Cherrie Tian - GEC Program Coordinator & Director of Teaching Assistant Team

Believe it or not, the peak of the 2021 summer programs is finally passing. Oh my! How time flies. The past month has been like in a battlefield, luckily no casualty was taken. Jokes aside, I think the keyword for the past year is growth. This is not only true to me, but also my colleagues, our students, and our company.


I joined GEC Academy as an intern in May last year, and it has been a little over a year now. During the past year, I witnessed the burgeoning growth of GEC academy. I often hear my teammates who came earlier say: "Oh, at that time we only had a dozen classes a month." As if in a blink of an eye, we are handling 150 different types of classes a month and 40 programs a week. Such rapid growth stimulated our potentials, and our team handling capacity also increased simultaneously. Many of us changed our positions, some from intern to full-time staff, some to a more senior position, and some from student to TA.

Our communication skills also had a chance to develop. We would discuss the syllabus with professors with great interests; answer questions from students, actively participate in many activities, and so on. Oftentimes, I feel very lucky working with all the wonderful people around me.

I am also really grateful that I can become a coordinator in my early 20s. Now I am managing a TA team of over one hundred people. This is a really remarkable experience and unbelievable a year ago. I know there is still a lot to improve. I am yet to be a good leader, a supporter, and a tentative listener. I will need loads of support from my colleagues and teammates.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” I will continue growing with all of you and be the one I want to be, a good leader acknowledged by everyone. My journey continues with GEC, and I am certain it will be unforgettable.