Faculty: Wesley Smith

World Language Teacher

Wesley Smith is the World Language Teacher in Mandarin or PuTong Hua, 'the People's Language.' He took both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Michigan State University after attending the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. Mr. Smith lived in China from 2007 until 2020 and has worked at schools in Beijing, Xi'An, and Shanghai. In these great Mainland cities, he studied and taught Language and Literature, History and Geography, and fell in love with a wide variety of artifacts of Chinese culture (holidays, festivals, art, music, calligraphy, dance, opera, and -of course- food) with an appreciation for each cultural aspect's historical and modern significance.
He is most proud of coordinating the Service as Learning program at Xi'An Hi-tech International School, where local and international students used their skills to create the positive change that mattered most to them: preparing and serving meals with Yellow River Soup Kitchen for people experiencing food instability in Xi'An's St. Francis Cathedral built between 1716-1727; or cleaning, feeding, and walking stray dogs; or teaching English to the trailing children of Migrant Workers (who are not eligible for admissions to public schools), or simply committing to spend time and share kindness with the adults institutionalized in group homes for people with severe developmental delays.
In his spare time, Mr. Smith likes to snuggle with his Beijing street dog, ErLiang, and ride mopeds and eBikes with his wife and two daughters.