Back in 2018, after living in China for more than a decade, Lori Qian relocated with her family to Alpine, Utah, ready to embrace an entirely new adventure–from a city of 15 million to a city of 15 thousand! They have mostly loved this roller-coaster ride including all the quirks, challenges, and learning experiences that accompany an international move, especially with three teenagers!
Lori’s childhood was spent mostly in Washington and Wisconsin but Chicago became her hometown as an adult. She grew up focused on ballet, and eventually participated in cheerleading, drill team, and all things dance. After high school, she took a circuitous route, but eventually found her way to college. She was the first in her family to graduate from university and thus is a strong advocate of education and its life-changing power. She has subsequently contributed as a teacher and school leader for more than 20 years. Lori holds a BA in anthropology and philosophy, an MA in applied linguistics, and has advanced graduate training in school leadership, literacy instruction, and K-12 education. After founding her company, Mango Educational Consulting, Lori also pursued courses in business and will soon begin work on her doctorate in educational leadership and literacy.
Lori is passionate about personal development and overcoming obstacles, and has lived through her own transformations—messy, painful, and awkward as they always are. It’s an on-going process which she screws up and begins again almost daily. Forward momentum, steps in the darkness, and plenty of diet soda keep her mostly sane and positive. She cares deeply about getting the message out to others that we can change and reinvent, always, that we can overcome, and we can create new paths no matter what we have been through. Education—whether formal or informal is almost always the base for moving forward. As Maya Angelou said: “When you know better, you do better.”
More than anything, Lori enjoys spending time with her family. Although she sometimes misses city life in Guangzhou, she loves every aspect of living the suburban American lifestyle, from yard work and neighborhood dinners to exploring beautiful hiking trails all around her. Experiencing the beauty of this world is a priority and Lori and her husband work hard to make sure their kids appreciate the opportunity to travel. Cultivating a global perspective for her family is important and they enjoy dotting the map with places they’ve been, and of course the bucket list is endless.
Qian is currently working on her second book, Fighting for Fitness, a self-help guide for making dramatic life changes, particularly in health and fitness.