Our Team
At HudsonWay Immersion School, we believe in the power of language and culture to transform education. Our dedicated team of educators and staff is committed to providing a rich, immersive learning experience that nurtures curiosity, creativity, and a global perspective in every student.
We invite you to discover the people who make our school a vibrant and inspiring place to learn and grow.
Founder's Letter
My journey with language immersion began about twenty years ago. As a mother of infant twins, I discovered that given the right learning environment, a child’s brain can develop biliteracy - meaning that they can learn to read, write and think in more than one language. When students learn all subjects in a second language for a majority of each day - supported by well-trained, caring teachers who instill a love of learning - this has a powerful and lasting impact on their development. Their cognitive skills are enhanced, and they develop the appreciation of other cultures and perspectives that is so often missing in public education in the United States.Â
Since our founding, we have stayed committed to what makes us unique -Â full language immersion, caring relationships with our students and their families, and academic rigor. Our students grow into globally competent citizens who are prepared for a global future - able to investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, understand perspectives other than their own, communicate across differences, and take action to improve conditions globally.
Compared to other similar independent language immersion schools in the NY/NJ area, we have a disproportionately outsized number of accomplished students and alumni. We measure this in a variety of ways - our students have high acceptance rates to gifted and talented programs and top tier ongoing middle and high schools. They achieve elevated AP language test scores, attain the Global Seal of Biliteracy, and score well-above the norm on standardized tests. They also attain athletic achievement in fencing, gymnastics, and taekwondo. And, for the first time, one of our alumni competed in swimming during the 2024 Olympic games!
We are proud to have played a role in shaping the lives of our students, and are grateful to the staff and families who have contributed so much through the years to our international community. Â
We are excited for what the next 20 years will bring. And we welcome you to explore what a HudsonWay future can look like for your child.
Warmly,
Sharon Huang, Founder
Our Leadership
Sharon Huang - Founder & CEO
Prior to founding HudsonWay Immersion School in February 2005, Sharon worked for 15+ years in various brand management and marketing positions at Nabisco, AirTouch Cellular and Weightwatchers.com. She has a BS in chemical engineering from the University of California Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. She is an advisor to Asia Society’s CELIN (Chinese Early Language Immersion Network). She and her husband Bill Hicks have twin 20-year-old sons who graduated from HWIS in 5th grade. Sharon supports the NY and NJ campus teams and oversees areas of marketing, curriculum and program development.
David Heller - Principal NJ Campus
David is the principal of the NJ campus. He has 20+ years of education administration and teaching experience. Prior to joining HWIS, David served as principal of Hilltop Elementary School in Mendham and Assistant Principal at Franklin Elementary School Westfield, NJ.
Under David's leadership, Hilltop School was recognized as a New Jersey and National School of Character, by Character.org, in 2018 and 2023. In 2023, Hilltop Elementary School was ranked the 19th best school in New Jersey and was named a National Blue Ribbon School!
Martha Ortiz - Principal NY campus
Martha is an education administrator with nearly 20 years of experience. Prior to joining HWIS in 2023 she spent five years as an administrator in Mandarin immersion programs at the German International School and the Northwest Chinese Academy in Oregon. Martha also spent 12 years in various teaching and administrative roles based in NYC, Beijing, Hangzhou and Nanjing, China. Of Puerto Rican descent but originally from New York City, Martha is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School. She also received her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from Wellesley College and her Master of Arts in International Education Development from Columbia University.Â
Bill Hicks - Chief Administrative Officer
Bill has 20 years of corporate experience including time in the healthcare industry at Baxter International. He lived in Taiwan and Ecuador as a child. His education includes a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford University. Bill supports administrative areas of operations, finance, legal and human resources.
Mark Bandak - Investor and Board Member
Mark has close to a decade of global experience investing in the education sector, particularly in PreK-12 for-profit schools. He co-founded Valian Ltd. in 2014 and invested in GEMS Education. Prior to Valian, Mark spent 13 years as a partner at Investcorp and the Blackstone Group. Mark earned an MBA and BS in Engineering from Columbia University.