Who is Tyna?

I am known as Tyna Laoshi here in Pizhou, China. My husband Ryan and I moved here in February of 2011. We wanted to see China, but not as tourists. And we thought the best way to do that was to move here and teach. Ryan just finished his Masters in English and needed to find a job. We heard about teaching English in China through his university and it caught our attention. We both have always been fascinated by the Asian culture and we wanted to experience it. So, we packed up and moved here. We now both teach English at the Yunhe Teachers’ College. Before this job, I taught preschool and kindergarten in the states for ten years. I am passionate about teaching children, so I asked if I could also teach at the nearby kindergarten here in Pizhou and they agreed. I am the first foreign teacher that the children have had. And for some of them, I am the first exposure to English that they have had.

Last family picture with my sister

My brothers and me

Besides the joy of teaching, I am also passionate about my family.

I am the youngest of five children in the Waters family. My family has gone through a lot of ups and downs. In 1983, my older sister Anna passed away at the age of five from encephalitis. She became my guardian angel and continues to watch over me. Next in 2007, my father lost the fight to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. And just recently, my mother was overtaken by cirrhosis of the liver. I am glad that I had the opportunity to spend some time with her before she died in December. Now it is my three brothers and I holding up the family. I am amazed by the powers of technology that keep our family together even when we are oceans apart.