Katherine Tong

Experience

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  Travis Heights Elementary School

  Aug 2009 - Dec 2009

  Teaching Assistant

  • Assisted lead teacher with class of 25 kindergarten students• Tutored students one-on-one to improve their reading ability by practicing reading fluency, pronunciation, and comprehension

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  The University of Texas at Austin

  Aug 2009 - May 2012

  Freshman Leadership Organization Mentor

  • Counseled college freshman through transition to college by meeting mentees on a bi-weekly basis • Connected students to campus resources

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  The University of Texas Exercise and Sports Psychology Laboratory

  May 2010 - May 2012

  Research Assistant

  • Streamlined computer work processes to increase speed of a task from 10 hours to 2 minutes per file• Edited research articles to prepare them for publication in scholarly articles• Collected data on elementary students’ school lunch purchases for I-CAN! Initiatives for Children’s Activity and Nutrition Project• Analyzed data using statistics software program SPSS and ActiLife

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  Harris County

  Jun 2010 - Aug 2010

  Political Intern

  • Organized mailing lists and campaign material for distribution to constituents • Represented Judge Jack Cagle at interest group meetings around the city to maintain campaign presence

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  The University of Texas Evolutionary Psychology Laboratory

  Aug 2011 - May 2012

  Research Assistant

  • Scheduled students to participate in experiments• Inputted and analyzed data

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  YuHuaTai Elementary School

  Jul 2012 - Dec 2012

  English Teacher

  • Taught interactive and engaging one hour weekly 4th grade English classes to 40 students• Developed class curriculum, prepared all lesson plans, and class materials• Facilitated weekly classroom preparation meetings for 7 volunteer teachers

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  Nanjing Community Center

  Jul 2012 - Dec 2012

  English Teacher

  • Taught weekly 2nd to 6th grade English class focusing on communication skills to 15 students

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  KIPP Nashville College Prep

  Jun 2013 - Nov 2013

  Founding Fifth Grade Writing Teacher

  • Developed and implemented daily and unit lesson plans for grammar, composition, and typing for 96 fifth grade students aligned to Tennessee state standards and Common Core• Developed and executed procedures and policies for Title 1 school• Analyzed student progress by tracking data in Mastery Connect and Excel worksheets to strategically plan future lessons• Maintained constant communication with parents via email, phone calls, and conferences

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  Chinese Community Center

  Nov 2014 - Oct 2017

  • Designed and executed homeownership and rental education program serving over 700 families annually as the only HUD-approved agency in Texas providing services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Spanish• Cultivated relationships with existing and potential funders and managed $280,000 grant portfolio • Developed program service lines and goals, established best practices and schedules to obtain reported service delivery goals, and tracked data for reporting to multiple sources• Fostered partnerships with housing counseling agencies, government home ownership assistance programs, volunteers, and funding sources• Managed individual case work and execute group education as a certified NeighborWorks NCHEC Homeownership Counselor and HUD Housing Counselor• Corrected inherited compliance failings by overhauling program policies, procedures, and protocols resulting in passing subsequent federal audit with zero findings and a positive report Show less • Created and implemented company wide client intake procedure and managed Intake Specialists• Developed online registration procedures and online payment process for Youth and Adult Chinese Schools• Prepared and conducted youth leadership workshops and counseled high school students through college application process• Facilitated departmental and center wide business planning for fiscal years 2016 through 2018• Initiated staff fitness program and organized physical activity sessions and workshops Show less • Developed and maintained adult language program overseeing registration process, administration, teacher development, marketing, data management, and compliance with regulations set by Houston Community College System and Texas Workforce Commission • Oversaw $180,000 grant portfolio• Created and coordinated volunteers in a Language Partner Program aimed at increasing ESL students’ English fluency and knowledge of U.S. culture• Revamped program that was only meeting 39% of student enrollment goal to 112% of enrollment goal within one fiscal year resulting in increased funding for subsequent year • Supervised staff consisting of 6 teachers, 2 interns, and 8 volunteers and kept employee records up-to-date Show less

  • Housing Program Manager

    Aug 2016 - Oct 2017

  • Program Specialist

    Jan 2016 - Aug 2016

  • Language Program Coordinator

    Nov 2014 - Dec 2015
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  Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

  May 2018 - Jun 2018

  Art Installer

  • Assisted with creation of Big Bambú art installation by Mike and Doug Starn

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  University of Houston

  Jun 2018 - Aug 2019

  International Recruitment Specialist - Marketing and Communications Team Lead

  • Recruited and promoted university opportunities to prospective students by developing and delivering presentations to domestic and international students in high schools, community colleges, organizations, and UH alumni located in Houston, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Indonesia leading to a 113% increase in applications from the previous year• Assisted with the development of a training plan for new counselors• Maintained and developed key relationships with high schools and community colleges • Planned, organized, and supervised implementation of university recruitment projects and events• Served as a USCIS Designated School Official (DSO) and created initial I-20s for F-1 students Show less

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  Houston Food Bank

  Aug 2019 - now

  • Manage and develop 30+ personnel in production, volunteer coordination, training, database management, court appointed services, job agencies, supplies special events, and dedicated volunteer groups• Provide strategic direction to return to pre-pandemic volunteer levels with 91% increase in unique volunteers from previous fiscal year• Collaborate with Houston Food Bank departments to identify, create, and execute volunteer projects for over 90,000 volunteers annually• Serve as guest speaker and panelist for recruiting events, conferences, and various engagements Show less • Recruited and onboarded 18 higher education and workforce development organizations to provide food intervention programs that aim to decrease food insecurity and improve the financial stability of at-risk communities• Assisted with grant funding, reporting, and management of over $1,000,000 in grants• Adapted School Market program with 44 middle and high schools to be able to effectively and safely distribute food throughout the pandemic by creating electronic forms and processes and implementing drive through distributions• Managed partnership with CrowdSource Rescue to facilitate no-contact food deliveries for elderly and homebound individuals• Led implementation of various Feeding America pilots: Household Empowerment Pilot and Economic Shock Pilot• Oversaw volunteer project at United Airlines cargo resulting in over 2.2 million pounds sorted and distributed in a 3 month period including 4,925 home deliveries of fresh produce, non-perishable food, and hygiene items directly to clients Show less • Established and developed relationships with Food for Change partners, markets, researchers, and service providers to successfully implement food interventions• Improved distribution of food products, coordinated logistics, and identified relevant data to demonstrate the impact of food interventions with education and workforce programming on clients' food insecurity and financial stability• Created, developed, and standardized Food for Change processes and procedures• Collaborated in community partnership groups that address social determinants of health and workforce development Show less

  • Director of Volunteer Services

    Apr 2021 - now

  • Food for Change Economic Partnerships Manager

    Oct 2019 - Apr 2021

  • Food for Change Economic Partnerships Coordinator

    Aug 2019 - Oct 2019