ABOUT
In 2019, a group of dedicated high school students at Saratoga High School (SHS) — located in the Bay Area — founded a student-led club called Aspiring to Create English (ACE).
Our organization's goal is to provide opportunities for students in need to enhance their English reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Over the school year, we connect tutors from SHS with students outside of the United States to improve their English while educating them about American culture and lifestyle. In the summer of 2020, we expanded worldwide with English panels over Zoom to discuss topics, such as culture, mental health, and environmental awareness, that are prevalent not only in the U.S., but all over the world.
The idea of the club originated from founder Anthony Qin's personal experiences in Yunnan, a rural province in China, where he taught underprivileged students English over a 10-day period. He witnessed first-hand the background of poverty the students came from and education's role in helping them succeed. Upon returning home, he established ACE in hopes of aiding students like those in Yunnan who need experienced English tutors to help them learn the universal language.
CURRENT TEAM 2023-2024
Anais Sobrier
Grace Liu
Tiffany Sun
PRESIDENT
Hi! I’m Anais (Ana-ees), a senior at Saratoga High. I've been a tutor since my freshman year, and I've met students from Palestine, India, and Japan. I currently meet with 3 students from Tokyo. I'm also ACE's translator for French, Chinese, and Spanish, as well as the founder of the European Tutoring Branch. As a former outreach officer, I created 30+ student-tutor pairs. I hope to keep expanding ACE's scope to support as many people as possible. As president, I oversee events, run club-wide and officer-only meetings, and connect with schools abroad.
Arthur Wang
TREASURER
Hello! I’m Arthur, and I am a junior at Saratoga High, and I am the treasurer for ACE. I joined ACE during my freshman year, and I have been tutoring a student that transferred from Taiwan to our school for the past year as well as a student in China. As treasurer, I'm excited to arrange events and fundraisers to spread our enthusiasm for learning and help ACE grow and reach a wider audience.
VICE PRESIDENT
Hi, I’m Grace Liu, a junior at SHS. I joined ACE as a freshman to learn more about international cultures and current events while educating others using my experience. For the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity of tutoring a Japanese student weekly. As vice president, I will aid the president in all aspects to improve communication, find new club opportunities, and provide the best experience for all tutors and tutees!
Kathy Wang
OUTREACH
Hi! I'm Kathy, a junior at Saratoga High and am currently acting as ACE's outreach. In the past year, I served as ACE's secretary, for which I wrote and kept track of club minutes. During my past year at ACE, I've tutored a Japanese highschool student every Saturday through Line. Currently, I am planning on tutoring two new tutees in the 2023-2024 school year. As ACE's outreach, my main goal is to organize and pair ACE tutors with international students in order to enhance the learning experience of both the tutors and tutees. Outside of ACE I enjoy running, listening to music, and watching TV shows.
SECRETARY
Hi! I'm Tiffany, a sophomore at SHS. Since September 2022, I have been tutoring a student from China, meeting every Friday night. During our weekly sessions, I provide support with my student's homework, with a primary focus on reading comprehension. We work together to improve general pronunciation, understanding of articles, and contemplate more in-depth comprehension questions. Apart from tutoring, I love reading both Chinese and English fiction books, as well as art. I am also bilingual, fluent in both Mandarin and English.
Willis Chung
CO-OUTREACH
Hi there! I'm Willis, a sophomore at SHS. English is my third language, and I joined last year wanting to help other kids like me improve their English skills. Since September 2022, I have been meeting with a Taiwanese student every Saturday through Beyond Horizon. As co-outreach, I'm responsible for reaching out to local ESL programs and pairing students up with a tutor. I am also establishing the brand-new pen pal system and Q&A platform (coming soon!). I’m looking forward to a fantastic year with you!
PUBLIC FEATURES
The Saratoga Falcon, Saratoga High School's Newspaper
https://www.saratogafalcon.org/content/ace-club-tutors-chinese-students-through-online-meetings
Noteworthy, Saratoga High School's 2020 Yearbook
