The Ripple Effect: Liqing Yu’s Lifelong Passion for Learning and Teaching

Growing up in China, Liqing Yu had an endless number of questions about the world around her, especially the things that she could touch and feel. 

“I used to be curious about everything,” she reflected, “like, ‘What’s this plant’s name?’ and ‘What’s this rock’s name and why is this rock shaped this way?’” 

While her grandparents farmed and could tell her about vegetables, Yu’s interests went beyond the borders of agriculture. Her passion for one interest in particular — geography — led Yu to earn both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in the subject with the intention of teaching high school students and sharing her excitement with them. 

After obtaining her teaching certificate and completing her advanced degree, Yu got married and moved to the U.S. with her husband in 2020. Once they settled in Michigan, they welcomed a baby into the family and Yu stayed home to care for their child for 2.5 years, simultaneously learning English and adapting to American culture. 

After moving to Minnesota in 2022, Yu was ready to return to work. Still driven to teach, she found a job at a Montessori school. After several years in the role, Yu felt like she understood toddlers and was ready to satisfy her curiosity about working with other age groups in the classroom. 

“I love toddlers. They’re adorable, they’re lovely, but I feel like I need a more challenging thing to do in my life,” Yu noted, “and I just [want to] keep learning. I’m a lifelong learner.” 

Yu knew that earning her Minnesota teaching license would be key to finding a full-time K-12 teaching role with long-term job stability. That’s when she connected with Moreland University. 

Challenges, Certification, and Finding New Opportunities

Yu’s desire to grow and evolve as an educator led her to enroll in Moreland’s TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program. But where most candidates hear about Moreland from a friend, colleague, or their school district, Yu found out about TEACH-NOW through a different medium: social media. 

While scrolling through WeChat — a mobile Chinese instant messaging and social media app — Yu found an article about Moreland that caught her attention. Over the next year, Yu noticed more recommendations for the 9-month, 100% online teacher certification program and considered how it could fit into her schedule as a mother working full-time. Then, as she experienced TEACH-NOW firsthand, Yu realized that the program’s flexibility and self-paced format were ideal for her. 

“It’s very convenient for us who have to work for 8 hours every day,” she said. “We cannot really leave work to [go to] campus to take these kinds of trainings, so online [coursework] is perfect.” 

As she homed in on teaching elementary school grades as her desired next step, Yu noticed that the educational philosophies and practical lessons she was learning could also be applied to her Montessori students, especially classroom management skills. 

Progressing through the program, Yu understood the importance of finding a work-life-study balance that worked for her, ultimately deciding to do most of her coursework on the weekend when she knew she could be energized and well-rested. She was also able to lean on those closest to her for help. 

“My husband…supported me very, very strongly,” she recalled. “[He would] take my son to the library…and then I could concentrate on my assignments.” 

The Impact of Teaching and Future Goals

Having completed her certification program, Yu is ready for the next phase of her career and the phases of her teaching journey beyond that. While she has her sights set on teaching elementary learners in the short-term, her long-term plans are even more ambitious: Yu envisions herself running her own school. 

“I feel like I can do more. I want to challenge myself,” she said. “I cannot just live in a bubble or a shell all the time just because [teaching toddlers] is easy.” 

The reason Yu wants to eventually move into administration is simple, though: positively influencing teachers will have a wide ripple effect since each of those teachers will go on to positively influence their students. Coincidentally, it’s a logic that can be traced back to a teacher who inspired Yu’s own professional dreams as a high school student in China — and to something she heard in her Montessori training. 

“One of my instructors said, ‘If I only [work] in the classroom, I can only teach 10 kids for a year. But when I start to be an instructor, I can teach 10 teachers, and then [those] 10 teachers will teach 100 students.’” 

She may have majored in geography, but Yu has done her math and learned that solving the equation is about much more than delivering lessons — it’s about shaping the future. 

“I like to guide my students,” Yu said. “Teaching nowadays is definitely not just teaching them knowledge…because nowadays, if you want to know an answer, you can get it online or use all kinds of tools, but how you teach them, how you approach them, and how you change their view of the world? That kind of thing is very important to me.” 

Moreland Supports Minnesota Teachers like Liqing Yu

As Yu continues her teaching journey in Minnesota, she remains committed to learning, growing, and making a difference. Whether she’s guiding toddlers, mentoring fellow educators, or working toward her goal of being a school leader, her dedication to education shines through. Earning her teacher certification, she notes, was a major step toward achieving both her short-term and long-term goals. 

“[TEACH-NOW] is definitely a wonderful program,” Yu said. “If someone is looking for an online teaching certification, they should choose Moreland.” 

Moreland supports current and aspiring educators across Minnesota with resources and programs to help further their careers, like our flexible, 100% online teacher certification and master’s degree programs. Live outside Minnesota? We’ve supported teachers across the U.S. and in 165+ countries. We’d be thrilled to support your teaching journey too. 

If you’re ready to develop the instructional skills needed to build a thriving teaching career or you’re ready to uplevel your expertise with an advanced degree, complete your free application today — it takes less than 15 minutes to make the next move on your teaching journey.