Meet the trip leaders

2009 China leaders: Mike Levy and Julia Tong

JULIA TONG: Tufts University, B.A., magna cum laude, International Relations. While at Tufts, Julia spent two semesters studying in Beijing and in Hangzhou with the CET and CV Starr-Middlebury programs. During her year abroad she also served as a member of Tuft’s Engineers Without Borders in Tibet, building sustainable infrastructure projects and facilitating educational workshops on village health, sanitation, water quality, and technology. Her other volunteer experiences include mentoring recently immigrated Chinese high school students and initiating a series of educational programs on diversity, global resources, and the rise of China and India at Tufts. She has backpacked extensively through China photographing minority villages. This past year Julia co-founded the SAT Edge, a completely free SAT tutoring program based in Chinatown, New York, for high school students. Along with 6 other volunteers, Julia teaches SAT classes every Saturday at a local high school to a class of 30 students. She will be starting New York University Law School in the fall. This will be Julia’s second summer with Putney. She led this Global Action China program in 2008. Julia is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.

MICHAEL LEVY: Cornell University, B.A., magna cum laude, Philosophy; Columbia University, M.A.T., History. Mike has taught and traveled in Israel, Europe, and China. From 2005-2008, he and his wife served as Peace Corps volunteers in western China where they taught English and became Mahjiang fanatics. Mike was also on the Guizhou Provincial basketball team, earning the nickname "Shaq" despite being only 5'11''. Henry Holt and Co. will publish a memoir of his experiences in China in the fall of 2010. Before joining the Peace Corps, Mike taught U.S. History and American Literature at Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey. He is currently on the faculty at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. This will be Mike’s second summer with Putney. He led this Global Action China program in 2008. He is highly proficient in Mandarin.