Our Team

Sandy Zhao

Founder

I am Sandy, currently a second year at Queen’s University studying Health Sciences. I am super proud of what Inthinking Youth Club has accomplished in the past and I am excited to be working with our team in continuing to serve the community and extending our reach to those in need.

Joanna Yin

President

Joanna is a Grade 12 full IB student at Western Canada Highschool. She is a hard working student and enjoys learning at the fullest. Outside of school she partakes in a variety of extracurricular activities like Math, Chinese, and Violin. Her favorite subjects to learn about are Biology, Chemistry and Math. She has placed number 1 in her school Fryer math contest and achieved top five in many other contests like Gauss. During her spare time she enjoys coding, listening to music and hanging out with friends and family. She loves to help others and is incredibly excited to work with everyone!

Jiabei (Barry) Luo

Vice President

Barry is a Grade 12 IB student at Sir Winston Churchill High School. An avid lover of the natural sciences, he enjoys the exploration of mechanisms behind everyday life. Barry serves as an executive of his school’s BioChem club and directs STEM events for youth – he believes that learning and research is not an individual effort but a collaborative one. In addition, he participates in science competitions. He won a gold medal in the 2024 Canadian Biology Olympiad, 5th place in the 26th annual University of Toronto’s National Biology Competition. He was also invited to the 2024 Canadian Chemistry Olympiad training camp. Beyond the purely theoretical, Barry was selected for the 2024 Alberta Innovates HYRS Program, where he conducted biomechanics research at the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary. Outside school, Barry likes reading (he loves The Catcher in the Rye), debate, music, and stand-up comedy. To give back to the community, he regularly volunteers at senior homes and various events. Barry is very excited to be able to share his knowledge and passion!

Binhang Zhu

Vice President

Binhang Zhu is a graduate of both the Medical Science and Computer Science programs at the University of Western Ontario. He has been actively involved in community service since seventh grade, participating in various volunteer activities. Currently, he serves as a supervisor for the Chinese Emotional Support Hotline at Ecssen Career School. In addition to his supervisory role, Binhang enjoys teaching physics at Inthinking Youth Club, where he shares his knowledge and experience with young students to help them develop a deeper understanding of physics and foster their interest in science. As Vice President responsible for teaching both physics and chemistry, Binhang is passionate about science and deeply committed to contributing to the community.

Katherine Ni

Vice President

Katherine Ni is a Grade 12 IB student at Henry Wise Wood High School. She likes all subjects in school, with a preference for science and humanities. In her free time she likes to play chess, Go, and piano. Katherine volunteers for the Baptistic online organization as a piano teacher, and also participates in her school’s Linkages Program. She has received several certificates for CEMC competitions, and has won 3rd in the under 14 Kiwanis Music Festival in St. Johns, Newfoundland. Outside of school, Katherine enjoys swimming, skiing, and playing badminton.

Jeffany Jiang

Vice President

Jeffany is a grade 12 full IB student at Sir Winston Churchill High School. She is an active member of her community, currently serving as president for her school’s Interact Club, co-founder of an English tutoring program Socialingo, and a member of the environmentalist group ECF. Her favourite subjects are biology and math. Jeffany enjoys writing math contests, most recently making the honor roll for Waterloo’s Hypatia contest, is a member of her school’s debate team, and loves reading and listening to music.

Allen Guo-Lu

Director

Allen is a Grade 11 IB student at Western Canada High School. In June 2023, he placed 1st on the CJHMC from the University of Calgary, and was the provincial top scorer and national medalist in several math contests like Kangaroo Canada and CEMC, with honours in AHSMC Part II and many more. He frequently strives for excellence, with math and science subject awards from the GATE program, and is always ready to learn more in every subject, from physics to computer science. Aside from years of math tutoring experience, during his spare time, he loves to play volleyball, badminton, tenor saxophone, RCM piano, and many more fun activities. Allen always strives to help, inspire, and illuminate passion in younger students, and is looking forward to working with you to achieve your dreams in the future!

Stephen Yang

Director

Stephen is a Grade 11 student at Westmount Charter School who, despite not being enrolled in the IB program, pushes himself academically by taking AP courses and successfully self-studied three in the previous school year. Outside of academics, Stephen excels in swimming; during the summer, he trains rigorously as a competitive swimmer and has earned numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals at both provincial and regional levels. In addition to his swimming achievements, Stephen contributed to his school’s varsity basketball team, helping them secure the city championship. His debating skills are equally impressive—Stephen has won multiple tournaments and notably reached the semi-finals at a national competition.

Vivian Fang

Director

Vivian is a Grade 12 AP student at Ernest Manning High School with a strong interest in STEM, especially in math and chemistry. She has participated in several math contests, earning first place at her school. Vivian is also an active member of the Math Club and the Asian Club, where she enjoys connecting with others who share her passions. Outside of school, she is regularly involved in programs at the Calgary Public Library and volunteers at Wing Kei. She also loves to sketch and takes an art class once a week.

Ella Zhang

Director

Ella is a Grade 11 full IB student at Western Canada High School who is passionate about learning and contributing to her community. Her favorite subject is mathematics, and she loves the challenge and creativity involved in problem-solving. Over the years, Ella has participated in numerous math contests and has achieved distinctions in several CEMC contests. Outside of regular school work, Ella is committed to helping others excel in mathematics, seving as a math tutor both online and in-person at school to support younger students in building confidence and understanding in the subject. Ella is also an active member of her school’s Math Club, where she collaborates with like-minded students to explore cool math topics. Being an executive member of AI Club, she expands her knowledge of artificial intelligence and its real-world applications. Recently, Ella worked on a research project where she utilized machine learning models to predict emergency department stay times using a real healthcare dataset. Beyond academic pursuits, Ella also contributes to the Yearbook Club, capturing memories through photography and designing layouts that reflect her school community. During her spare time, she loves cooking and experimenting with new dessert recipes in her free time, although they are not so successful all the time. She also loves playing games like mahjong and Exploding Kittens, which provide a fun and relaxing break from her busy schedule. Ella looks forward to continuing to learn, grow, and make meaningful contributions to her community!

Luke Xiu

Director

Luke is a first year student at University of British Columbia. With top marks in his academic cohorts, he is passionate about spreading his joy for learning to others in his community. Luke was selected for the 2023 Alberta Innovates HYRS Program, where he conducted frontline research on coronaviruses at the University of Calgary and now serves as a member of one of the university’s most esteemed virology laboratories. He frequently participates in the CYSF and other science-oriented competitions, winning numerous awards for his accomplishments, including a recent gold medal at the Canadian Biology Olympiad. Outside academics, Luke engages in public speaking, where he has won several awards for his prose and impromptu speeches. He enjoys spending his free time on fine arts such as reading and playing the piano and is also an avid basketball player. Luke looks forward to using his experience to help you succeed!

Jenny Jiang

Director

Jenny is a grade 10 full IB student attending Sir Winston Churchill High School. She is someone who loves exploring the world through problem solving and creative thinking. Always seeking out new challenges, recently earning a spot on the honour roll for the Pascal and CIMC math contests as well as placing first in her school for numerous competitions. She was also honoured to be the valedictorian speaker for her junior high graduating class. Beyond academics, Jenny has been an active member of her school’s concert band and student council for many years. In her free time, she loves to immerse herself in the latest thriller and horror novels. Jenny looks forward to connecting and collaborating with other passionately driven students!

Alison Wang

Instructor

My name is Alison Wang, and I’m a current full IB student about to enter grade 12 this fall at Western Canada High School! I’m extremely passionate about the sciences, especially chemistry—I was a bronze medalist two years in a row for the Canadian Chemistry Olympiad, and received a special merit award for this year’s Canadian Chemistry Contest—and I really love talking to people about science (it’s about all I do as a science club exec). I’m so excited to be working with you all on the concepts covered in Chem 20, and I hope you’ll walk out of these classes with the knowledge needed to succeed in the course when you do take it!

Ethan Qian

Instructor

Ethan Qian is a high-achieving Grade 11 Full IB student based in Houston, Texas. He maintains an outstanding academic record, evidenced by top scores on AP exams and consistent placements on his school’s Honor Roll. Ethan’s success extends beyond the classroom: he has participated in numerous U.S. and Canadian math competitions, qualifying for the AIME in 2024.

Ethan’s educational background spans three countries—China, Canada, and the United States—giving him a global perspective and adaptability in diverse learning environments. Fluent in both English and Mandarin, he excels at cross-cultural communication and collaboration. Outside academics, Ethan is an active member of his school’s golf team, competing in district and regional tournaments, and he is also a certified CSIA Level 2 ski instructor.

In addition to his extracurricular pursuits, Ethan invests significant time supporting his peers through volunteering, tutoring, and managing the academic team. His dedication to continuous learning and community engagement reflects a commitment to both personal growth and leadership.

Yichen Liu

Instructor

Yichen Liu is a first year student studying computer science at the University of Waterloo. Academically, he spends his efforts towards mathematics, computer science, and other logical pursuits, placing in several high school CEMC mathematics competitions hosted by the University of Waterloo. Yichen has competed in various programming competitions, currently silver division in the USACO, and won second place with his team in the 2022 Alberta Collegiate Programming Contest held at the University of Calgary against other university and high school students. In his spare time, Yichen enjoys working on personal projects using code, and occasionally sifting through new music for his spotify playlists.