Denizen | for third culture kids

Meet the Denizen Team
Contact: Submit a Letter to the Editor, or email editors@denizenmag.com

Steph Yiu, founder and editor
Steph Yiu is the founder of Denizen. She has lived in Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Edinburgh, Portland, Chicago and Boston. Formerly the web editor for the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye, she is a journalism grad from Northwestern University and has interned at The Oregonian and The Boston Globe. Contact: steph@denizenmag.com, or find her on Twitter.

Paul Takahashi, managing editor
Paul Takahashi is a second-generation Japanese-American born and raised in the New York City area. Although technically not a TCK, Paul’s mother was born in Brazil and his father in Japan, so he’s a passport-carrying citizen of all three nations. Formerly a videographer with The Times in Johannesburg, Paul is a journalism grad from Northwestern University and a multimedia journalist at the Las Vegas Sun. Contact: paul@denizenmag.com, or find him on Twitter.

Elaina Natario, art director
Elaina Natario is the art director and a contributing illustrator of Denizen. Though not a TCK, she loves reading about (and illustrating) her peers’ cultural experiences. Elaina earned her BA in Graphic Design in 2010 from Simmons College, and has interned at the Boston Globe and Boston Magazine. She currently resides in Boston, designing, painting, and cooking yummy recipes! See more of Elaina’s work on her website. Contact: elaina@denizenmag.com, or find her on Twitter.

Carol Lin, weddings editor
Carol Lin has lived in Taichung, Bangkok, Vancouver, Chicago, and San Francisco. Carol holds permanent residences in 3 countries but feels at home in Canada as well. She graduated from University of British Columbia and is now completing her psychology doctorate from The Chicago School, interning at Children’s Hospital of Oakland. When she’s not holding therapy sessions with children, Carol is testing out water bottles for her site, mywaterbloggle.com, shooting weddings for her photography business, augustfour.com, or finding new eats around the Bay area. Contact: carol@denizenmag.com.

Brittani Sonnenberg, columnist
Brittani Sonnenberg grew up in Hamburg, Philadelphia, London, Atlanta, Shanghai, and Singapore. She has worked as a journalist in Phnom Penh, Hong Kong, and Berlin, and as a writing instructor at the University of Michigan, Carleton College, and the University of Hong Kong. Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The O’Henry Prize Stories 2008, Ploughshares, Time Magazine, the Associated Press, NPR, and elsewhere. She currently lives in Berlin, and is working on a memoir about growing up overseas.  She offers TCK-themed workshops at international and American schools for students, teachers, and parents. More information on her workshops can be found at tckworkshop.com.

Alan Ryan Garcia, columnist
A Filipino born in Thailand and raised in South Korea, China, Fiji, and New York, Alan Ryan Garcia currently resides in Shanghai where he pursues a Masters in Chinese Economics at Fudan University. See more of his work on his website.

Valerie Wong, social media editor
Valerie Wong was born in Toronto, grew up in Hong Kong and is currently studying international business at New York University. In her spare time, or lack thereof, she likes to read, write and eat ridiculous amounts of food…

Adele Barlow, careers writer
Adele Barlow is a Malaysian-Kiwi who has lived in Hong Kong, Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, and now London. Co-founder of yMedia, Adele now works as a digital media contractor in London. You can read more about it on her blog or follow her on Twitter.

Suzanne Leung, careers writer
While she grew up in Singapore, Suzanne Leung has also lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and her birthplace, England.  She currently calls San Francisco home, and is one of the founders of AbsolutelyFobulous.com.  Suzanne Leung received her B.A. from Knox College, majoring in Anthropology & Sociology and minoring in Journalism. You can find her on Twitter.

Wazha Dube, careers writer
Wazha Dube, a half Motswana (from Botswana) and half American, was born in Belgium and raised in Sweden, Botswana, England, China, and the United States. A Hawai’i Pacific University graduate with a degree in Travel Industry Management, he now calls New York City his main home, where he feeds his passion for travel by working for Ker & Downey, a  leading luxury  travel company.

Lauren Pettapiece, illustrator
Lauren Pettapiece hails from Pittsburgh, PA but has found Boston to be a cozy fit. She earned a BFA in Illustration from Syracuse University. She enjoys animation, baking, and root beer floats. See more of her work on her website.

Lindsey Ruane, illustrator
Lindsey Ruane is a graduate of Simmons College where she received a B.A. in Graphic Design. She enjoys drawing and painting. She also dabbles in and experiments with screen printing and sewing. Her favorite movie is Coraline. She lives in Somerville, MA with her two pet rats, Coraline and Madeline. Her favorite creatives include Sylvia Plath, Edward Gorey, Winslow Homer, Tim Burton, and Beatrix Potter. You can check out her work on her website.

Mary Lundquist, illustrator
Mary Lundquist is an illustrator who grew up in Massachusetts and is currently living in Manchester, England. In 2008 she graduated with a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and has since been working as a freelance illustrator and crafter. Her artwork is inspired by people, trees, bicycles, food and as well as many other things in the world that she finds interesting and beautiful. You can see more of her work on her website.

David Habben, illustrator
David Habben really, really loves to draw. See more of David’s work on his website.