Samantha Chai

A proud daughter of Southeast Asian immigrants, Samantha Chai was raised in Idaho and California but spent her formative years in her family’s durian-farming villages in rural Malaysia. Before joining Georgetown, she taught English in Taiwan through Fulbright in collaboration with the Taiwanese Ministry of Education. As a New Taipei English Teaching Assistant, she co-taught at an elementary school of thirty-four students with local subject teachers while developing international education and SDG curricula. Samantha later supported the English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) programs at the National Taiwan University of Science & Technology and National Taipei University of Technology. In this role, she conducted over 400 student consultations, facilitated workshops on contemporary global issues and professional development, led the English Producers Club, trained teaching assistants, supervised language exchange programs, collaborated with professors on STEM courses, and piloted an intergroup dialogue certificate program. She is passionate about empowering students to become intercultural interlocutors and confident, well-informed members of the globalized world.

Samantha graduated summa cum laude from American University with a degree in International Studies (specializing in the Asian & Pacific region, human rights, and global development), a minor in Economics, and a certificate in Community-Based Research. During her three years in college, she developed a passion for teaching and community-building, as reflected in her work at AU’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion, Academic Support & Access Center, DC Community Impact Scholars, and International Accelerator. Outside of work and classes, she enjoyed volunteering with Thrive DC and the Latin American Youth Center. She also had the honor of teaching at Breakthrough Collaborative San Juan Capistrano, where she worked with immigrant families disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Samantha looks forward to further exploring the intersection of international education, immigration/forced displacement, and rural livelihoods at GHD.

In her free time, you can find her learning K-pop dances and blogging about Taiwan’s indie music and street food scenes.