Rong Wang
Board Chair
Founder and Principal, DMIS
Ms. Wang serves as Board Chair, Founder and Principal of Dragon Mandarin Immersion School (DMIS). In 2016, she founded Houston Dragon Academy to give families near Houston’s Medical Center access to Chinese language education close to home. In 2026, she founded DMIS to bring full-day Mandarin immersion to students in PreK4 through fifth grade. Ms. Wang brings nearly 17 years of experience in Texas public schools, where she taught Chinese at the elementary and high school levels and developed a districtwide Chinese curriculum. Her students have consistently achieved outstanding results: in both 2020 and 2021, 100% of her AP Chinese students earned the highest possible score of 5. She was recognized among the Top 50 Most Popular and Influential Teachers in the Galveston area in 2016 and again in 2024, becoming the first Chinese educator to receive the honor in 2016. Ms. Wang holds a master’s degree from the University of Houston and completed the Principal Certification Program at the University of Texas at Arlington. She holds teaching certificates in Languages Other Than English (LOTE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) for grades K–12, along with additional qualifications in AP Chinese and Gifted and Talented education. Through DMIS, Ms. Wang brings together the strengths of Eastern and Western education. She is committed to creating a nurturing school community where children develop strong academic foundations, confidence in two languages, and an appreciation for diverse cultures, preparing them to thrive in an interconnected world.
Ms. Wang serves as Board Chair, Founder and Principal of Dragon Mandarin Immersion School (DMIS). In 2016, she founded Houston Dragon Academy to give families near Houston’s Medical Center access to Chinese language education close to home. In 2026, she founded DMIS to bring full-day Mandarin immersion to students in PreK4 through fifth grade. Ms. Wang brings nearly 17 years of experience in Texas public schools, where she taught Chinese at the elementary and high school levels and developed a districtwide Chinese curriculum. Her students have consistently achieved outstanding results: in both 2020 and 2021, 100% of her AP Chinese students earned the highest possible score of 5. She was recognized among the Top 50 Most Popular and Influential Teachers in the Galveston area in 2016 and again in 2024, becoming the first Chinese educator to receive the honor in 2016. Ms. Wang holds a master’s degree from the University of Houston and completed the Principal Certification Program at the University of Texas at Arlington. She holds teaching certificates in Languages Other Than English (LOTE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) for grades K–12, along with additional qualifications in AP Chinese and Gifted and Talented education. Through DMIS, Ms. Wang brings together the strengths of Eastern and Western education. She is committed to creating a nurturing school community where children develop strong academic foundations, confidence in two languages, and an appreciation for diverse cultures, preparing them to thrive in an interconnected world.
Susan Sample
Treasurer
Mayor, City of West University Place
Ms. Sample serves as Treasurer of the DMIS Board of Directors. She has spent more than 30 years in tax, accounting and public service, and she is helping DMIS build a strong financial foundation as the school grows. Many Houston families know Ms. Sample as the Mayor of West University Place. She was first elected in 2015 and returned to office in 2021, after four years on the City Council as mayor pro tem. In her professional life, Ms. Sample is a Shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, PC, where she leads the firm’s tax controversy practice. Best Lawyers has named her “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation and Controversy – Tax. Ms. Sample is a Certified Public Accountant. She graduated from Rice University and earned a Master in Professional Accounting and a J.D. from The University of Texas. She has long served the community through the boards of the Texas Society of CPAs and SPARK Park, and she is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston. “I value diversity and believe that learning across languages and cultures helps children thrive. I support DMIS’s mission because it celebrates cultural diversity, fosters mutual understanding, and prepares students to succeed in an interconnected world.”
Ms. Sample serves as Treasurer of the DMIS Board of Directors. She has spent more than 30 years in tax, accounting and public service, and she is helping DMIS build a strong financial foundation as the school grows. Many Houston families know Ms. Sample as the Mayor of West University Place. She was first elected in 2015 and returned to office in 2021, after four years on the City Council as mayor pro tem. In her professional life, Ms. Sample is a Shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, PC, where she leads the firm’s tax controversy practice. Best Lawyers has named her “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation and Controversy – Tax. Ms. Sample is a Certified Public Accountant. She graduated from Rice University and earned a Master in Professional Accounting and a J.D. from The University of Texas. She has long served the community through the boards of the Texas Society of CPAs and SPARK Park, and she is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston. “I value diversity and believe that learning across languages and cultures helps children thrive. I support DMIS’s mission because it celebrates cultural diversity, fosters mutual understanding, and prepares students to succeed in an interconnected world.”
Jillwen Sung, DMD
Board Member
Dr. Sung is a co-founder and the Board Chair of the Houston Mandarin Immersion Foundation (HMIF), the parent-founded nonprofit behind the Mandarin Immersion School of Houston (MISH). MISH’s K–3 pilot laid the groundwork for DMIS, and Dr. Sung’s leadership helped carry that mission, community and legacy forward into the school families know today. She is a respected Houston endodontist with more than 20 years of specialist practice. She has practiced at Houston Southwest Endodontics since 2005, where she cares for patients in both English and Mandarin. She also teaches the next generation of dentists as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Endodontics at the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. Dr. Sung earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and completed her specialty training in endodontics at New York University College of Dentistry. She is also an entrepreneur: she co-founded JUARA Skincare in 2005 and recently co-founded Clinic Guard, which provides regulatory support software for dentists.
Dr. Sung is a co-founder and the Board Chair of the Houston Mandarin Immersion Foundation (HMIF), the parent-founded nonprofit behind the Mandarin Immersion School of Houston (MISH). MISH’s K–3 pilot laid the groundwork for DMIS, and Dr. Sung’s leadership helped carry that mission, community and legacy forward into the school families know today. She is a respected Houston endodontist with more than 20 years of specialist practice. She has practiced at Houston Southwest Endodontics since 2005, where she cares for patients in both English and Mandarin. She also teaches the next generation of dentists as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Endodontics at the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. Dr. Sung earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and completed her specialty training in endodontics at New York University College of Dentistry. She is also an entrepreneur: she co-founded JUARA Skincare in 2005 and recently co-founded Clinic Guard, which provides regulatory support software for dentists.
Lili Yang
Board Member
Coordinator and School Administrator, DMIS & HDA
Ms. Yang brings deep school leadership experience and knows the DMIS classroom firsthand. She serves as DMIS & HDA Coordinator and School Administrator, and she teaches Math and Chinese in grades 3 and 4. Ms. Yang has taught Chinese in the United States since 2006, at the Chinese School of Knoxville Chinese Christian Church, the Houston Chinese Church Chinese School and the Upper School of Second Baptist School Houston. She later served three years as Principal of the Houston Chinese Church Chinese School and nine years as Assistant Principal at Houston Dragon Academy. Before coming to the U.S., Ms. Yang spent five years at Central South University in China teaching character and psychology education to undergraduates, and she twice received the university’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She holds a master’s degree from Central South University and a master’s in Statistics from the University of Tennessee, where she also served as a teaching assistant. In her classroom, Ms. Yang combines traditional and digital teaching to help students of every language background learn Chinese with joy and confidence.
Ms. Yang brings deep school leadership experience and knows the DMIS classroom firsthand. She serves as DMIS & HDA Coordinator and School Administrator, and she teaches Math and Chinese in grades 3 and 4. Ms. Yang has taught Chinese in the United States since 2006, at the Chinese School of Knoxville Chinese Christian Church, the Houston Chinese Church Chinese School and the Upper School of Second Baptist School Houston. She later served three years as Principal of the Houston Chinese Church Chinese School and nine years as Assistant Principal at Houston Dragon Academy. Before coming to the U.S., Ms. Yang spent five years at Central South University in China teaching character and psychology education to undergraduates, and she twice received the university’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She holds a master’s degree from Central South University and a master’s in Statistics from the University of Tennessee, where she also served as a teaching assistant. In her classroom, Ms. Yang combines traditional and digital teaching to help students of every language background learn Chinese with joy and confidence.
