Wanning Ding, Ed.M.
Wanning became an educator since she was a sophomore in college. While being trained at a teacher’s college in Beijing, she took on tutoring jobs and spent her weekends teaching students at their homes across Beijing. She was later involved with initiating a liberal arts college in Beijing which taught courses at the time not offered in Chinese universities to college students.
After college, Wanning went on to pursue a Master of Education degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). In Boston, she worked for The Laboratory of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital and was involved in the research of The Grant Study. Joining an established educational consulting practice in Boston in 2014, Wanning began working in depth with college-bound students to prepare them for success in college. During this time, Wanning gained first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by Chinese nationals and new immigrant students. The various challenges they face in their journeys of achieving success in American colleges include: inadequate academic reading and writing abilities despite near perfect test scores, fear of speaking in class, hesitation to make cross-group friends outside the Chinese circle, and mental health issues, amongst many others. Witnessing these challenges faced by her students has inspired Wanning to come up with longer, more comprehensive educational programs to build specific competencies in these students.
Since returning to China in 2017, Wanning founded Everwood Learning with her husband and work partner Xin Guo to provide comprehensive educational advising and academic enrichment programs to students. She is thrilled to offer her knowledge and experience of studying abroad to her students, and beyond that, she wants to help these students find their unique strengths and become valuable members of society.
Wanning holds membership at the Independent Educational Consultant Association (‘IECA’) and Higher Education Consultant Association (‘HECA’). She frequently attends conferences of professional associations, travels to schools and colleges in North America and UK, and visits her students who are studying on these campuses.
Xin Guo, MBA
Having worked for an acclaimed American advertising company for a short stint after graduation from college, Xin ventured to Turkey to work for a Turkish industrial valve business. At Ankara, Xin lived with young professionals from over 20 countries for two years. This experience made him realize that Chinese college students needed better education to embrace the challenges of 21st century. After returning to China, Xin and a Chinese professor co-founded and directed TopU College, a not-for-profit after school liberal arts college program that taught 760 college students in Beijing in two years.
After relocating to the U.S. to unite with his then girlfriend, now wife Wanning, Xin completed a Master of Business Administration study at Babson College. Xin was selected as a featured speaker for the Babson Commencement, and delivered a powerful talk about failure. During his time at Babson, Xin continued to explore his interest in education through various projects. He served as a coach for the renowned CLTP – Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Program at Babson. He also worked at Camps Kenwood and Evergreen in Wilmot, New Hampshire as the first Chinese staff member on their leadership team, and was interviewed by National Public Radio about his experience. He also led the curriculum development projects for IDEAS Camp in China.
Xin founded Everwood Learning after graduation from Babson College.
Xin holds membership at the Independent Educational Consultant Association (‘IECA’) and American Camp Association (‘ACA’). He frequently attends conferences of professional associations, travels to schools and colleges in North America and UK, and visits his students who are studying on these campuses.