Expanding Horizons Through Language and Culture
March 27, 2026
By Franklin Chen
Modern & Classical Languages Faculty
Franklin Chen teaches Chinese in the Modern and Classical Languages Department at St. Mark’s School. Since joining the faculty in 2020, he has grown into a dynamic educator and global learning advocate, supported by the School’s strong commitment to professional development. As the advisor to the Association of Southeast and East Asians (ASEA), Franklin works closely with students to foster a sense of belonging and cultural affirmation on campus. His work extends beyond the classroom through national conference participation, international travel, and building global partnerships that enrich the St. Mark’s experience. In the post below, Franklin reflects on his journey as an early-career educator and how St. Mark’s has shaped his growth as a teacher, mentor, and member of a global community.
When I joined St. Mark’s in 2020, I arrived as an early-career educator with one year of full-time teaching experience and a heart full of aspirations. I knew St. Mark’s was a place where I could grow, but I didn’t realize just how deeply the school would invest in making that happen. Over the past four years, the generous resources and professional development support at St. Mark’s have empowered me to grow into the educator I am today: a world language teacher, a community and equity practitioner, and an advocate for global education.
As the sole Chinese teacher at St. Mark’s, finding immediate peer support within my discipline can be a unique challenge. The school recognized this early on and encouraged me to seek community on a national scale. Through professional development funding, I have been able to regularly attend regional and national conferences such as the CLTA Annual Conference, NECLTA, and the New York International Conference on Teaching Chinese. These experiences were more than professional trips; they were lifelines. They allowed me to bring cutting-edge, discipline-specific pedagogical strategies back to my classroom and build a network of mentors I can rely on. A highlight of this journey was presenting alongside a colleague at the 2022 ACTFL conference. This experience transformed me from a participant in the global language-learning conversation into a contributor.
At St. Mark’s, our work extends far beyond the classroom. My role as faculty advisor for the Association of Southeast and East Asians (ASEA) is deeply personal to me. I have always believed that affinity spaces are vital for our students, and I wanted to ensure I was supporting them thoughtfully and effectively. Supporting student affinity groups requires both mentorship and ongoing self-reflection. With the school’s support, I attended the Asian Educators Alliance (AsEA) conference and the People of Color Conference (PoCC). These experiences equipped me with the tools to help our Asian students feel truly at home, where they are seen, heard, and valued. It is a privilege to apply what I’ve learned in these professional spaces to our students’ daily lives and to contribute to building a community grounded in belonging.
In an increasingly interconnected world, I believe intercultural competency is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our students. I’ve always believed that you cannot fully teach a language without teaching the world. Thanks to the Loudon Fund, I had the transformative opportunity to travel to Singapore to explore the intersection of Asian cultures. More recently, I traveled to China to pursue new collaboration opportunities and reestablish St. Mark’s presence and partnerships in the region. These experiences have allowed me to return to campus with fresh perspectives and new opportunities for our students to engage globally.
I am incredibly grateful to work at a place that not only speaks about global citizenship but actively provides the resources to live it. I’m excited to see what the future holds for us at St. Mark’s.
