~ Teacher, interpreter, policy advocate, and second-time founder ~
Define history.
Policy should be a language of both protection and liberty we use to love the people. Education should be an art to impart knowledge and perspective that propel us ever-forward. Business should be an honest service that provides opportunities and resources of all kinds to all kinds. Healthcare should be holistic healing and care that’s inalienably accessible and affordable. This is what history should be.
Justin is a passionate humanist who is always as interested in learning as he is in teaching. Born in NY and raised in NJ, Justin attended Rutgers University to complete a double major in both Political Science and Chinese Language Studies, as well as a minor in Philosophy. During his years in college he flourished as a student movement organizer, working on issues from voter registration, campaign finance reform, higher ed. affordability, and even student rights on campus. After graduating university, Justin was voted in as Legislative Director of the largest student run higher ed. non-profit in the country: the United States Student Association. As a public interest advocate, Justin represented over 1 million students and handled all legislative matters on campuses around the country, in the Department of Education, Congress, as well as the White House. After leaving D.C. Justin went back to local education work the public elementary Hawthorne School , helping children with disabilities in succeed in a special education classroom.
Following this, Justin moved to China as an English teacher, and with 3+ years of teaching experience at Natural Arts School, he eventually became the Founder & Head Teacher of Palm English Language Center in Beijing. After a few years of continuous success, he ended up coming back stateside where he shortly moved to Oregon. Living in downtown Portland, he worked hard and got a scholarship to attain his medical interpreting training certificate. This authorized him to interpret for Mandarin-speaking patients visiting English-speaking medical providers through Linguava. As of most recent, Justin opened his second flourishing business called Otaku Card Shop, in the area of collectibles while specializing in trading cards. Shortly after opening, he also established an online presence via the streaming platform Whatnot. Growing a channel with thousands of followers and over 600 ‘5 star’ reviews, he’s spreading happiness and creating community for both adults and kids alike.
“Saying that education is just an investment implies that it’s something transactional in nature - meant to be profited off of. When we talk about education in America, it should be about strengthening the very foundation of the nation. A ground of knowledge and perspective to stand on. Transforming the country by making our system a symbol of social mobility for all. It just takes the right choices.”
