Academic Teachers

Ms. Lynne Lim

English Reading & Writing

Ms. Lynne Lim has been an English Language teacher for over 20 years. Her professional history includes working with students from different cultural backgrounds in various primary and secondary schools in Singapore and the United States. She has taught English to students from different countries, e.g., Malaysia, China, France, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States. She is currently teaching SAT English, Reading Comprehension and Writing Courses to students from Grades 5-12. Her SAT English class helps her students build a strong foundation in Reading and Writing to feel well-prepared and confident in taking the SAT when they are ready.

Mr. Ollie Hardy

STEM & Math

Mr. Ollie Hardy is a MCPS Technology Teacher who loves what he does. Throughout his 17 year teaching career, Ollie has taught a variety of courses including Engineering, Game Design, Web Design, Lego Robotics & Computer-Aided Drafting Design. Mr. H (as his students call him) has taught grades 6-12 at a variety of Middle Schools and High Schools in Montgomery County. He currently is a 6th grade Computer Science Teacher at Silver Creek Middle School.

Art Teachers

Mr. Alexander Hearn

DIY Arts & Crafts

Alexander Hearn is currently an undergraduate at the University of Maryland College Park in their computer science major. He is studying cybersecurity where he has found to have a passion for programming and out-of-the-box thinking. He currently works tutoring math and programming where he enjoys making learning simple and fun while enforcing understanding of sometimes quite complex material.

Ms. Jasmine Joyce

Visual Arts & Performance

Ms. Jasmine Joyce has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and has also studied Performing Arts, Journalism, Women’s Health, and various fields in social justice. She is also an art teacher, swim coach, group fitness instructor, and published model and actress. She is planning on pursuing her PhD in the near future. Ms. Joyce also has experience working as an extended day school director, elementary school teacher, art teacher, and afterschool teacher. She is excited to join CCACC Academy as an Afterschool Manager. Her favorite thing about CCACC is “the opportunity to work with wonderful students and watch them grow and develop into confident, self-sufficient learners and future leaders!”

 

In 2016 her portrait, photographed by Joseph Giitter, received a merit in the Maryland Professional Photographer Association competition. In 2019, she competed in the USA Maxim cover girl contest and reached the semi-finals, while helping to raise funds and awareness for the Homes for Wounded Warriors Foundation and National Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Jean YC Hsu

Chorus Conductor

After graduated from the University of Maryland (UMCP) with a major in piano performance and a minor in voice performance, Ms. Hsu continued her study at the Catholic University of America (CUA). She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestra conducting.

She was the conductor of Chinese American Music Society Orchestra for 9 years, included the 15th anniversary concert at the Kennedy Center and the 20th anniversary concert featuring violinist Cho-Liang Lin and soprano Yun Deng. She also worked as the assistant conductor and chorus mistress of the Summer Opera Theater Company in Washington DC for 8 years.

Beside her professional career, Ms. Hsu is an acclaimed music educator. She was a piano teacher at the Lavine School of Music (Washington DC) and the chairperson of Maryland State Music Teacher Association piano concerto competition. She also founded the JinHua Children’s Chorus for ages 4-17 and taught children and youths to sing since 1990.

She loves to spend time with children, leading them to learn and enjoy music

Chinese Mandarin Teachers

Ms. Jing Bai

Ma LiPing Chinese

Ms. Jing Bai has been teaching Chinese as a second language and as a heritage language for many years. Her student-centered instruction, integrating games, arts and crafts, and music, proves to be stimulating and inspirational for the students to learn Chinese language and culture. A good communicator and facilitator are the roles that she plays in her classroom.

Ms. Yihong Chen

Ma LiPing Chinese

As a winner of the teacher merit award from the association of Chinese schools in 2016, Ms. Yihong Chen is a very experienced instructor and professor in Chinese and biology related areas, She has taught Chinese to students in various contexts and at different levels continuously since 2003. Her students come from all different cultural backgrounds and age groups. In order to engage them in class, she effectively implements different teaching methodologies and techniques, including storytelling, debates, games, etc . Yihong is also good at communicating with her students and her students enjoy sharing their ideas with her. Her classes are always highly appreciated by the students and their parents.

Ms. Afang

Ma LiPing Chinese

Ms. Afang graduated from a domestic university with a bachelor’s degree. She once worked in the outreach department of the domestic “Overseas Chinese Business Daily” and participated in the compilation of local industry corporate culture books. After coming to the United States, she worked as a teacher in a Chinese school for nearly 10 years. In 2017, after studying and passing the exam, she obtained the “Chinese Language Teacher Certificate” in the United States. Ms. Afang is devoted to the teaching and dissemination of overseas Chinese culture out of her love for Chinese culture. She is serious and responsible, patient and meticulous, good at teaching, and diligent in management. She loves children and is willing to work with parents and children to contribute to the revitalization of Chinese culture overseas.

Ma LiPing Chinese

Mr. Roger Chen

Chinese for Non-Heritage Learners

Mr. Roger Chen has worked as a teacher for over 33 years. Roger has a firm belief that Education needs to take root. After Graduating from the National Changhua Normal University in Taiwan, Roger sought to understand grass-roots Education. Roger has taught at every level of Education and received numerous awards, one of which was:(2017) Won the Rotary International 3480 Regional 2016-17 Thank You Letter – (International Rotary Youth Exchange Students’ Tutoring Chinese Language Teaching Work, Promote Cultural Exchange, Specially Awarded Thank You Letter B Paper. )”

Future Leader Teachers

Pending

Movement Teachers

Ms. Jie Zhang

Gymnastics Teacher

Ms. Jie Zhang is a former member of the Chinese National Gymnastics Team and a national level coach and judge. She won the first champion of individual asymmetrical bars and team competition in China’s National Gymnastics Competition. She worked as a judge in the US Gymnastics Cup in 1999 which the Chinese National Gymnastics Team was attending. Currently Jie works as a gymnastic coach at MarVaTots ‘n Teens Gymnastics Club in Maryland while teaching at CCACC Academy. Several of her US students have won first place in local competitions of balance beam and floor exercises, as well as all-around champion of individual gymnastics and team championship.

Mr. Serg Kharchev

Tennis Teacher

Mr. Serg Kharchev is a USPTA Certified Tennis Professional who earned a degree in Business Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore while on a 4-year Full Scholarship for Varsity Tennis. In 2019 Serg won the Mid-Atlantic Conference and played in the NCAA D1 National Championships! Serg directs most of the Junior and Adult programs at QOSTC. He enjoys working with all age groups and skill levels including many who are preparing to compete and actively compete in tournaments. Serg began his coaching career in 2014 working with top Ukrainian players (of all ages) and working with members of the Ukrainian National U12 Team. Before arriving from Ukraine in 2018, Serg competed in tennis at all age levels with numerous accomplishments: ranked in the top 3 for U12, U14, U16, and U18 including winning the Ukrainian Championship for U14 and U12. Serg was also a National Team member. From 2021-2022 Serg was an Assistant Tennis Coach of the Men’s and Women’s College Teams for Morgan State.

Multi-Interest Teachers

Ms. Dawn Covington

Learning to Cook/Visual Arts

Say “Hello!” to Ms. Dawn Covington, our Academy’s beloved creative arts and culinary instructor! Dawn has been teaching art for 25 years and has run several informal and formal cooking clubs and classes. She enjoys cooking for her kids and experimenting with new things in the art studio and the kitchen. She is excited to welcome hands-on learning and fun into The CCACC Afterschool Program.

Mr. Matthew Chesky

Chess

Mr. Matthew Chesky has years of experience teaching math, computer science, and chess at educational institutions. In addition to CCACC Academy summer camps, Matthew is also a popular math and STEM teacher at our Afterschool program. He holds an Associates Degree in Computer Science from Frederick Community College. Mr. Matthew Chesky is happy to bring his experience and expertise to CCACC Academy. In his free time he enjoys grand strategy games and game development.

Mr. Henry Dorbu

Multi-Interest

Mr. Henry Dorbu is currently doing an undergraduate in Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has been teaching STEM and humanities for many years in the MCPS area; with heavy emphasis on Chemistry and Math. Henry loves engaging students on how amazing STEM courses are. His hobbies include reading, watching foreign shows, and attending concerts. Outside of teaching, he is learning guitar, French, and Japanese. Henry is super excited to work with CCACC Academy while fostering curiosity and learning with the kids!

STEM Teachers

Mr. Simbisai Kahari

STEM

A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.F.A in Communication Arts, Mr. Simbisai Kahari has been passionate about STEAM & STEM education and has led CCACC Academy’s science and technology-related programs. In addition to teaching, Simbisai has painted and illustrated for over ten years, and designed (Graphic & Web Design) for the past three years. Simbisai currently resides in DC teaching robotics and technology. During his college years, Simbisai worked and educated at-risk youth at Elk Hill Farms and assisted in running and producing work out of the Hill Gallery.

Mr. Ollie Hardy

STEM & Math

Mr. Ollie Hardy is a MCPS Technology Teacher who loves what he does. Throughout his 17 year teaching career, Ollie has taught a variety of courses including Engineering, Game Design, Web Design, Lego Robotics & Computer-Aided Drafting Design. Mr. H (as his students call him) has taught grades 6-12 at a variety of Middle Schools and High Schools in Montgomery County. He currently is a 6th grade Computer Science Teacher at Silver Creek Middle School.

Mr. Pratyusha Mandal

JAVA

Ms. Pratyusha Mandal is a decorated high school inventor and first Robotics State Championship Participant. A few of them are 1st place Alliance winner and 1st place Inspire Award at FIRST Chesapeake – FIRST Tech Challenge and she has received the 1st place Robot Performance Award at FIRST Chesapeake, DMV region– FIRST Tech Challenge. Pratyusha has gained meaningful experience teaching Java Coding to our scholars this fall 2021 and has had prior experience teaching students scratch block-based coding.

Operations Coordinator

Ms. Jean Tso Li

Ms. Jean Tso has been working at Montgomery County Public Schools for 22 years. Her current jobs are the Westland Middle School Cafeteria Manager (full time), and the CCACC Academy Afterschool Program Operations Coordinator (part time). From 2011-2018, Jean worked part time as the Operations Coordinator of an academic learning center in Rockville, MD. Originally from Taiwan, Jean holds a B. Ed. from the National Taipei University of Education. She works hard to help provide the students with a safe and nurturing learning environment where they can study a wide spectrum of courses such as English and Math.