Candidate Stories

From West Bengal to Florida to Beijing: Candidate Saiti Datta

Born in the state of West Bengal in India, Saiti Datta moved around a lot with her family for her father’s job. A memory from her childhood is the view from the hill station of Darjeeling, famous…

Seasoned Teacher Jessie Lytton Goes International

She was on a different career trajectory working in Human Resources when Jessie Lytton decided to overhaul her life and become a teacher. She put herself back to school while working and commuting…

Teaching Couple Bri and Vince

As a couple, Vince Dimatera and Nikki Brianne Ragos (Bri) love traveling and meeting people from different walks of life. They enjoy taking photos and making videos of their adventures. Bri calls…

International Administrators Karen and Chris Ryan | January 16, 2019

Candidates Karen and Chris Ryan are thrilled to embark on their new leadership roles, Karen as Senior English Language Learner Coordinator and...

Passionate International Educator Kate Garcia | December 20, 2018

Search Associates Candidate Kate Garcia had been teaching for four years at Colegio San Agustin in her home country of the Philippines when she...

Moving from Joy to Joy | November 30, 2018

Jim O’Malley has been an international educator for all 21 years of his career. Driving him all this time has been the tremendous impact an educator...

Maya Drezgic’s Truly International Family | November 14, 2018

Maya Drezgic has been an international educator for her entire career—18 years, and counting! Born in what is current Serbia, Maya left her...

Teaching I.T. Abroad: Samran Wiriyaphong’s Journey | November 1, 2018

When Samran Wiriyaphng (Sam) was in high school in his home country of Thailand, he faced a difficult time. Two groups of people helped him survive,...

International Teacher Beth Dagitses | September 19, 2018

As California teacher Beth Dagitses glanced at an ad online for an international school, she never imagined she would one day find herself traveling...

International Teachers Melanie and Christopher Dickerson | June 14, 2018

It’s June, and Melanie Dickerson feels buoyant after taking part in this year’s Graduation. It has been rewarding witnessing how much her students...

Francy Johnson’s International Journey | March 21, 2018

When Francy Johnson was young and teaching her two step-daughters to read, she had a Eureka moment: This is what I want to do with my life ....

The Hursts: A Teaching Couple's Journey | October 23, 2017

Graduating with teaching credentials, yet not finding a job is a common story in Canada, says Laura Guay Hurst. In Laura’s case, she earned a...

Lisa Jackson Lands Dream Job in Hong Kong | October 18, 2017

She’s been teaching—and loving it—for 12 years, but recently Lisa Jackson landed her ideal job in Hong Kong, one of her favorite places. And...

The Beattys: International Teaching Couple | August 15, 2017

After graduation from university where they met, Sarah and Michael took off for seven weeks to explore Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand....

High Fliers Jason and Liz Connect with Search Associates | July 11, 2017

One wintry morning at a coffee shop in Virginia, current Search Consultant and former Head of School Gunther Brandt recruited teachers Jason...

Overseas with Marc and Melanie Curless | June 20, 2017

With his mother and sister both teachers and his father a high school principal, Marc Curless could not avoid a career in education. The wanderlust...

Nina Keller: From Intern to Highly-Qualified International Teacher | November 30, 2016

Nina Keller was already living overseas when she landed her first international teaching assignment. She had just graduated with a BSc in Political...

Candidate Julie Gossett Seals the Deal | November 8, 2016

Julie Gossett has accepted her first overseas teaching position at The American International School of Muscat (TAISM) in Oman, and we think...

Music and Technology Guru Ryan Simonet | September 21, 2016

Ryan Simonet is a perfect example of the many international school educators who have found complete fulfillment in teaching. Born and raised...

Teaching Couple Whitney and Marc’s Lifetime of Adventure | August 1, 2016

Long before joining the world of international education, Whitney Kaulbach and Marc Gilbertson sought adventure. Whitney's college trip to post-communist...