We are always looking for new people eager to join our hard-working, creative, and collaborative team of educators. If you are interested, please click “Employment Opportunities” for a listing of available positions and instructions on applying for a position at IHSL.
Jon Harriman | Principal
Jon is originally from a small town in northwest Arkansas where his family has lived for many generations. After studying microbiology in university, he lived in Tonga in the South Pacific for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer, then in Madrid for another two years to study Spanish, and finally in New York for the past nine years. After ten years of teaching science, he started training other teachers at Flushing International High School and is now working as the principal.
Sherien Sultan | Assistant Principal
Sherien Sultan was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in New York City. She has a B.A. in International Relations from the American University in Cairo and an M.A. in Liberal Studies from the Graduate Center (CUNY). Before joining the IHSL staff, she worked with various human rights organizations on social, cultural and political issues that immigrants confront upon arriving in America. She began teaching ELL in 2005 and joined IHSL as a history teacher in September 2006.
Joan Jones | School Secretary
Joan has worked for the Department of Education for over six years. Before coming to IHSL, she worked at the Erasmus campus and at Middle College at Medgar Evars College. Joan lived in Virginia for ten years and worked at Hampton University. Joan was born in Trinidad, lived in Grenada, and moved to New York at the age of eight, where she has lived most of her life.
Carlos Franco | Parent Coordinator
Carlos Franco hails from Socorro in western Texas. He received his B.A. in History from The University of Texas-El Paso (Go Miners!). Carlos is a native Spanish speaker. He previously lived in Boston where he worked as a conflict resolution, and athletics coach through Sports4Kids. He also has experience with high school students while working as a computer lab assistant, tutor, and mentor.
Cindy Choi | Data Specialist
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Heather Binen | Guidance Counselor/College Advisor
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Patricia Ibarra | Social Worker
Pati was born in Mazatlan, Sinaloa Mexico, “The pearl of the Pacific.” She is a native Spanish speaker who learned English as a second language. She was raised in a small town in central California and went to Brown University where she earned her bachelors in Psychology and Hispanic Literature. After graduating college, Pati worked for two years in a hospital in Providence, Rhode Island working on several clinical research studies including OCD research and tobacco prevention. After this she returned to school to obtain her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. Pati then returned to California for one year and worked in a non- profit agency providing therapy for school age children. Now she is back in NYC and enjoying working at IHSL as a Licensed Social Worker.
Aarti Sawhney | Literacy Coach
Aarti Sawhney was born and raised just outside of New Haven, Connecticut. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in English Education from Teachers College-Columbia University. She has taught English in New York City since 2000. She speaks Hindi-Urdu, Spanish, and some Punjabi.
Lurick Calixte | School Aide
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Maria Russo | Paraprofessional
Maria was born in the region of Calabria, south of Italy. Has lived in the USA since 1968. She has worked at Lafayette High School for eight years and has been working at International High school as a Paraprofessional for three years. She speaks Italian and Spanish. Graduated from TOURO college of liberal arts and sciences, with a Bachelor Degree of Science. She enjoys running, and cooking.
Sergia Vazquez | Paraprofessional
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Sue Chan | Paraprofessional
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Sarit Gans | Physical Education Teacher
Sarit Gans was born and raised in a small city called Kiryat Bialik (near Haifa), Israel and immigrated to New York in 2000. She has a black belt in Karate and at the age of 16 become the youngest Karate coach/instructor in Israel. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Brooklyn College and a Master’s degree in Regular and Special Education from Touro College. She has taught Physical Education in New York City since 2006. Sarit joined IHSL as a Physical Education teacher in September 2009. She speaks Hebrew fluently.
Christina Zawerucha | SIFE Teacher
Christina Zawerucha grew up in a Ukrainian family in Suffern, New York. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2006 with a triple major in Economics, Environmental Science, and Political Science with a minor in Middle East North African Studies with Arabic. After working for various non-profits, she joined the New York Teaching Fellows and graduated with a Masters of Science in TESOL Education from CUNY Lehman in 2009. In addition to teaching, Ms. Christina is the owner of Gypsy Wagon Organic Farm in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania and sings in a gypsy rock band.
Bridges
Cara Schroeder | English Teacher
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Kara MacDevitt | Earth Science Teacher
A native New Mexican, Kara is new to New York and teaches Earth Science. She is involved with the Student Government, Service Learning Club and various other events around the school. Kara studied Environmental Science at Bates College in Maine and is eager to share her love for the environment with the students. Kara joined the New York City Teaching Fellows program after leaving a career in medical technology and received her master’s degree at Pace University.
Sean Burke | Internship Coordinator
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Discovery
Amy Gallagher | English Teacher
Amy Gallagher grew up in Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with a degree in German literature. After spending a few years teaching ELL in several places in North America and Asia, Amy attended the School for International Training where she obtained a MA in Teaching. She joined the staff at IHSL in 2007 and enjoys teaching 9th/10th grade English.
Athena Theodoris | Biology Teacher
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Hannah Whang | Social Studies Teacher
Hannah was born in North Carolina and raised in Livingston, New Jersey. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English from Rutgers University in 2005. After two long years of working in a cubicle, she joined the NYC Teaching Fellows in 2007 and graduated with her master’s in TESOL Education from Fordham University in 2009. After teaching ESL for three years, she joined the staff of IHSL in 2010. She has taught English in East and Southeast Asia and enjoys working with students from all over the world.
Katie Dratz | Art Teacher
Katie Dratz grew up in Hong Kong, speaking Spanish at home with her Mother, from El Salvador, and speaking English with her Father, from the United States. She attended the Art Institute of Boston and graduated with a BFA in Painting and Printmaking in 2008. In 2010, she received her Master’s degree in Art Education from New York University. She still continues to paint and draw and has had her work exhibited in Boston and New York. She is a first year art teacher and is happy to be teaching at IHSL!
John Xu | Math Teacher
John Xu grew up in Wenzhou, China. His family immigrated to USA in 1997. He first attended Newcomers High School in Queens. He graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a major in Math and Education. After first teaching in Bronx International High School for 4 years, John joined International High School at Lafayette. He is currently the math teacher for Discovery Team. In 2010, John was married and had his first daughter, Vanessa
Odyssey
Anjali Wason | English Teacher
Anjali Wason was born in Nairobi, Kenya and raised in London. She has
a B.A. in Anthropology and Law from the London School of Economics in the UK and a MSEd. in TESOL from Long Island University, where she was an ISTART Fellow. Before joining the IHSL staff, she wrote a book
called Body Talk: Real Girls Ask Real Questions About Life, Love and Everything In Between (HarperCollins India, 2010), and designed HIV prevention curricula for adolescents in Nepal, Dominican Republic and South Africa while working at Planned Parenthood. She speaks fluent Hindi and conversational French.
Daniel Frimpong | Physics Teacher
Daniel is from Kumasi in Ghana where he attended the University of Science and Technology.
Michele Hamilton | Social Studies Teacher
Michele is a native New Yorker who has spent some time living, working and studying in Europe. She received a scholarship to study at the university in Graz, Austria while working towards her BA at Montclair State University. After graduation, Michele worked for a translation agency in New York City while earning her MA in Teaching English as a Second Language from Hunter College, CUNY. She taught high school in Queens for three years. She left teaching for yet another career change – having a daughter and then two years later, a son. This is her first year at IHSL. She speaks German and her Spanish is getting better all the time.
Nikola Savic | Math Teacher
Nikola was born in Belgrade, Serbia and immigrated to Detroit at the age of 7. He received a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics at Wayne State University in Detroit. In April 2007 Nikola moved to New York City and joined the New York City Teaching Fellows. After studying at St. John’s University for 2 years, he received a Master of Science in Education degree in 2009. Nikola enjoys cycling, chess and travel. He speaks Serbian fluently.
Transitions Team
Carol Ma | Biology Teacher
Carol was born in New Jersey and grew up in Staten Island. She went to the University of Maryland for 3 years and changed her major way too many times (environmental science, chemistry, biology). After that, she attended Stony Brook University in Long Island for 2 years and received her Bachelor of Science in Biology in May 2007. Right after graduation, she joined the NYC Teaching Fellows (Cohort 14) and got her first teaching job at International High School in June 2007. So far, teaching has been a blast for Carol. She learns something new everyday from her students (even her Chinese is getting better!) and her wonderfully supportive coworkers.
Leah Hamilton | Drama Teacher
Born in Boston, Leah received a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Music from The University of Massachusetts and a Master’s degree in TESOL from The School for International Training. For over ten years she has been a teacher of Spanish, English and Drama in various educational settings including the International Language Institute of Massachusetts and Study Abroad Programs for American High School students traveling in Cuba and Spain. Leah loves travel and has lived in Spain, Argentina and France. She began teaching at IHSL in 2007 and enjoys speaking Spanish and French with her students.
Marie Charles | Math Teacher
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Matthew Hoffman | Social Studies Teacher
Matthew Hoffman was born and raised in Ossining, New York. He graduated from Boston University in 2001 with a BA in History and Philosophy, and received a Masters in TESOL Education from Fordham University in 2009. Matthew has several years experience working with youth as a paraprofessional in Connecticut public schools and as an after-school program coordinator in Hartford. He has lived and worked in New Zealand, taught English in Thailand, and has traveled to three out of the four corners of the world. He can make conversation in Spanish and French, and can count to ten in Thai. Matthew enjoys music, books, and walking just about anywhere.
Robb Unseth | English Teacher
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