Andrew Yuan ’05

Andrew joined Suffield’s languages department as a Chinese teacher in 2014. Having grown up in the town of Suffield, he began his study of Chinese as a freshman at the Academy while also a member of the school’s varsity tennis program. He double majored in both Chinese and economics at Grinnell College [Iowa] where he continued playing tennis at the varsity level.

Upon graduating from Grinnell, Andrew began a career in finance as an investment analyst for a Taiwanese mutual fund firm in Taipei and for five years, studying a wide range of industries including renewable energy, agricultural commodities, mining, and consumer products. At Suffield, he coaches varsity tennis, is the Chinese club advisor, and is an avid table-tennis competitor.

Where were you born? 
Hartford, CT

What do you love about where you are from?
Bonding over UConn Basketball. Four beautiful seasons. Being in between Boston and New York.

If someone was traveling to where you are from for 24 hours, what would you recommend? 

What would you tell them to do/where would you tell them to go?
I’d recommend going to West Hartford or Northampton for food, Yankee Candle in the winter, and kayaking on the Connecticut River.

What do you love about where you live now?
I love rolling out of bed and walking to the tennis courts for practice.

What is your favorite thing about day-to-day life at Suffield Academy? 
I like the busy schedule, helping out with different student organizations, and playing the sports I love until the sun goes down.

What is the first thing you do every morning when you get to work? 
Drink a cup of coffee. Listen to some Chinese music.

Who is your favorite artist? 
Liam Gallagher

Which of your roles at Suffield Academy do you relish the most?
Coaching the Tiger B soccer team. It’s a great way to get to know the new students. 

What is something your Suffield Academy family might not know about you?
I struggled with dress code as a student.

What is your favorite book? 
Dark Forest of the Three Body Problem Trilogy by Liu Cixin

What is the one word that you live by? 
Perseverence

What is something you believe one can never over-invest in? 
Learning foreign languages. Reading newspapers. Athletic equipment.

What is your favorite hobby?
Trading stocks and playing tennis.

What advice would you give a new teacher at Suffield Academy?
Pace yourself. 

What is the most important life lesson for someone to learn? 
You never know when something you learn might come in handy, so always try your best when learning a new skill.

What is/are your prized possession(s)? 
My Magic the Gathering collection.

What is your favorite song of all time? 
“Don’t Look Back in Anger” - Oasis
“You Are Not Alone” - Michael Jackson

If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would you dine with? 
Elon Musk

Who is your role model? Inspiration? 
Lee Kuan Yew, for transforming Singapore against all odds into a financial powerhouse using a nuanced understanding of human emotion to navigate domestic and international affairs.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? 
Istanbul, Turkey. For centuries Istanbul was the most important city in the world. I’d love to visit the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and enjoy some Turkish street foods.

What is your favorite food? 
Spaghetti carbonara made in Tokyo.

What has been the most interesting thing you have learned from a student? 
I learned how to trade cryptocurrency from a student several years ago.