Nash Adamson - General Director Mr. Nash Adamson was selected to lead AIS as General Director starting in July, 2022. Mr. Adamson previously served as the Assistant Head of Peoria Academy (PA), a Pre K to 8th grade independent school in central Illinois. During his time at PA, Mr. Adamson has spearheaded efforts to align and enrich the school’s curriculum, expand enrichment opportunities, support professional learning, and maintain a tight knit learning community as the school navigates in-person and blended learning during the pandemic. Previous to PA, Mr. Adamson enjoyed a seven-year tenure at the International School of Panama (ISP), where he served in multiple leadership roles including Upper School Dean of Academics and Social Studies Department Chair among others. Before his tenure at ISP, Mr. Adamson was a social studies, mathematics and elementary homeroom teacher at schools in Ecuador, Honduras and the United States. In addition to his work in schools, he serves as a curriculum consultant, senior examiner and workshop facilitator for the International Baccalaureate. Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Adamson holds a B.A. in Philosophy and History from Swarthmore College and an M.S. in International Education from SUNY Buffalo. His family has longstanding ties in Guatemala, where his grandfather served as an educational officer with USAID and his father spent time as a boy. Mr. Adamson looks forward to deepening these ties by connecting with the community together with his wife, Tammi, and their three young children.
Ruth Alegría - Advancement Associate Ms. Ruth began her work at AIS in 2013, she holds a degree in Pedagogy with a specialization in Administration and Evaluation of Education from the Universidad Rafael Landivar, She also has a degree in Language and Literature from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala and she is currently completing a masters degree in Human Resources and Strategic Communication. She truly believes in the mission and purpose of AIS and is very grateful for being part of the change for Guatemala through education.
Jaqueline Armas - Registrar / Administrative Assistant She joined AIS in April 2021 as an Administrative Assistant and Receptionist. She has worked previously as an Administrative Assistant and as a client support specialist. Jacky holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad Rafael Landívar.
Carolina Gómez - Nurse Graduate of the University of San Carlos and Rafael Landivar University, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Prior to joining AIS, she worked as a supervisor of clinical practice at the Pedro de Betancourth National Hospital. She was also a teacher at the Nueva Esperanza Nursing Assistant School and has experience in various corporate fields as a health and occupational safety monitor. Currently, she is a member of the Departmental Municipal Firefighters of Ciudad Vieja, serving as an honorary firefighter.
Luis Carrillo - Early Childhood Center Principal Mr. Luis is from Guatemala and graduated from the Universidad Rafael Landivar with a B.A. in Clinical Psychology and from Universidad Del Valle with a Learning Disabilities Teaching Certificate. Before AIS, Mr. Luis was an Elementary Assistant Principal and supported Balanced Literacy implementation by providing training to Spanish teachers at the Colegio Decroly Americano. He also worked at the American School of Guatemala for 6 1/2 years as a Bilingual Teacher Assistant and Kindergarten Spanish Teacher.
Brenda Hernández - Accounting Department Brenda has 15 years of accounting experience and 5 years working at AIS. She has a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Rafael Landívar. One of Brenda's favorite AIS pillars is “serving others”. She loves spending time with her daughter; she is the greatest gift that life has given her.
Carlos Maximino Gomez- IT Coordinator Mr. Max is currently studying a master's degree in computer science with a specialization in Networks and Cybersecurity, at Mariano Galvez University.He also holds international certifications in Microsoft Office, Cisco, GNS3, Fortinet, Mikrotik and Linux. He has more than 12 years of experience as technology teacher at various schools in Guatemala.
Monica de Dios - Director of Operations and Compliance Ms. Mónica De Dios has worked with AIS for over five years as Principal, Support Program Director, Teacher and Director for the Ministry of Education. She holds a Masters' Degree in Counseling and Mental Health and a B.A in Social Sciences and High Education both from the Universidad del Valle, Guatemala she also holds a Harvard business school certification in school leadership and management. Prior to AIS, Ms. De Dios worked in the United States in Early Education and in Guatemala at Colegio Interamericano and Colegio Decroly.
Natalia Zmaczynska - Primary Principal Ms. Natalia is originally from Poland and she has been working at AIS since 2014. She studied English Philology, and has a master's degree in Methodology of Teaching English as a Second Language. Miss Natalia has 16 years of teaching experience. She spent most of her career teaching and managing departments in inner-city, elementary schools in London, UK. Miss Natalia had taught 2nd grade at AIS before taking on a role of Elementary Principal. Ms. Natalia loves being a part of the AIS community and working with AIS teachers, who she thinks are extremely committed to providing quality instruction to our students.
Sadie Rhinesmith, Primary Principal Assistant and Service Learning Coordinator in Primary Ms. Sadie is originally from Wyoming but has called Guatemala her home for the past 11 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies Elementary Education with an emphasis in Spanish from Humboldt State University in California and an elementary teacher certification from Moreland University. She has worked with many different age groups as a teacher, assistant principal, and instructional coach. When she isn’t teaching, she loves being in nature with her husband and daughter as well as playing with her pets. In terms of our main learning goals for this year, providing quality instruction in reading, continuing to work on inclusion and differentiation, along with systematizing our approach to behavior expectations, continue being our main divisional objectives. We look forward to growing in these areas and so many more with you this school year!
Laura Amlin - Secondary Principal Ms. Laura is originally from Texas, but she calls herself a ¡Guatemalteca de corazón! She graduated from Austin College with a B.A. in Spanish and earned her teaching certification and Masters of Bilingual Curriculum and Development from Texas A&M. For 15 years, she taught in various bilingual programs at the elementary and middle school levels. Before moving into the secondary principal role she taught middle school English Language Arts at AIS. Ms. Laura loves practicing yoga, being outdoors, and spending time with her husband and two young sons.
Michelle Acker Perez Secondary School Assistant Principal, Secondary Service Learning Coordinator Ms. Michelle is originally from California, but Guatemala has been her home for the past 14 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Westmont College and a master's degree in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also has a specialist teaching credential in education and has taught in both California and Guatemala for over a decade. She has extensive experience supporting students with learning differences and working with teachers to create inclusive classrooms. Before stepping into the role of Secondary School Assistant Principal, Michelle taught English Language and Literature at AIS. Outside of school, she has led service-learning trips and intercultural exchange programs. She is passionate about helping students become more engaged in our local and global community and is excited to take on the role of Secondary Service Learning Coordinator. When she is not working, she loves traveling, trying new restaurants, and never misses an opportunity to go to the beach with her family.
Ximena Madrigal - Administrative Assistant Ximena joined the AIS community in July 2022 as an Administrative Assistant. She has a Bachelor's degree in Science from Universidad del Valle, with a big passion for Biology. She has worked previously as a Client Support supervisor for 5 years.
Edwin Valle - Accounting Department Edwin has been part of the AIS community for the last 4 years. He has previously worked as an Accounting Assistant. He is currently completing a degree in Public Accounting and Auditing from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala. In the future he hopes to study System Engineering.