Meet Our Staff: Introducing Chewy!

Hi! My real name is Chui Ying, but everyone calls me Chewy. It’s a nickname left over from my teaching days when my toddler students found it a challenge to say my name.

I’m originally from Singapore, but relocated to North Carolina with my husband in August 2010. With over 6 years of speech and drama and preschool teaching experience in both Singapore and China, I continued to look for a teaching position when I moved here. As fate would have it, I landed a job as a presenter at Discovery Place KIDS and haven’t looked back since!

My role at Discovery Place KIDS is perfect for me because I also worked with young children in my previous teaching job. I love coming to work because I get to meet new people of all ages every day. One of the most rewarding parts is seeing the faces of our youngest visitors as they walk into the Museum. Their smiles and laughter are always a combination of wonder and excitement. I also look forward to seeing the Museum’s ‘regulars’! I try to keep up with names, which can be a challenge…but the effort is well worth it when guests’ faces light up because I remembered their name!

The best thing about working at Discovery Place KIDS is that I learn something new every day. Even though as a presenter my job is to educate the public, I feel like it is reciprocal. There is so much to learn not only from the kids who visit us (and aren’t afraid to share their views!), but also from our adult guests who offer different experiences and backgrounds.

I do also enjoy my days off, mainly because I’m new to the country and to the area. There is such a vast variety of new things to see and places to visit. I love making trips to the local library or to thrift stores. I am a huge fan of ‘thrifting’, and to me, America is the land of thrift stores and yard sales. Since I moved here, I have also picked up birding. Our family has three bird feeders in the yard, and I like to sit with my coffee and binoculars in the mornings and watch them fly around. A little family of bluebirds has built a nest in our bird box on the porch!

When you next drop by the Museum, don’t forget to come say hi. I would very much like to meet you!

— Chewy