TEAM
Executives
Alice Sun, Chief Executive Officer & Head of Learning
Alice Sun is a tenured teacher, counselor, entrepreneur and social leader with expertise in bicultural and bilingual educational design. Alice has significant experience in both English and Mandarin language instruction, SAT & SSAT preparation, and instructing diverse ethnicities of students on American standardized testing and independent high school and college counseling services.
She previously taught at the North Haven Middle School and Foote School in New Haven and was co-founder and principle of the Yale Community Chinese School. Alice volunteered at and designed teaching programs with the aim to help these institutions expose their students to Chinese traditions and language, and thus promote mutual understanding between the two cultures.
Alice is also the owner of CCB Prep School in New Haven and two Kumon Math & Reading Centers. As founder of Asian Ivy Labs headquartered in the US and with multiple schools in China, Alice specializes in independent high school and college counseling services. Asian Ivy Labs and its partner institutions focus on innovative test preparation strategies and effective admissions counseling to help students enter top American high schools and colleges. In 2009, Alice created a partnership with Kaplan Test & Prep in New Haven, CT. Working together, they customized a program for international students which includes the iSAT course as well as TOEFL practice and listening skill exercises. In 2010, Alice established 3-years AP program in public high schools in China.
Since 2003, Alice has taken part in a community service endeavor at the CT Adopt Children Association in New Haven, CT. She coordinates special Chinese cultural events within the local community and works with the Chinese Student Association at Yale. In 2004-2005, Alice worked with the Yale-China Association, a nonprofit organization, to develop a program that brought teachers from Ningbo to Foote annually and allowed Foote teachers to travel to China. Through teaching and service, Alice helped promote understanding and appreciation between Chinese and American cultures. From 2001-2011, Alice has volunteered herself in special education program, she evaluated and follow up the candidates for Greater New Haven Area.
Alice received her B.S. in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University.
Justin Popp, Head of Counseling
Mr. Justin Popp offers fifteen years of Educational Consulting experience serving a broad assortment of international clientele. He has assisted over 5,000 students prepare for and gain admission to top US ("Ivy") colleges. In addition to his work with IvyEdge LLC, Justin maintains continuing duties with Admissions Committees at Cornell University and Duke University, for which he serves as Admissions Ambassador and as a Member of the Interview Committee.
Previously, Justin worked as an Educational & Admissions Consultant for Kaplan, Inc., a premier international SAT prep and college admissions company. Mr. Popp is currently President of his local Cornell Alumni Club, and is on the Board of Directors of the local Columbia and Duke Alumni Clubs as well. Justin is also a member of the Global Task Force on Global Alliances and Offices for Cornell's Graduate School of Management, and is Class Captain of his graduating Class of Columbia's School of International & Public Affairs. Further, Justin is a Member of both the Higher Education Consultants Association and the National Association of College Admissions Consultants.
Mr. Popp has attended five elite private colleges en route to earning five university degrees. He received his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Cornell University ("Ivy League"), where he co-led a First Place finish in the esteemed Cornell Management Simulation. He also received his Master's of International Affairs (MIA) in International Finance from Columbia University ("Ivy League"), where he was an Associate Editor with the Journal of International Affairs.
Mr. Popp studied law at Duke University ("New Ivy") and the University of Pennsylvania ("Ivy League"), receiving his Juris Doctor (JD) from Duke, where he participated on the Student Admissions Panel. Further still, Justin has completed graduate coursework in Applied Science at Harvard University ("Ivy League"). Mr. Popp received his BA in English Writing (Poetry Track) and BS in Psychology (BioScience Track) at the University of Pittsburgh, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Dual Departmental Honors and was a Chancellor’s Research Fellow at the University Honors College.
Justin is also an accomplished poet and scientist. His poetry has been published by Pearl Literary Magazine as well as the Three Rivers Review and Duke Law Magazine. In addition, his research on a mathematical model of human sensory adaptation was published as part of a larger study in the esteemed journal, Physiology & Behavior. Earlier in his career, Mr. Popp worked in myriad capacities with Wall Street "Bulge Bracket" firms, including Salomon Smith Barney (Global Equity Research) and Merrill Lynch (Middle Markets).
Marybeth Hodson, Head of Private School Admissions
Marybeth Hodson brings to Asian Ivy Labs her experience as a Senior Associate Admissions Director and Coordinator of International Admission at one of Connecticut's prestigious college preparatory boarding schools (referred to as "prep"schools). She was instrumental in assisting students from China and Korea to enroll in the school. Marybeth has an extensive knowledge of New England prep schools, developed through her role as an admissions representative and as the parent of three prep school educated children. She has a keen sense of what academic profiles and attributes prep schools are looking for. Her intimate knowledge of these schools allows Asian Ivy Labs to help students identify schools that best suit them; schools where they will excel. Her experience in knowing what admissions officers are looking for presents unique advantages to students who are clients of Asian Ivy Labs. Marybeth will work with each student to assess their academic and language strengths, identify extra curricular activities, refine their personal statement as well as consult on various ways to enhance each student's application. Mrs. Hodson is a native English speaker, who works with Asian Ivy Labs students to coach them on interviewing skills to best prepare them for their admission interview. She will compile a complete profile to help our students apply to the most competitive boarding schools. She brings to Asian Ivy Labs her perspective on life in a boarding school which she communicates to our students to help them prepare for the transition to living in the USA and for some students living away from home for the first time.
Mrs. Hodson holds a BA from Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont and a Master's Degree in Psychology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She has worked as a national trainer for a US Government job training program. Additionally, she worked for Educational Training Programs in Windsor, CT. Mrs. Hodson has a passion for Women's Lacrosse, having founded a successful local youth program and coaching for a competitive boarding school program. She is on the Board of Directors of The Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation, a chapter of US Lacrosse. She has coached hundreds of girls in her 10 years as a lacrosse coach. Marybeth has experience in fundraising and development.
Ming Yuan, Chief Operating Officer & Programs Director
Graduated from the Renmin University Business School in China, Ming earned a B.S. in Commodity Science in 1982. Thereafter, she has led a distinguished professional career in business, the arts and most of all, education! Ming is a professional member of IFT and RCA and also holds a diploma in Database & Web Development.
Ming has worked with Asian Ivy Labs, Inc. for two years, her role includes Chief Operating Officer for all of our US based American College and secondary school SSAT/SAT/TOEFL Test Prep programs, ESL programs, Ivy Academy after-school tutoring programs; coordinating of the arrangement the campus tours and admission interview schedules for the students from China; Guiding the translation and editing the student essay and recommendation letters, coaching the mock interviews for the new students and coordinating the admission of overseas applicants. She has helped the CEO on recruiting and interviewing the new teachers/tutors, arranging College Admission Preparation Seminars in several local Chinese schools and managing the office routine operation in US. As the director of our Summer/Fall Programs holds in our US headquarter, she coordinates the designs of the curriculum of SAT/SSAT courses, daily schedule, assisted the developers on the teaching and test materials researches and editing, supervises the program.
Ming Yuan is a passionate and dedicated Chinese language educator, she taught the Chinese language program at Choate Summer School in 2010; In addition, Ming was on the Board of Directors, Vice Principal for Enrichment programs of local Chinese school; And she is current CSL Chinese language instructor of the Southern Connecticut Chinese School. She worked with the committee of SCCS - SCSU on the collaboration on the language and cultural exchange events, seminars, Chinese New Year Gala shows.
Ming Yuan has strong leadership skills and community service experience. Upon immigrating to Canada, Ming became Executive Director of the Ottawa Oriental Dance Troupe as well as the Founder and First Director of the Ottawa Oriental Chorus. She was also a Member of the Board of Directors in the Ottawa Chinese Community. Her fundraising work for the Flood Disaster in China in 1991 earned her an Award of Distinction from the Chinese Embassy of Canada. After moving to the USA, as an experienced Chinese dancer, Ming taught Chinese folk dance in Columbus, Ohio and New Haven, Connecticut. Ultimately, she founded the Butterfly Chinese Dance Ensemble at Yale in 2003, and, as the Artistic Director, organized many dance performances at Yale University ("Ivy League"), and the University of Connecticut (Public Top 25), Connecticut College (Top 40 Liberal Arts College) and Peabody Museum. Her dance ensemble also performed at the NYU ("New Ivy") , The Asian Heritage Festivals in New York and several local public libraries. Since 2006, Ming has worked with FCC-CT to organize the Chinese New Year celebration events each spring to share the Chinese cultural with those adopted Chinese kids.
Ming is also an accomplished vocalist and music concert manager. She is the member of the New York Vocal Artists Research Center; Ming has also worked with famed pianist Jian Liu from Yale School of Music on a series of recitals titled "From East to West: Classic Vocal and Piano Music". This concert has been performed for many senior centers in Essex, Hamden, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, Southbury, Southington and West Hartford, Connecticut, USA. She enjoyed sharing the delighted music to those seniors. And, Ming has been the co-producer and Chief Director of "Yale Chinese Cultural Night Gala" for past five years, her expertise on the event planning, strategies, exception, fund-raising method has helped the Yale Chinese students to bring the spectacular cultural event to the great Yale-New Haven community year after year. In May of that year, Ming was named "Person of the Week" for her devoted arts and community service by the Shoreline Publishing local newspaper. Her multi-talents, leadership skills and community networks would be a plus on guidance our students on extracurricular developments.
Nahin Jorgge, Senior Counselor
Nahin Jorgge comes to Asian Ivy Labs after working for the NJ SEEDS Program at St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware where he served as a Counselor, Advisor, and Teacher for 7th and 8th grade students. A graduate from Yale University and Phillips Exeter Academy, Nahin has tutored and graded college-level courses, taught examination-prep classes, and coached various extracurricular activities. At St. Andrews School he taught a SSAT Verbal and Math class six days a week and led the curriculum design for a future SSAT exam course compiling 150 pages of written materials. During this time he also taught two elective courses, supervised 200 students, personally advised 20 students, and monitored student progress on an educational database. He coached soccer and crew.
With Asian Ivy Labs, Nahin taught the fall semester SAT/SSAT writing classes, tutored international students in English, Spanish, World History, Biology, SSAT, and TOEFL preparation, conducted teacher interviews for positions in China, coached students during mock admission interviews, wrote the company’s promotional materials, edited student essays, formatted and edited musical material for students, and proofread recommendation letters for applications.
Not only does Nahin have a solid educational background, but he also has worked and mentored with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. He serves on Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University’s Alumni fundraising committee. He has extensive travel and language experience and spent a semester at Peking University. He enjoys playing soccer and basketball, dancing salsa, and building puzzles.
Lindsay Barbee, New Business Development & Marketing Strategist
Lindsay Barbee attended The Webb Schools, a well-known boarding school in the US, and graduated from Yale University, where she studied Consumer Behavior and Behavioral Economics. As a Bulldog Ambassador at Yale, she gave presentations about the university and its financial aid offerings, to low-income students in the southern California area. After graduation, she also conducted alumni interviews for applicants. She is familiar with the secondary school and university application process and has the perspective of both student and college consultant. She also has experience teaching ESL to students from Mexico, Korea, and China, as well as developing skills in public speaking, writing, SCAT, SSSAT, SAT and TOEFL. Before joining Ivy Labs in 2011, she worked on domestic and international marketing teams in global advertising agencies as well as in the operations department in the subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company. Professional experience in marketing and education coupled with a semester with Asian Ivy Labs’ affiliate in Hong Kong, has allowed Lindsay to supplement her business experience with a cultural awareness that allows to her to be a productive part of Asian Ivy Labs’ continued success.
Stephen Wilmarth, AP Program Director in China
Stephen Wilmarth is an educator, writer, international conference speaker, and specialist in curriculum design for a global knowledge economy. Stephen is a contributing author to the acclaimed book on developing curriculum for 21st century learning - Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World, (edited by H. H. Jacobs and published by ASCD) in which he describes five major socio-technology trends that will transform learning communities over the next several years. Steve is the founder of New School Student Ambassadors, Inc., a non-profit organization providing educational and cultural exchange programs for students in the US and northwest China. His projects have included developing participatory learning communities in northwest China, and operating student and teacher exchange programs between Chinese and US university students using project-based curriculum and innovative social media tools.
Stephen's unique combination of international experience in curriculum design, world cultures and languages; his research and writings concerning the rising use and deployment of digital social learning communities; and his active development of creative public-private partnerships that advance the use of new pedagogical practices, technologies, and social media applications in learning and teaching, provides him with a broad perspective and insight into the future of learning and teaching in the 21st century.
Kenne Ruan, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Ruan is a Certified Public Accountant ("CPA") in the US and also has offices in Haidian District, Beijing. Mr. Ruan brings decades experience in managing the finances of several large institutional clients in the US and abroad; including Pitney Bowes and GE Capital and offers the perfect accounting bridge between US and China accounting and tax regulations. Kenne is also the long-time partner of CEO Alice Sun. Mr. Ruan earned his BA in English and American Literature from Wuhan University and his MBA in Accounting from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, USA.
Counselors & Teachers
Roger Pao
Mr. R.C. Pao speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently and is skilled at editing and giving advice on personal statements and resumes to high school students of Chinese descent. Mr. Pao graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School ("Ivy League"), where he received his Juris Doctor (JD) degree, and summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University ("New Ivy"), where he received a BA in political science and history. At Duke University, he graduated with distinction in political science, received the Sirena WuDunn Memorial Scholarship from the Duke University Asian/Pacific Studies Institute, and wrote his senior thesis on the politics of Chinese-American poetry.
An experienced and hard-working editor, Mr. Pao served on three law journals at Harvard Law School and as editor-in-chief of The Harvard Law Record - the oldest law school newspaper in the United States. In addition, he served as an assistant editor for The Paper Journey Press - a small independent press that publishes literary fiction and various works in other genres.
In his spare time, Mr. Pao enjoys mentoring and community service activities. He has served as a mentor to foreign students in Harvard Law School's JD-LLM host student program and the Boston Lawyers Group's mentoring program. Through a clinical at Harvard Law School, he has worked with low-income women of color who have experience with psychiatric conditions on legal and psychological issues to empower them to initiate positive changes in their lives and communities. In addition, he has served as a volunteer English as a Second Language (ESL) basic skills tutor and volunteered his time and energy to a nonprofit animal rescue organization.
Cynthia Wang
Cynthia is currently studying for her Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Harvard University ("Ivy League"). She also holds a B.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University (2000) ("New Ivy") and a Master's in Public Policy from Duke University (2005) ("New Ivy"). The essay that Cynthia wrote as an undergraduate for the Elie Wiesel National Essay in Ethics Contest won a semi-finalist standing (this meant that Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel himself read her composition).
Cynthia also won a Fulbright Fellowship (2005-2006) to study political science in the post-Soviet Baltic region. Her research challenged the traditional thinking that nations behave like 'rational agents' when considering which political and economical orientations to adopt. Cynthia was a writing tutor as an undergraduate, and upon graduating she traveled across the Atlantic to teach conversational English, English grammar and American literature as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine.
As a Master's student, Cynthia worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to analyze how schools and school curricula contributed to the civil unrest found in seven post-conflict societies: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Guatemala.
Mandy Xu
A member of Harvard's ("Ivy League") Class of 2009, Mandy was born in China. She studied for her SATs the summer before senior year of high school and scored a perfect 1600. At Harvard, Mandy studied Economics with a minor in Government. She also took advantage of opportunities to cross-register for graduate-level classes at MIT ("New Ivy") and Harvard Law School. Outside of class, she was involved with a variety of extracurricular organizations, such as the Harvard College Democrats, the Harvard Investment Association, and with a non-profit startup run by 6 Harvard Business School graduates. During her summer breaks, she backpacked around Europe, interned at a hedge fund in London and at a major investment bank in New York, and volunteered in rural India as an English teacher.
Mandy's passion for teaching began in high school, where she volunteered as a peer tutor at school and also worked part-time on weekends as a private tutor. While at Harvard, she also worked for the Bureau of Study Counsel tutoring courses in Economics and Math. Furthermore, she trained and worked as a SAT tutor for a private test prep company based in Cambridge, MA.
Jonathan Cho
Jonathan Cho graduated from Harvard College ("Ivy League") with an honors degree in Social Studies in 2008. Â While in college, he completed a summer intensive course at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College ("Ivy League"), and worked as a summer intern in the Global Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley. Despite this business experience, Jonathan's primary interest remains in education. This interest took shape when he took a year-long break from college to work as a teacher in San Francisco, where he worked as a private SAT tutor for Connexion Tutoring, an SAT I instructor for Revolution Prep, and a full-time middle school math teacher at the Notre Dames des Victoires School over the course of the year. Â Jonathan pursued this interest further upon graduating, when he decided to move to Korea to work as an English language teacher and SAT instructor in Seoul.
Danny Jacobs
Since graduating from Stanford University ("New Ivy") after serving as Class
President in 2001, Danny has built an estimable career in tutoring and college
admissions. He has worked for Kaplan and Princeton Review as an SAT tutor
while also editing and counseling thousands of students through the harrowing
college admissions process over the last ten years. In addition, Danny has
found success in the entertainment industry as an actor, writer and director.
Danny has appeared in numerous studio and television projects including NBC's
The West Wing. Most recently, Danny wrote and directed the Magnolia Pictures
release,
Ian MacKenzie
Ian MacKenzie, after graduating from Harvard ("Ivy League") in 2004, with a degree in English, taught public high school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for two years. In addition to teaching junior and senior English, he helped students navigate the SAT and the college application process. He has worked in admissions counseling since 2001, when he began working with clients online to improve their college, graduate school, and professional school admissions essays. After leaving teaching in 2006, he has worked full-time in admissions essay counseling, with several different companies across a wide range of services. This work has included remote counseling with clients abroad, as well as teaching classes on the college essay and working with clients one-on-one.
Elizabeth Picker
A graduate of Yale University ("Ivy League") with a BA in Anthropology, Liz Picker is an experienced editor, writer, tutor and SAT prep teacher. Liz is the recipient of a number of awards in creative writing, and has studied the craft of writing both at Yale and at several independent workshops. As a result of this extensive experience in formal writing workshop settings, Liz is also a very experienced editor who excels at aiding writers to realize their clearest and most refined prose.
Liz is a fully trained and certified teacher with the Princeton Review SAT preparation company, for which she has taught and tutored Math, Verbal and essay writing for a variety of skill-levels. Liz is an opera singer and actress who has studied with nationally renowned figures in the field. This training has enriched her with the keen sense of dramatic and comic timing so essential to fostering essays which are not merely clear but distinctive, memorable and persuasive.
Liz's education in Anthropology has included specific study in the cultures of Japan, China and the United States, and has left her with a special cultural sensitivity which is so imperative to editing the essays of international students.
Liz is extremely familiar with the topmost tier of the American University system, having personally toured and researched a diverse array of schools of a range of sizes, curriculums and strengths. Liz’s extensive background in the college admissions process ensures that each student passing her desk will present him or herself in the most compelling way possible. Liz is committed to helping each student she works with to find the school which will be the most inspiring to his or her personal and intellectual growth.
