CAIS

The following are updates from some of our graduates and former students. Individuals are listed by the last year they attended CAIS.

Class of 1991

Garrick SooHoo
(Thurgood Marshall Academic High School; University of Southern California; University of California, Irvine, Major: Violin Performance)

Garrick is currently working on a graduate certificate in violin performance at the University of Southern California. “My current interests are martial arts, working out, running, reading, cooking and watching the latest summer flick.”

Class of 1995

Megan Conley
(Chinese International School in Hong Kong; International High School; Boston College, Major: Sociology)

Megan is the first alumni to show her support for CAIS by returning to work as an employee! This year she was the school’s Development Projects Manager, managing and planning 25th anniversary events including the Autumn Moon Family Festival, the Founders’ Reception, the Chinese Language Conference, as well as the 25th Anniversary Gala. "I love having the opportunity to use Mandarin at CAIS."

Megan continues to work at CAIS as the Development Projects Manager at the Institute, organizing the 2nd Annual Chinese Language Conference, and developing sponsorships and programs for the Institute.

Class of 1997

Aleka Natzke
(International High School; University of Puget Sound, Major: International Political Economy)

Aleka is the Assistant Property Manager at Fox Plaza, working for Colliers International San Francisco. She uses her language skills with Mandarin-speaking tenants in her building. "In the future, I would like to be transferred to China to work in the same field. I am still in touch with many of my former classmates from CAIS and am proud of how successful CAIS graduates are!"

Jessica Yen
(Henry M. Gunn High School; University of California, Berkeley, Major: Chinese Language and Literature)

Jessica is a Project Coordinator for Young Asian Women Against Violence at the Community Youth Center. She works primarily with low-income and recently immigrated Chinese-American youth in a leadership development program dedicated to the positive empowerment and development of young women in San Francisco, and to the reduction of violence against Asian girls and young women. "It is really amazing to be able to relate to the kids on multiple levels, and I am grateful for my bilingual, bi-literate, bicultural background because it has allowed me to build a much stronger relationship and level of trust with them."

Maikiko James
(St. Ignatius College Preparatory; New York University-Tisch School of the Arts, Major: Dramatic Writing)

Makiko is currently a Program Developer at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach.

"Although I feel dedicated to my work in the non-profit sector, I am still actively pursuing a career in acting and dramatic writing. I have taken multiple classes at different Bay Area artistic organizations including Intersection for the Arts and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. I would like to successfully merge my interests of social justice and performing arts on a level accessible and influential to the mainstream."

"My next play, Viaticum: a Farce in Ten Fits, opens at Live Oak Theatre in Berkeley the third week of August. I will wrap shooting for my first commercial for HSBC bank at the end of this week. I am also producing an event entitled With These Voices: The Art and Expression of Women in Resistance , which will take place September 15. CAIS is where I first discovered my love for performance. I'm so grateful for the multiple Christmas shows and choral concerts all the students take part in. I'm also especially grateful to former English teacher Nitza Agam."

Class of 1998

Clifford Chen
(Lowell High School; University of California, Santa Barbara, Major: Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting)

Clifford is currently working for CMP Technologies as an online marketing specialist. His hobbies include playing and watching basketball, and listening to music.

Kristin Eng
(Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory; Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Major: Visual Communications)

Kristin enjoys art, fashion and traveling. "Taiwan and China are the places I travel to most often because I am still able to speak, read and write Chinese. CAIS instructors definitely taught me well!" Kristin is currently living in Los Angeles working as a freelance make-up artist & fashion coordinator. She plans to move back to San Francisco soon.

Class of 1999

Lauren Lewis
(San Domenico High School; Wellesley College, Major: East Asian Studies with a concentration on Japan)

Lauren is currently an Assistant Language Teacher in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. After the JET Program she aspires to obtain an M.A. in Japanese language studies. In her free time Lauren enjoys reading and going to the movies. She also has fond memories of the years she spent at CAIS: “I remember having fun and having a great learning experience. Without it I would not be the same and I wouldn't change it for the world."

Tatiana Natzke
(Convent of the Sacred Heart High School; The George Washington University, Major: Chinese Language and Literature)

After graduating from The George Washington University in December, Tatiana became the second alumna to return to CAIS to work. She works on internal communications at the school, including publications and the Thursday Flash. She also is involved in the Institute, assisting with special projects, such as the Chinese Language Conference.

"An intimate knowledge of Chinese language and culture gave me a unique perspective when it came to both work and school. I was delighted to become a part of the CAIS team this year and to join in the 25th anniversary celebrations. I am proud to see that CAIS continues to take the initiative when it comes to English/Mandarin bilingual education. It only seemed natural that as I moved home to San Francisco after graduating, I would also join the CAIS community, which has always been especially close to me and my family."

Tatiana is applying to Ph.D. programs for art history, specializing in Chinese Buddhist art.

Katrina Soo Hoo
(Lowell High School; University of California, Davis, Major: Music/Piano Performance)

Katrina is moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts in the fall to attend the Longy School of Music (M.M. in Piano Performance). She enjoys learning foreign languages (Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and German), running and practicing Hapkido, and learning about music. "I love performing piano and sharing music with others, and I want to be able to continue to do so for as long as I can. Learning about Chinese language and culture at CAIS definitely helped me appreciate other languages and cultures to a high degree. Activities at CAIS were fun and educational, but they also created a strong bond between me, my teachers, and fellow classmates because they were interactive. I attended CAIS from PreK through 8th grade, and I feel very fortunate that I was able to grow up in such a caring environment."

Samantha White
(University High School; Washington University in Saint Louis, Major: Comparative Arts)

Samantha plans to move to New York in the fall to pursue a career in journalism. She enjoys writing, reading and spending time with friends.

Class of 2000

Kevin Eng
(Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory; University of California, Davis, Double Major: Chinese and Communication)

Kevin is the Chinese Academic Peer Advisor at U.C. Davis as well as a Chinese language tutor. He is passionate about languages, and is fluent in English, Chinese, and Spanish. He is also learning American Sign Language. "CAIS has made a huge impact on my endeavors. If I was able to go back in time and spend another 9 years at CAIS, I would. CAIS rocks!"

Class of 2001

Alexandra Nguy
(San Francisco University High School; University of Southern California, Double Major: Fine Arts and Communication) Alex is currently in Phnom Phen, Cambodia, participating in a volunteer project called SEALnet.

"I'm leading workshops on performing arts promotion and journaling for students from Cambodian Living Arts and local high schools. The project will culminate in two outreach concerts open to the public."

Weike Lu The CAIS community mourns the loss of Weike Lu, Class of ’01. Weike passed away suddenly on July 5, 2007 and is survived by his loving parents. Weike’s classmates remember him as a prankster with a great sense of humor who really enjoyed his years at CAIS. At the time of his death, Weike was attending UC Santa Barbara. He will be missed by all of us at CAIS, and especially by his many CAIS friends.

Class of 2002

Stephanie Nevins (Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory; Stanford University, Major: Biology) Stephanie is an intern at First Fireworks Entertainment, Inc.

"I love to travel. Most recently I've visited Egypt, Brazil, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is something that has shaped me and really made me passionate about improving the community on an international scale. Beyond travel, I love to relax, spend time getting to know my family and friends, ski, watch musicals, and see comedy shows. I have recently become very interested in the outdoors, specifically backpacking, and I reached the summit of Mt. Whitney this summer for the second time. It was an amazing experience. Currently, I am a student pilot, hoping to get my license shortly.

"Studying at Stanford has made me realize that there are so many different career paths and opportunities to improve the world. Currently I am double majoring in biology and economics."

Class of 2004

Kyle Rothstein
(Jin Cai High School, Shanghai)