Meet the Staff | Leadways School

Meet Our Staff

Our staff at Leadways School is passionate about education and dedicated to the success of every student. Get to know our exceptional team below:

Joseph Stark

Founding Principal of Leadways School

Welcome! For those of you just joining our family, I welcome you to imagine a place where curiosity is celebrated, where thoughtful questions are valued more than quick answers, and where every child's unique qualities are nurtured. This is the vision that drives us every day at Leadways. We believe in a world where education isn't confined to textbooks and standardized tests, but is a vibrant, ever-evolving exploration of life itself.

At the heart of our philosophy is a profound belief in the power of thought. We're not here to fill heads with facts, but to ignite the fire of critical thinking. We want our students to question, to wonder, to challenge – because it's through this process that true learning occurs. When children learn to think freely, innovate, and design solutions with empathy, they gain a superpower that will serve them for life.

Perhaps most importantly, we want to rekindle the pure joy of learning. When students fall in love with the process of learning itself, success becomes not just likely, but inevitable.

Leadways is more than just a school; it's a promise. A promise to nurture, to challenge, and to inspire. Together, we're not just preparing students for today– we're cultivating the minds and hearts that will shape our collective future.

Jun Liu

Founding Visionary of Leadways School

Jun, a distinguished Wharton alumna, boasts an impressive two-decade career in K-12 education counseling and college planning. With a track record of assisting countless students, she has successfully elevated their academic achievements, resulting in an outstanding 95% admission rate into the nation's top 30 universities.

Jun holds prestigious certifications as a counselor from both the US National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.

Wanny Hersey

Chief Strategic Advisor

Wanny Hersey is an international school founder, reformer, and leader who has spent over 40 years designing top-rated schools, cultivating outstanding educators, and creating comprehensive personalized programs for preK-12 students. Wanny was the Founding Superintendent/Principal of Bullis Charter School which, under her 17-year leadership, achieved national and international awards for academic excellence as well as accolades for its innovative and systemic integration of Design Thinking, Project-Based Learning, UN Sustainable Development Goals, Visual and Performing Arts, and STEAM into its core standards-based program. Most recently, Wanny was the International Chief Academic Director at Elite K-12 Education Group overseeing the international programs and administrators for the HD Beijing, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Qingdao Schools.

Wanny also served as the Founding CAD of the HT Nanjing Impact Academy which recently secured admissions to the top 50 universities in the world for 100% of its inaugural graduating class. Wanny holds an Innovation Certificate from ASU GSV Summit, a Leadership Certificate from Harvard University, and a Lead AI Coach Certificate from Intel Global Government Partnerships and Initiatives. Among others, she has served as a representative to the California Association for the Gifted, as an Education Advisor for Reach Capital, and is a frequent contributor to panels, trainings, and podcasts in the US and abroad.