Born in China’s rural Heilongjiang province, Jin-Hua Dana Jiang immigrated to the U.S. when she was about eleven years old. For a decade, Jiang lived in various Buddhist temples in the U.S.—all founded by her great-grand uncle Master Hsuan Hua—and lived as a nun from 12 to 17. In 2006, Jiang graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a BA in Chinese Studies, and she also completed 9 credits in Master in Mindfulness Studies from Lesley University in Boston. Currently, she works for Glendale Community College in Arizona and, in accordance with her interests, has run an on-campus group meditation space for the past four and a half years. In her free time, Jiang enjoys meditation, hiking, swimming, and attending spiritual retreats.