Ashley Chelyn Jang is nearly 5,000 miles from the students she’s teaching English to, but the language is a way to connect them.
Jang was born in Boston and lived in Korea for a time before moving with her family to Marshall when she was in ninth grade. Now a North Allegheny High School senior, Jang said she learned the importance of knowing how to speak English and will never forget those who helped her learn the language.
“Once I felt comfortable enough with the connections I built, I had this urge to give it back to others,” she said. “Just like how the people around me waited and helped out as I improved my English, I wanted to give that same support to people like me. Also, as one of my main reasons for moving to the U.S. was through the urge to make English comfortable, I knew the importance and advantage of this language more than anyone else.”
Jang found the perfect way to give back: by tutoring other young people 4,992 miles away, in another country.
Through her research she found ENGin, an organization that debuted in March 2020. It pairs mentors such as Jang with students in Ukraine.
Ilona Misko, volunteer experience manager for ENGin, said via email ENGin matches people based on their availability, gender preferences, common interests and hobbies.
She said learning English has made a huge impact in participants’ lives.
“People got new job opportunities, education, traveling experiences and more,” Misko said. “When you are a native English speaker, sometimes you don’t understand how valuable speaking English is.”
The description on the ENGin’s website said the “program is changing the world one conversation at a time. We’re helping tens of thousands of people in Ukraine and around the world engage in meaningful cross-cultural online conversations, building connections and breaking down borders. “
Jang began her volunteer tutoring in June 2022 and at one time had three students, whom she said she would love to meet in person someday. She is currently tutoring Viktoria, a 14-year-old student from Galicia, and Artem, a 17-year-old collegian from Odessa.
‘Making the world a better place’
She tutored Katerina Tamakhinais, a 17-year-old college student from Kyiv, from June 4, 2022, to Jan 7, 2024.
“It has been so long since Ashley became my ENGin buddy and since we started meeting every Saturday,” Tamakhinais said via email. “During our sessions, my English speaking skills have really improved, as well as my knowledge about American and Korean cultures. Ashley prepared tons of information to keep our lessons more interesting and useful.”
Tamakhinais said what she appreciated the most is Jang’s enthusiasm of exploring Ukrainian culture.
“She carefully listened to our history, traditions and, most importantly, current events. As far as I am concerned, she volunteers to help Ukraine, which I can’t forget to mention. I believe that Ashley, my ENGin buddy, is making the world a better place right now and will keep on doing that in the future.“
The two have become friends.
“I feel I benefit from our relationship almost as much as she does,” Jang said. “Our sessions give me a front-row seat to the effects of the war, and I do my best to support all my students through the challenges they face every day.”
Jang recalled during a session with Tamakhinais when the electricity went out because of bombing from the war and she wasn’t able to make contact for some time. Jang wrote a poem about the experience.
She said she has learned about the war in Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022, and that puts things in perspective here in the United States.
“We shouldn’t stress about the small things,” said Jang, who is interested in engineering and science, and evaluating where she plans to study after she graduates.
Jang is also an ENGin ambassador where she shares her experience in the community. She said she has enjoyed tutoring students on several levels because she likes the challenge of detailing her lesson plan to each mentee. ENGin supplies some of the teaching materials, and others she creates. She often incorporates visuals because seeing something as well as hearing it helps her students retain the information.
Having software that translates written text from one language to another language has helped her students learn English and Jang learn Ukrainian. Most of her tutoring sessions are done on weekends. She will assign some homework if needed.
She said her goal is to make the meetings as interactive as possible. Because she tailors each one-hour session to the individual, she can provide what that person specifically wants.
“I am seeing improvement,” said Jang, who plays violin for the school and is part of Tri-M, a school orchestra club as treasurer as well as she is president of her school’s fencing club team and president of the Science National Honor Society at North Allegheny. “I believe English opens the door for these students. I know it has for me.”
‘A rare gem’
North Allegheny High School counselor Rhonda Bielawski said Jang is adaptive, caring and humble, and her experiences traveling to other countries has helped her be able to adapt to differing circumstances.
“She also has a confidence to meet new people and seek out as many opportunities as possible to connect with people in meaningful ways,” Bielawski said. “In addition to teaching English to young Ukrainian students, she also has served as a translator to help Korean parents and young children at our school.”
Korean mathematics is taught differently than American math, Bielawski said, and because Jang learned both, she has found that helps her when working through problems. Jang peer-tutored a student last school year and was able to teach her new math methods and show her new ways to compute.
“Ashley genuinely cares about others and works diligently to positively impact them,” Bielawski said.
Janellen Lombardi, gifted facilitator and North Allegheny High School’s Interact Club sponsor, said Jang is an amazing young woman. Lombardi talked about Jang mentoring a child at the Pittsburgh Grandview Elementary School.
“I loved watching Ashley tutor her third-grade buddy, dance with her at a dance party, and bond while exploring exhibits at the Carnegie Science Center,” Lombardi said. “Ashley has a heart to serve others, and her kindness and empathy show through in every interaction she has with children, peers and adults. She’s a rare gem.”
Jang is one of the most driven and curious students Lombardi has ever met, she said.
“In an effort to find what she truly loves, she steps up to try new things, even when they are initially out of her comfort zone,” Lombardi said. “Then she works diligently to complete the projects with precision and skill. She’s accomplished in so many areas — science, research, technology, writing, art, service — because she takes on new challenges and completes them with the utmost integrity.”
Jang’s mother, Sujin Kim, said via email that her daughter values the cultural exchange and the opportunity to learn about and raise awareness of the situation in Ukraine. At home, Jang speaks Korean and also helps her younger brother learn English. Her father speaks fluent English.
“Ashley constantly observed me struggling with English and consistently endeavored to serve as a translator to alleviate my English difficulties,” Kim said. “This is why she has a particular interest in helping Ukrainian friends who are in conflict zones and may not have access to proper education.
“Ashley believed that teaching English could provide them with more opportunities and have a positive impact on their lives. I am very proud of her for engaging in this volunteer work.”
For more information about ENGin, visit www.enginprogram.org.
