Originally from the United States, Patricia joined Léman in 2019 as the Special Education Needs Coordinator. Prior to moving to China, she worked in New York City in a number of roles, including classroom teacher, Special Education Liaison with the city’s Department of Education, and academic success coach. In addition to providing academic support to students at Léman, Patricia serves as the Primary School Counselor and has been filling in as a Year 5 homeroom teacher.
Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and moved to France to work as an English Language Assistant in middle and high schools in the Rhone Alpes region of the country. It was there that she discovered her enjoyment of working with learners of diverse backgrounds. She worked at an international school in Korea before returning to the US, where she earned her master’s degree in Special Education at Hunter College in New York City while teaching in the City’s public schools. This year she is taking classes towards earning her Math Specialist graduate certificate. At Léman, she has overseen the school’s Student Ambassadors club, which promotes the school to perspective families and welcomes new students and visitors to the campus.
Patricia is committed to educating the whole child, providing an environment in which they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially to reach their full potential. She strives to create an atmosphere in which students feel safe to take risks and to speak their minds in order to grow as learners and to develop skills that will serve them throughout their lives. In her free time, Patricia enjoys exploring Chengdu and China, cooking, yoga, and reading.