Our leaders may not be faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive, but to a lot of the kids they serve, they're sort of like superheroes (without the skin-tight suits, of course). Our leaders are adults who really care about Asian teenagers and who have dedicated much of their life to being there for kids. If you're an Asian American teenager reading this, we hope you think that's pretty cool. In fact, we hope that as you get involved in Asian Young Life, you will get to know these people better. Feel free to ask them to take you out to eat and to drive you places and to help you with your homework. As peculiar as this may sound, they'll probably be more than happy to do those kinds of things not only for you but more importantly with you. Oh, and just for fun, after you've hung out with your leader for awhile, ask him or her, "Don't you have any friends your own age?"  (They just love it when you ask that question!)  You might be surprised by their answer.

If you'd like to get in touch with any of our leaders, you can do so by visiting our Contact Information page. And if you're a college student or an adult who is interested in joining this "league of superheroes," then please visit our Become a Volunteer Leader page to learn more. We'd love to have you on our team.

	Brian Hall (Area Director) Brian is a high school social studies teacher at the Academies@Englewood in Englewood, NJ, where he teaches 11th grade World Studies and 12th grade Sociology. He also advises the school's Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Asian Club. Brian holds a Ph.D. degree from Rutgers University, where he majored in sociology with a specialization in religion and Asian studies. He has written several published articles, including a chapter in the book Asian American Youth Ministry. During the 2002-03 school year he was a Fulbright Junior Scholar in Taiwan, where he studied at National Taiwan University in Taipei. He is the founder of Asian Young Life and has served as the ministry's area director since its inception in 2003. Brian lives in Teaneck, and he attends Grace United Methodist Church in Wyckoff. He enjoys mountain biking and watching the TV shows 24 and Heroes. His favorite Asian dish is Peking duck. One of his more unusual memories is that when he was in college he worked part-time for Domino's Pizza, where he would on some occasions wear the company's "Noid" costume and stand on busy roadways and wave to passing cars. To contact Brian or any of the other AYL leaders, please go to our Contact Information page
	Andy Chang Andy is a general dentist in private practice—Andy Chang, D.M.D.—located in Palisades Park, NJ. He obtained his doctorate degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He also holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, where he majored in cell biology and neuroscience, with a minor in computer science. Andy lives in West New York, NJ, with his wife Jenn Chang, another volunteer leader for Asian Young Life. Andy and Jenn are members at Metro Community Church in Englewood. Andy became familiar with Asian Young Life a few years ago when he had a conversation with area director Brian Hall; he and his wife officially became volunteer leaders in 2007. Andy likes running, mountain biking, and playing ultimate frisbee. Andy's favorite Asian food is sashimi. Andy recalls a story from his teenage years in which he was playing hide and go seek with his friends. He hid so well that he was never found; in fact, his friends started a new game without him.
	Jenn Chang Jenn is an analyst at Blackstone in New York City. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting with a minor in journalism from the Stern Business School at New York University (NYU). While in college, she served as the large group coordinator and as a small group leader for InterVarsity's Asian Christian Fellowship. Jenn lives in West New York, NJ, with her husband Andy Chang, another volunteer leader for Asian Young Life. She and Andy are members of Metro Community Church in Englewood. Jenn learned about Asian Young Life from her husband Andy; the two of them became volunteer AYL leaders in 2007. Jenn’s hobbies include trying out new restaurants, cooking, reading, and taking her dog Kobayashi out for walks. Her favorite Asian food is noodles, especially udon and Chinese noodles. One time her husband Andy tricked Jenn into going on a “short” bike ride from New Brunswick to Princeton along the Raritan Canal. At the halfway point, Andy influenced Jenn by saying, "We're already halfway there, we might as well go all the way." She ended up biking 30 miles that day.
	Jennifer Hsieh Jennifer is an equity compensation analyst for UBS in Weehawken, NJ. She graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics/statistics and economics. While at Rutgers, she served as a small group leader in Chinese Christian Fellowship and worked in the university's computer lab. She attends Joy Christian Fellowship in Tenafly. Jennifer first became familiar with Asian Young Life when Gerald Juan took her to the College and Adult Camp at Saranac in 2002. Jennifer became an AYL volunteer leader in 2007, shortly after she moved to North Jersey. She currently resides in Fort Lee. Jennifer likes kickboxing at the gym, eating good food with friends and sisters, and watching tennis and basketball. Her favorite Asian foods are sushi and spicy beef noodle soup. When Jennifer was little, instead of calling her "Jennifer," her sisters called her "Jian He Ya," which is the Taiwanese way of saying "to fry fish."
	Gerald Juan Gerald is a social studies teacher at Tenafly Middle School in Tenafly, NJ. He holds a master's degree in American studies from Columbia University, as well as a bachelor's degree in computer science from Rutgers University. Gerald has been a volunteer leader for Asian Young Life since the ministry was founded in 2003. He previously served as a bike wrangler in June 2002 on Summer Staff at Young Life's Rockbridge in Virginia. Gerald lives in Tenafly, and he is a member of East Bergen Christian Church in Teaneck. Gerald enjoys playing basketball, eating soft tofu and kalbi in Fort Lee, wall climbing at the Gravity Vault, and drinking Baskin Robbins' strawberry cool breeze. His favorite Asian dish is shrimp and egg over rice. An interesting thing that once happened to Gerald when he lived in Taiwan was that a gasoline-powered remote control model airplane crashed into his knee and exploded, causing him to faint.
	Michael Shum Mike is a high school chemistry and physics teacher at The Beacon School in Manhattan, New York City. He also coaches the school's cross country and track teams. He holds a master's degree in education from Columbia University, as well as a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Rutgers University. Mike has been a volunteer leader for Asian Young Life since the ministry was founded in 2003. He has also served on Young Life Summer Staff a number of times, most recently in June 2002 as a bike wrangler at Rockbridge in Virginia. Mike lives in Tenafly, and he is a member of East Bergen Christian Church in Teaneck. Mike enjoys most sports, but he especially likes mountain biking, ultimate frisbee, and running—in fact, Mike has twice finished the NYC Marathon. His favorite Asian foods are fried flounder, spring rolls, and soy sauce chicken. Something interesting about Mike is that he is especially adept at memorizing random facts and numbers; for example, when he was in high school, he memorized the irrational number pi (π or 3.14) to the 70th decimal digit.

Tony Lin Tony is a math teacher at Parsippany Middle School in Parsippany, NJ. He holds a master's degree in math education from Montclair State University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Rutgers University, where he also ran on the university's track team. Tony immigrated to America from Taiwan when he was a teenager. Tony was instrumental in the formation of Asian Young Life in 2003 and has served as a volunteer leader ever since. He attends Liquid Church in Morristown. His hobbies include basketball, reading, listening to the radio, and playing 2 High. His favorite Asian foods are Japanese tempura shrimp and traditional Taiwanese food. Tony is married to his wife Silvia; the couple reside in Summit, NJ. Tony proposed to Silvia at Young Life camp in Saranac Lake, NY. Tony likes to joke with people that the inspiration for his American name "Tony" originated when his family arrived in America and came to New York and saw a sign at the airport that read, "To: NY."

If you admire the work that the Asian Young Life leaders do, then maybe you would like to do it too! Volunteer leaders are the key to everything we do, and we are always looking for additional adult helpers. If you are an adult and you think you might like to serve in this way, please be sure to visit our Become a Volunteer Leader page to learn more. If you are a parent and you want to help out but you're not sure about serving as a leader, then you should check out our Parents and Community page to learn about additional ways you could serve. If you desire any additional information, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you.