Editor’s Note :
As the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School near their 50th anniversary, a special editorial team is collecting reflections from former presidents and principals to preserve this half-century journey.
Cultural Express launches the “Brilliant Fifty” series, featuring selected essays that illuminate the people and stories that shaped our community.
After joining the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association Board and the Irvine Chinese School Parent Association in 1991, then serving as Dean of Students and Course Director in 1995, I went on to succeed Principal Mei-hsin Chung in July 1998—and stayed on through the Y2K millennium year.
Shi-yun Chung (third from left) led a team of teachers and students to victory, winning the championship in the National Fairness Cup General Knowledge Competition.
Now in 2026, those thirty-plus years make up nearly half my life. The memories are too many to count, and some have faded with time, but three innovations from my years as principal still stand out vividly.
Digital Rise ・ Global Reach
Computer networks were my field, so I strongly promoted Chinese computing. We offered beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes, taught by Ke-nan Tung and Shih-liang Chen.
At the time, Wi-Fi was rare, so teachers had to connect more than a dozen laptops to a router before each class.
In 1999, as Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council promoted Chinese online learning, I returned to Taiwan to attend the first Global Chinese Internet Conference.
I brought back software and had our teachers build a website at once, making Irvine Chinese School one of fewer than ten overseas Chinese schools featured on the OCAC website and giving it global visibility.
Earlier, during Principal Mei-hsin Chung’s tenure, Lin Jih-sen and Hsia Han-yuan of Oracle had developed a registration and grading system for ICS, greatly improving operations for more than 1,000 students.
I later added parent service-point billing, making registration and payment much clearer.
I also introduced this system to the Southern California Council of Chinese Schools, and several schools in Northern California adopted it as well.
In those years, Irvine Chinese School also handled computerized scoring for the council’s speech contests. (Note 1)
First Visit ・ Dream Fulfilled
Another milestone came in May 1999, when Jason Yuan, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, made his first visit to an overseas Chinese school.
Irvine Chinese School was said to be the first school he visited. After observing classes at all levels, he was deeply impressed by the teachers’ dedication and the students’ hard work.
Director-General Yuan also said Orange County should have its own Overseas Community Center. That vision was realized in September 2005 with the opening of the center in Santa Ana.
Jason Yuan, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (fourth from right), visited Irvine Chinese School in May, 1999
New Lead ・ New Page
Finally, in 2009, I returned to serve on the SCCCA Board. In 2012, I worked hard to persuade the board to invite Yulan Chung to become principal.
She quickly won broad support. Under her leadership, the school flourished, earned WASC accreditation in 2015, and launched Irvine Chinese Preschool in 2021.
She also led many successful community programs, including the Lantern Festival co-hosted with the Pacific Symphony, which drew growing crowds each year.
As Confucius Institutes expanded, Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council supported Taiwan Academies with funding and teaching materials.
This helped us launch ACE after-school Chinese classes in Irvine public elementary schools in 2012. Though short-lived, the program helped pave the way for today’s Irvine Chinese Immersion Academy. (Note 2)
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ICS 20th Anniversary
Note 1: In 1997, Irvine Chinese School enrollment reached 1,025 students, topping 1,000 for the first time. In 1999, after Tzu Chi Irvine opened, we lost 200 students, though our language program still maintained 39 classes.
During my two years as principal, I was out of town at the end of both school years. My thanks to Vice Principals Ke-chiang Yang and Li-kuan Chien for sharing the responsibility.
The parent service-point billing system was established during the terms of Parent Association Presidents Chien-shen Chou and Hung-pin Yang (1989–1991).
Note 2: WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, grants accreditation that allows a school’s credits to be recognized by public schools as outside coursework credit.
ACE, or After Class Enrichment, was an after-school program provided by IPSF and offered at several Irvine public elementary schools.
ICIA is one of several Orange County public charter elementary schools offering Chinese-English dual-language immersion.(Brilliant Fifty XX)
Read More：
Reflections on the 50th Anniversary Joan Chien (SCCCA Former Board Chair 1996-98 ）
Building on the Past Opening a New Chapter Peter Liu ( ICS Former Principal 1995-96)
Some Remarks on the 50th Anniversary of ICS. Bin Yang ( ICS Former Principal 1992-94 )
Looking Back on My Year as ICS Principal. Ping Deng Yow ( ICS Former Principal 1988-89 )
An Affinity for the Irvine Chinese School. Ann Hwu ( ICS Former Principal 1987-88)
Building Bridges Across Generations and Cultures. Susie Chu ( SCCCA Board Chair 1988-89)
From Parent to Principal : My ICS Story. Hedy Ho（ Former ICS Principal 1986-87 )
United We Strive · United We Rise. Don Niu ( Former SCCCA board chair 1986-87 )
ICS Memories That Still Shine. Phen Cheng (1984-85 ICS Principal)
Reflections of a School Janitor. JJ Lee (SCCCA Board Chair 1979-1980 )
A Journey from One Dream to a Community Legacy Mitzi Fu (1976-82, 1983-84 ICS Founding Principal)