Meet out Fabulous Team

This is only a partial list of the fabulous student volunteers that have added to our team. Some were high school students just interested in learning the language and assisting in the class. Many were recruited through Middlebury College chapter of Project Pengyou. Some are still studying at Middlebury College, many have since graduated and are on to bigger adventures in their lives. We are so grateful for their help over the years and owe so much. Thank you.

Our Story

Every website has a story, and your visitors want to hear yours. This space is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what your team does, and what your site has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want site visitors to know.

If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers, and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery, or video for even more engagement.

Project Pengyou Volunteers

Meet The Team

Kenneth Barkdall

Ken is a senior at Middlebury Union High School and has been helping with Middlingo from its inception. In addition to being an excellent student academically, he is also active in sports, music, and other extracurricular activities AND still finds time to study Chinese on his own.

Jacqueline Blinoff

Jacqueline is currently a sophomore at Middlebury college majoring in philosophy and economics. She also loves studying languages and is currently taking French and Chinese. Outside of class Jacqueline can be found at Model UN conferences or in the pool playing water polo. Although she's far from her home in England, she is loving the chance to get to know the Middlebury community.

Jack Carew

Jack is a senior comparative literature major and global health minor at Middlebury College. He loves languages, and studies Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin. He also likes to feed his whimsical interest in life sciences, and currently works in an organic chemistry lab investigating chemical methods used to bind proteins to special bioactive molecules. While not teaching with MiddLingo, catch jack planning TEDxMiddlebury, volunteering with Page One Literacy and Language in Motion, advocating for Palestinian liberation, or bouldering at the rock wall in the gym.

Lauren Ho

My name is Lauren Ho (何美慧) and I am a freshman at Middlebury this year. I am front Hong Kong but I studied abroad in Hangzhou during my freshman year in high school and went to boarding school in NH for 2 years. I started learning Mandarin as a second language since kindergarten. I love working with kids and taught Mandarin (and gymnastics!) to elementary students when I was in high school, and I'm excited to be taking Chinese again at Midd. I am hoping to major in education and psychology.

Mira Vance

My name is Mira Vance (冯曼漫), and I am a sophomore at Middlebury College. Inspired by my Taiwanese aunt, I began studying Chinese on and off in Elementary School, and, after falling in love with the language, began formally studying in Middle School and have been ever since. I have studied briefly in China twice so far, and plan to return for a full semester next Fall. I am excited to join the Middlingo team and share my passion with the community

Tina Cai

Hello! My name is Qiting Cai (蔡绮婷), and I am currently a freshman at Middlebury College. I was born and raised in a small city in Guangdong, China, where I grew up speaking Mandarin, Cantonese and a dialect from my hometown. I moved to Los Angeles during my freshman year of high school and found my passion for community service. Moving to Middlebury, I'm looking forward to serving such a welcoming community. I'm excited to join Midd Lingo and can't wait to meet everyone!

Sam Liang

Hello! My name is Huiming(Sam) Liang. I grew up in Guaungdong, China, and have moved to the US four years ago. I loved interacting with kids, which is why I joined Middlingo. In Middlebury, I plan to pursue a chemistry major with a philosophy minor. Outside of class, I like to play basketball, watch superhero movies and animes. I am very excited to talk to kids and spread Chinese culture through Middlingo!