Our Team

Ryan Tierney

CEO | Owner

Ryan Tierney has been an international educator for over 20 years. He has taught in a variety of environments from teaching children through adults. He has taught management and leadership to corporate executives and worked as a software trainer in Silicon Valley.

Ryan is an Erickson certified coach and is passionate about supporting a coaching culture in children’s education. Ryan is deeply appreciative of all the amazing staff and teachers that bring innovative and motivational lessons to students attending Little Mountain.

Ryan has a B.A. from UBC, a TESOL teaching certificate and two post-graduate diplomas in Information Technology and Asian Studies. Ryan also has an MBA.

He is a passionate sailor. In 2016 he crewed in two international yacht races winning the Swiftsure and placing 3rd in the Vancouver Island 360 (a 2 week sailing race around the entirety of Vancouver Island)

Kay Han

Operations Manager

Kay majored in English Literature in Seoul and had dynamic experiences living and working in New York. Kay’s natural affection toward people lead her to build up her career with a fun-loving teaching approach for a variety of student age groups. Many years of relationships with parents and students supported Kay to start Little Mountain Homeschool in Seoul in partnership with LMLA in Vancouver.

Since LMLA’s foundation in 2004 Kay has been in charge of guiding LMLA summer campers from Korea and managing them through every summer for over a decade. Kay had precious experiences sharing in children’s learning and communicating with parents. She has fantastic memories with children and building long term trusting relationships with their parents.

As an Operations Manager at Little Mountain Learning Academy, Kay has been pursuing working toward making LMLA an ever more affectionate and friendly place for all- LMLA students, parents and teachers.

Kang Bi

COO/Admissions Director

Kang graduated from Beijing JiaoTong University with a Master’s in Logistics management, department of economics and a certificate in teaching Chinese as a second language from Beijing Language and Culture University.

Kang spent 4 years teaching Chinese in the department of Chinese studies, Kangwon National University, South Korea before moving to Vancouver with her husband and her two daughters.

As Little Mountain Learning Academy’s Admissions Director, Kang is dedicated to giving warm and professional counselling services to all of our students and their parents – helping them to achieve their goals.

Gareth Randall

Academic Director

Gareth grew up in the diverse city of London, England where he taught for over 5 years after completing his degree in History. He has worked with a wide range of young people, both in the United Kingdom and in Vancouver, the city he now calls home. Prior to relocating to Canada, he was an elementary school teacher and a member of the senior leadership team as head of maths of his school in London.

Gareth has been an educator for over ten years. Here in Vancouver, he has utilized his TESOL qualification as a lead teacher at Little Mountain. He has found great satisfaction in seeing his students succeed and meet their wide-ranging goals.

His passion lies in facilitating a lifelong love of learning and enabling children to become the best they can be. And he believes that his role is to guide students towards becoming independent, informed and able to share their knowledge and ideas with the world with confidence.

Vika Frary

Curriculum Manager

Vika spent her childhood in tropical Fiji and not-so-tropical Scotland, and also lived in England and Japan before immigrating to Canada. Her experiences living overseas and learning other languages gives her insight into the cultural and linguistic realities faced by her students.

After graduating from the University of York in the UK, she spent 14 years in the Tokyo area teaching all ages from toddlers to seniors. Vika is a big believer in active learning, and she strives to create an atmosphere full of energy and positivity in her classroom. She specializes in teaching beginners and younger students, where her bubbly personality is especially effective.

Her extraordinary experience in teaching enables Vika to become a curriculum developer now.  Her curriculums are useful tools for English learners to break through the barriers in their studies.

James Dibb

Lead Teacher

James grew up in Yorkshire, England. After studying language acquisition theories, he soon developed a passion for language learning, and the study of language learners themselves. He completed a BA in English Language, followed by an MA in Psycholinguistics. His main area of research was bilingualism and second language acquisition, and the interaction of two or more languages in the brain. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate of Education from a UK University.

James first started teaching English language and literature in 2014 in England. Working in a challenging school with students from a variety of cultural backgrounds, he learned the importance of having good relationships with students and building a positive atmosphere in the classroom where all students feel at home. James encourages students with positive reinforcement to become more confident and curious, thus growing as learners. 

A winter sport enthusiast, James enjoys spending free time snowboarding in the mountains around Vancouver or at the hockey rink.

Almira Dela Reyna

Lead Teacher

Almira is from Toronto, Canada. She studied linguistics at the University of Toronto. She worked for a non-profit organization that ran after-school and summer camp programs for students ages 6 to 18 years old. 

After many years of working with children and youth, she decided to make a life-changing move to China to teach English as a second language. She moved to a beautiful city called Hangzhou, where she spent four years teaching children and adults. While in China, she taught in renowned public schools and international centres.

Almira started building her professional career in education, leisure, and recreation in 2009, and after all this time and many different countries, she now continues to inspire and teach the students of Little Mountain while based in England!

Sandra Tsang

Teacher

Sandra Tsang was born and raised in Canada. Her interest in human behaviour led her to the University of British Columbia, where she earned her B.A. in Sociology and Psychology.

Having studied human behaviour and interaction, she understands the important role language plays in understanding a new social and cultural environment. Sandra has dedicatedly volunteered her time to teach new learners of English due to her firm belief that language and culture are strongly connected.

Sandra has worked with many students in the past, including those with diverse abilities and needs. She also has experience in teaching and facilitating conversational English with International students. For Sandra, the best part about teaching is sparking curiosity in students and helping them achieve their personal goals.

Bunny Gu

Senior Admissions officer

Bunny comes from Beijing and received her university education in Beijing Language and Culture University. Afterward, she acquired her Master’s Degree in Education and Teaching License in both primary and secondary schools in Australia. 

Bunny has dedicated herself to Education career for nearly 20 years, including primary school room teacher in Australia, IELTS & TOEFL teacher and Education Manager in Beijing and K-12 Education Consultant in Vancouver.

Bunny spends most of her leisure time with her family watching and doing various sports activities. She is enthusiastic about soccer, swimming, and tennis. She also enjoys reading and writing in her spare time and has maintained her membership in Beijing Writers’ Association for more than 15 years. As a happy mom and an experienced education professional for years, she fully understands parents’ feelings and struggles in children’s upbringing and is always eager to help more families on their way to life-long happiness and success!

Jolly Lei

Admissions officer

Jolly Lei graduated from Trinity Western University with a B.A. in Leadership. She has also completed a Diploma in Business English in Mainland China. Studying abroad enables Jolly to understand the difficulties and struggles that students encounter while learning English and adapting to the local culture.

Jolly is passionate about helping Little Mountain Learning Academy students learn English efficiently by sharing her productive learning background and experience.

Monica Zhong

Teacher

Monica is a dedicated professional driven by empathy, sincerity, and responsibility. She has lived, studied, and worked in Canada, Singapore, and China. She earned her Master’s degree from the National University of Singapore and her Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.

Monica previously worked as a lecturer and student adviser at the University of Liverpool’s China campus, where she also earned a teaching certificate in higher education. In this role, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses, mentoring over 100 students in learning and academic planning. Additionally, she has worked as a K-12 tutor for Math, ESL, and Chinese in Canada and has held positions in education management. These experiences have equipped Monica with a comprehensive understanding of education from various perspectives.

In her free time, Monica enjoys traveling, cooking, and listening to classical music. She has a particular love for opera and is learning Italian to deepen her appreciation of this art form.

Chantel Duncan

Teacher

Chantel’s passion for languages ignited at an early age, which led her to pursue and receive a Bachelor of Arts in French Studies at York University’s Glendon Campus. Her experience mastering French as a second language provided her with a profound understanding of the difficulties and challenges of language acquisition. Captivated by the English language, Chantel began her career as a tutor, a role that not only confirmed her love for education but also inspired her to pursue a TESOL certification. This led to collaborations with educators at York University’s English Language Institute, where she gained insight and developed innovative as well as adaptive teaching methods.

Today, Chantel applies her expertise by working with a school board in Ontario and partnering with a government-funded, non-profit organization, committed to empowering learners through language education. With over a decade of experience, she has supported students with diverse learning styles, crafting lessons that are engaging, meaningful, and interactive. She believes that every student learns in their own unique way, and she is determined to help all students reach their maximum potential.

Kelly-Marie Clarkson

Teacher

Kelly was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario. She is a graduate of Queen’s University, majoring in Health Studies and minoring in Psychology. During her time at Queen’s, she studied such topics as advanced child clinical psychology, brain and behaviour, social determinants of health, and developmental psychology. She will also be starting her Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology this fall. 

Kelly has completed her 120-hour advanced certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and brings three years of online teaching experience to Little Mountain Online. 

A fun fact about Kelly is that she is also learning a second language! She has received her certificate in Conversational Languages: Korean, from the University of Toronto and enjoys traveling to South Korea to spend time with her husband’s family.

Yolande Taylor

Teacher

Yolande was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.  She first graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours BA in English and History, and later completed her Bachelor of Education from York University.  She loves books, literature, and teaching students!

Yolande has previously worked for international schools overseas in South America and the Caribbean where she taught all subjects to English learners in a full-day, English immersion environment.  She is currently in her 18th year of working for the Durham District School Board in Toronto as an elementary school teacher for grades K-6 where she strives to provide an engaging learning experience for her students.

In Yolande’s free time, she likes to read, do home renovations, and travel with her family!

Dawna Hung

Teacher

Dawna is a certified teacher from Canada. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in History and Arts Administration. After falling in love with teaching, she went on to complete her Bachelor of Education with a specialization in primary and junior education. She also holds a TEFL certification and a Teaching English to Young Learner’s certificate.

Dawna has spent many years teaching students of different backgrounds and cultures. She spent over a decade in Seoul, South Korea teaching in public schools to elementary-aged students. She loved implementing project-based learning studies and reading programs during her time there.  She also has experience teaching ESL online to students based in Saudi Arabia. She has spent time, both in classrooms and online over the past 15 years, teaching students of all ages, including adults. She couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding journey. 

When she is not dedicating her time to seeking new educational materials and teaching methods, Dawna likes to find time for her hobbies, which include photography, writing, and travel. She loves languages and is always trying to perfect her Cantonese, French, and Korean skills in her spare time.

Paula March-Davies

Teacher

Paula was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from Brock University with an honours degree in child studies. She went on to get her Bachelor of Education from York University in Toronto. She is passionate about working with children and has a passion for literacy and has her reading specialist qualifications as well.

In her current role as a teacher, she welcomes new families to Canada and supports students and staff with helping students acquire the English language. With over 20 years of teaching experience, she brings a passion for literacy, inclusion, and student success. She had the privilege of working as a librarian, where her love of books helped foster a reading culture, and as a special education teacher, she focused on uncovering student strengths to help them thrive. She also gained valuable leadership experience as an acting vice principal at the elementary level.

Supporting students in developing confidence skills in reading and writing continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of her career.

In Paula’s free time, she loves to play sports like pickleball, volleyball, and basketball, and she likes to lift weights and work out!

Sting Gu

Private School & University Educational Consultant

Sting Gu, a North American academic planning and admissions expert with 20+ years in education, has held key roles at top Chinese international schools as a consultant and at a Fortune 500 English training institution as a center director. He has taught at prestigious universities including the University of International Business and Economics and the Central University of Finance and Economics. As a senior instructor at Global IELTS and Aoji Language School, he specialized in IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, and other standardized tests, consistently enabling students to achieve score improvements.

Leveraging deep expertise in North American and Commonwealth education systems, Sting excels in strategic academic planning and competitive admissions. His career highlights include guiding hundreds of students to elite private high schools and universities across North America and Commonwealth nations. Notably, he has successfully mentored graduates from institutions like Lord Byng, St George’s, and Crofton House into top-tier North American universities, demonstrating a proven track record in admissions success.