Apply now to be a mentor or mentee for our 2023-2024 Cohort. 

Small but mighty…the dream catcher! Nadine Richards is a courageous and innovative leader that empowers the entire learning ecosystem to transform and grow. Her focus on excellence, integrity and inclusivity allows her to develop personalized solutions for success.

Born in Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Nadine Richards draws her strength and creativity from her roots and culture. She is a solution-focused leader with an entrepreneurial mindset and strong communication skills. Nadine has served in the public and international educational systems for over 20 years.

Nadine’s trajectory to education differed from most. It grew out of her desire to make the world a better place and improve learning opportunities for children. This passion fueled a shift in career from criminal justice to education, where Nadine continues to advocate and influence educational policy for the advancement of all learners. Nadine has served as an advocate for special needs children, teacher, dean of students, associate principal, principal, Head of School and CEO. Currently, Nadine serves on the Board of Red Door Early Learning Centers; Co-Chairs the Advocacy Committee for an international diversity collaborative consortium; on the DEI Advisory Board of AIELOC, and is the founder and principal consultant of Nadine INSPIRES LLC . Nadine is a life-long learner with excellent integrity and work ethics.

Her infectious smile personifies her passion – to serve, lift and empower! Nadine is working towards her Doctor of Education degree in Education and Policy Leadership. She achieved her Bachelor of Science and Master of Art degrees with high honors from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, where she was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Nadine has a Post-Graduate certificate in Education Administration and Leadership from SUNY-Stony Brook University. She holds permanent School District Leadership licenses in New York and Georgia. Nadine has a proven record of increasing graduation rates, strategic planning, and closing achievement gaps. Additionally she was the recipient of the STEM Summit Diversity Award, which recognized her initiatives to increase
disenfranchised students’ participation in STEM programs.

Essentially, it takes an interculturally focused and courageous leader to activate pedagogy that nurtures growth in all learners. Nadine is known for her commitment to sustaining a spirited learning environment that nourishes the head, heart and soul of the community. Her leadership style priorities students first and ensures that every child has an opportunity to thrive in the school community. It takes more than great ideas to spark change– Nadine is an exceptional leader who sets a powerful course for the future of the institution and the people she serves. She is the dream catcher — creating hope and designing a future filled with a lifetime of possibilities. The results: happy, thoughtful and engaged young global citizens.

Serenity Smith

Candice Rountree

Adrienne Waller 

Dr. Felicia Jackson

Jessica Wei Huang was recently the Principal of June Jordan School for Equity where she served as a teacher and school leader since 2006. She found a passion for education after receiving a Bachelor’s of Foreign Service from Georgetown University and went on to receive a Master’s of Secondary Education from Stanford University. She has seventeen years of combined teaching and leadership experience in public schools in San Francisco.

Jessica believes that facilitating cross-cultural and diverse conversations around personal identity and culture is a powerful way to build community and understanding in educational settings. Jessica has co-facilitated professional development for school districts and non-profits in creating and sustaining a culture of equity and anti-racism and is also a certified coach for ACSA (Association of CA School Administrators). She is currently living and teaching in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where the maternal side of her family is from. Starting in Fall 2021, Jessica will start as the Vice-Principal of Wellbeing and Wellness at the United World College, South East Asia in Singapore.

Rod Jamison hails from Nashville, TN and received his BA from Morehouse College.  After a one year study abroad stint in England during his junior year, he became excited about the chance to see the world and was selected as a participant in the Japanese Exchange Teaching Program (JET) in 1992.  Subsequently, he returned to the US in 1994, completed his MA in English Literature at Tennessee State University, and began his teaching (and coaching) career at Montgomery Bell Academy.

Rod was married in 1997 in Sendai, Japan and after two years in Nashville, he and his wife (Yuko) eventually moved to the Bay Area (The Branson School) and then relocated to San Diego where spent 11 years as the Upper School Director at La Jolla Country Day School.  In 2013, Rod was appointed founding Head of School at UWC ISAK Japan.  He is currently in his 8th year and will conclude his tenure in 2024.

Rod and Yuko have a daughter – Lena – who is 15 years old.  Rod enjoys golf, wine, reading, traveling and good restaurants.

Wayne Burnett, originally, from Toronto, Canada, is presently working in Jakarta, Indonesia, as an Elementary School Principal. This is his third divisional leadership position. His teaching experience spans schools in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Toronto. Wayne has bachelor’s degrees in sociology, French, and elementary education, additional masters-level qualifications in education technology and post-secondary education, and a doctorate in education, focusing on educational robotics. Wayne is committed to supporting the achievement of others, having volunteered in a professional development program in Uganda, mentored a doctoral student to completion, supported a colleague to complete her teacher qualification and taught educational technology skills to pre-school instructors. Wayne has two sons, both in university.

Dr. Dale Taylor graduated magna cum laude with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in the United States. She also holds a Masters in Education from The College of New Jersey. She graduated with a Bachelor of Education with Distinction from The University of Alberta in Canada, and she also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from McGill University in Canada.

Dr. Taylor joined Aga Khan Educational Services in July 2019 where she is currently the Head of The Aga Khan School, Dhaka. Prior to joining Aga Khan Educational Services, she was the Head of School of SEV American College in Istanbul. She moved to Doha, Qatar in 2011 to become the Founding Principal of ACS Doha. She worked for ACS for six years, leading several program initiatives and developments. Dr. Taylor has worked as a lecturer and education program developer for United Arab Emirates University in the United Arab Emirates University, and Providence University in the United States. Dr. Taylor has taught students several different subjects, including English, French, Humanities, psychology, and Theory of Knowledge in several global contexts, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, The United Arab Emirates, Japan, Thailand, Germany, and Qatar. Dr. Taylor has presented papers at the International Baccalaureate Global Conference, The Alliance for International Education, and The World-Wide Forum on Education and Culture. Dr. Taylor worked as a social worker and in social science research for seven years prior to working in the field of education.

Dr. Taylor is an avid reader and bibliophile. She is an ardent supporter of the arts and seeks out spectacular locations to cross country ski.

” Powerful avalanches begin with small shifts ” – Pamela McFarland Walsh, is the quote that most exemplifies her leadership style. Continually building strong learning communities and capacity in others is Dale’s aim, which will ultimately help build exceptional learning experiences for students.

Dr. Nigel Winnard is proud to call himself a career educator: it is all he has ever wanted to do. For over 30 years, his passion has been to look for ways to help young people learn what they need to know and be able to be successful in the world.

Dr. Nigel began his career as a High School English teacher in the UK before heading overseas to Bahrain, to the Philippines and then to São Paulo where he took up a curriculum director position at St. Paul’s School.

Three years later, adventure called and he was appointed as founding Head of Khartoum International Community School, the first IB World School in Sudan. It was a country that was to be home for Dr. Nigel and his family for the next twelve years. His educational background draws on both UK and US systems. He holds a BA (Hons) in English &  European Literature from Essex University in the UK, and an MA in Educational Administration from Michigan State University in the US. In addition, he holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Southern California. Dr. Nigel is honored to be the Head of Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro.

Estelle Baroung Hughes is a Cameroonian educational leader and the director of the NGO Africa Learning International. She is also a blogger and a musician. As a Cameroonian citizen, Estelle is passionate about promoting the cultural wealth of her 250 languages country. As an educator, Estelle specializes in international education, is a doctoral researcher, and an educational coach. Estelle is the newly appointed Secondary Principal at the international School of Dakar. As an NGO leader, her motto is: ‘change the world, one student, one teacher and one school community at a time.’