Meet the Hutong Team: Bridget Madell

Meet the Hutong Team! Meet Bridget Madell, our Admissions Director in Beijing!

Name: Bridget Madell
Occupation: Admissions Director
Hobby: Rugby
City and country: San Francisco, CA, USA
Favorite food in China: 干锅土豆片 (Gan guo tu dou pian) and 地三鲜 (Di San Xian)!
What kind of work do you do at Hutong School? I work with all the students before they arrive here in China. I try to arrange everything for them so that everything goes smoothly when they arrive!

Why did you choose China? What attracted you?
I think that China is such a diverse and interesting place to live. There is always something new going on, and every day is a new challenge!

How long have you been here in China?
I’ve been in China for 2,5 years (Ahh! Time goes by so quickly here!)

What did you do in China before you ended up here at Hutong School?
I basically started working for Hutong School when I arrived in Beijing. When I first got to Beijing, I took a bit of time to learn some basic language skills and to adapt to life in China. But soon after that, I began my job search, and found Hutong School! I have been with Hutong School ever since…

What was the first impression you had from our school?
The first time I visited Hutong School was at the courtyard in Beijing. It has such a cool “old Beijing” vibe, and I really like the surrounding area. There are also often students playing jian zi in the Courtyard! I really like the casual, relaxed atmosphere.

Some information you would like to share with newcomers?
I would say, give China a chance! It can sometimes be shocking to move to China from another country because there are so many cultural differences. But really, the more you learn about China, the more you come to understand and appreciate all the quirks and differences!

We have so many students that end up staying in China, or coming back after their programs have finished. There are many exciting things to discover in China, you just need to give yourself a bit of time to adjust!

Thai Binh Ho Van
 Marketing Assistant intern

Same great quality, bigger scale.

Hutong School is now operating as That’s Mandarin. Now you can expect the same great Chinese lessons with access to online Chinese learning platform NihaoCafe.
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