK, and she has authored and contributed to several instructional resources, including Chinese readers published by Cengage and Mandarin Matrix. Her work focuses on student-centered instruction, culturally responsive teaching, and enhancing language learning through community engagement.
She actively contributes to professional organizations including ACTFL, UFLA, CLASS, and NADSFL, and serves as a mentor for new world language teachers nationwide.
Brinn Bagley
毕老师 | Curriculum Designer & Camp Manager
Brinn has a BS in Elementary Education, a Masters Degree in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, with an emphasis on Instructional Design, and is an ERAFANS Certified Nature-Based Educator.
She has been involved with children and education her entire career: as an immersion kindergarten teacher in Guilin, China, an immersion AuPair in Spain, a camp counselor at an outdoor adventure camp for teens, a classroom teacher and curriculum developer in the Utah Chinese Dual Immersion Program, a classroom teacher in the Stamford American International School Mandarin Dual Immersion program in Singapore, a teacher trainer and curriculum developer for LinguaLearners Mandarin Immersion preschool, a private Mandarin tutor, and as a STARTALK summer camp teacher and teacher trainer. She fully believes in the magic of summer camp and prefers classrooms without walls.
Yalan King
关亚岚 | Program Advisor
As a program director, Yalan King has executed 20 successful STARTALK programs from 2008-2021 spanning elementary to high school student and teacher training programs and three Infrastructure Grants.
Previously she was President of Advocates for Chinese Education, who successfully initiated the first two San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Mandarin Immersion programs. She was recruited by the Chinese American International School, the nation’s first K-8 Chinese immersion school, to establish the Mandarin Institute. Additionally, she has been working with schools nationally for the last two years providing Chinese language curriculum and reading resources for the K-16 market. She is an avid traveler, explorer, and walker of her dog.
Macie Barney
倪老师 | Program Coordinator
Macie Barney is a dynamic program coordinator and Mandarin language specialist deeply involved in experiential language education with Gung Ho programs at the Helen Foster Snow Foundation. In these roles, she helps design and lead immersive Chinese language experiences that take students beyond the classroom—into real-world, community-driven learning environments across the U.S. and abroad.
Fluent in Mandarin and grounded in a deep respect for Chinese culture, Macie supports youth exchange programs, cross-cultural collaborations, and community events that foster meaningful people-to-people connection between the U.S. and China. She plays a central role in coordinating Gung Ho student delegations, creating curriculum for immersive learning, and guiding students through authentic language practice rooted in service, adventure, and cultural exchange.
Macie earned her degree in Asian Studies from Brigham Young University and has lived and studied in both Taiwan and mainland China. Her experience in translation, intercultural communication, and event facilitation makes her a trusted guide for students navigating transformative global learning experiences.
Heather Wilford
孔老师 | Program Coordinator & INtern
Heather is is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Chinese with a minor in Asian Studies at Brigham Young University. Over the past few summers, she has worked as a camp counselor and coordinator for Gung Ho Programs. Passionate about learning, travel, and building meaningful cross-cultural connections, Heather first discovered Helen Foster Snow in 2022 after coming across a BYU exhibit on her life. Inspired, she dedicated a semester-long research project to exploring Helen’s story, her impact on China, and her personal archives housed at BYU. Heather is excited to now contribute to Helen’s legacy through her work with the Helen Foster Snow Foundation.
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Camp Instructors and Counselors
Wanting Wang 王老师
Wanting Wang is currently a Mandarin Dual Immersion teacher and the Mandarin Lead in Gilbert, Arizona. She has taught for 7 years and has worked with students of many different ages. She received a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics with a TESOL certification and went on to receive a Master of Elementary Education from Arizona State University. Wanting has presented in ACTFL, NCLC, and AZLA focusing on teaching strategies to increase student engagement through collaborative learning, as well as on a summer dual language immersion program focused on teaching STEM in the target language. Additionally, Wanting participated in the 2017 and 2022 ASU Mandarin Startalk program first as a teaching assistant/residential advisor and then as the lead teacher and organized her own summer camp in her own school district to provide Mandarin enrichment opportunities to students outside of school. When not teaching, Wanting enjoys spending time with her family outside and traveling.
Enrique Rivera 安老师
Enrique Rivera is a middle and high school educator in Maricopa, Arizona, focused on teaching World Language. In addition to speaking Spanish, Enrique is also an Advanced-High level speaker of Mandarin Chinese. Enrique graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of TESOL and received his bachelor’s degree in English Linguistics with a Minor in Chinese. During his time studying at ASU he studied abroad in Chengdu, China, and since then worked as a program manager with ASU STARTALK programs and an instructor with Mandarin Institute Language in the Wild STARTALK program. In addition to learning about language, culture and society, Enrique also enjoys learning about himself through the practice of yoga, hiking, cooking, baking, boxing, and resistance training.
Ching-fen Huang 黄老师
Ching-fen Huang has over three decades of experience as an educator in the United States. She possesses a wide range of teaching experience from heritage schools to public high schools and universities, and has worked with all ages from toddlers to adults. Ching-fen is a trained Grader of Performance Assessment for California Teachers. She holds a B.A. in Business and M.A. in Teacher Education. Additionally, she graduated from the Leadership Program by Stanford World Language Program and has been involved in STARTALK since 2007.
Ching-fen is currently teaching AP Chinese, and Chinese 3 at George Washington High School in San Francisco. She also teaches a kindergarten class at Palo Alto Chinese School in Palo Alto.
Aside from swimming, biking, boating, camping, and many outdoor adventures, Ching-fen enjoys gardening during her leisure time. She and her garden were featured by the local CBS station in Spring 2022!
Meichun Lin 林老师
Meichun was born and raised in southern China where she would run between rice fields and fishponds in her childhood. She came to Idaho as an exchange student in 2012. The Rocky Mountains landscape seized her heart, and she became an outdoor fan who would go backpacking in spring, paddle boarding in summer, biking in fall and skiing in winter. She also enjoys gardening and studying wild edible plants. She is certified in CPR and First Aid since 2015, and Wilderness First Aid since 2018.
Meichun has led a variety of middle and high school
outdoor trips, from day hikes in local Idaho to week-long backpacking trips in southern Utah. Meichun has a BA in English (Foreign Affairs Translation and Interpretation), a MA in English (Cross-cultural Understanding) and MA in Education (Curriculum and Instruction).
She loves her job as a foreign language instructor which she’s held since 2007. She is certified to teach Chinese and English in Idaho and was selected as the Idaho “Rotary Distinguished Educator” in 2021. Currently she is a
Chinese teacher at middle, high school and college level in Boise, Idaho.
Lucy Sui 隋老师
Born and raised in Beijing, China, Lucy moved to San Francisco with her family in the year 2000. Currently she is teaching Chinese at the prestigious Chinese American International School in San Fransisco. She has enjoyed teaching Chinese to all age groups since 2004. She has a special talent in cultivating her students to become self-motivated learners. Her curiosity and energy to learn new things is infectious.
Lucy has participated in nine previous STARTALK programs and has a Master’s degree in Chinese linguistics from San Francisco State University. In her spare time, Lucy likes to be outside either walking, hiking, or running.
HsiuMei Yang 杨老师
With over a decade of elementary and middle school teaching experience in the Utah Chinese Dual Immersion Program, HsiuMei is currently teaching advanced 9th grade dual immersion courses preparing for the AP test, Chinese Media and Culture, and Chinese 1 & 2 world language courses. She is a dynamic and powerful teaching personality
Born in Taiwan, HsiuMei likes to go diving in the summer looking for corals, fish, and sea turtles. Since she has moved to Utah, she enjoys camping and biking in the national parks with her husband. Every fall, she loves to hike in the mountains enjoy the changing autumn leaves and soak in the mountain hot springs! HsiuMei is still trying to adapt to Utah winters, however.
Xin Chen 陈老师
Xin has been teaching Mandarin Chinese at Berkeley High School since 2006. She is a certified AP/IB instructor and I really enjoys working with young people and sharing the rich beauty of the Chinese language and culture. She also loves to explore nature and try the new things.
Chen Laoshi has successfully participated in STARTALK programs wi the Mandarin Institute since 2013. She has her BA in English and Masters degree in Education from Patten University.
Wenjing (Grace) Xie 谢老师
Grace is a DLI Program Coach at Tarwater Elementary School in Arizona. Prior to her position at Tarwater, she was the Curriculum Specialist at Arizona State University’s Confucius Institute for almost 10 years. At that position, she oversaw the development of curricula in fourteen K-12 Confucius Classrooms and conducted PDs for the Mandarin teachers across Arizona. She was also appointed as AP curriculum manager for an AP Linkages grant at ASU and served as Startalk lecturer at ASU Startalk Camp in the year of 2011 and 2013.
She enjoys traveling! Whenever she travels to a new place, she loves to explore the local cuisines and try out new things. As a mom with two boys, her weekend activities include hiking, biking, and traveling to different sport venues to attend games.