Matt Cook Mr. Cook is originally from Wisconsin where he received his degree in Secondary Education in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He moved to Guatemala in 2011 and taught at AIS for the school's first 5 years. In the years since then, he has been leading various international educational and service learning trips as well as working at THINK Global School. Outside of school, he loves to travel, read, and be active in the outdoors.
Fernando Aragon Mr. Fernando has been at AIS since 2014. Originally from Guatemala City, Fernando holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pedagogy. He previously taught at the Equity American School and at SEK International School, and has been a cross-curricular Science Activities Coordinator in Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Paraguay.
Lilian Quezel Ajuchan Ms. Liliana is from Sumpango, Sacatepéquez and holds a degree in Language and Literature, and a B.A in Education. Prior to joining AIS, she worked for 9 years at the American Technological School in Guatemala City.
Tamara Kreutz Ms. Kreutz grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico, though her family is originally from Oregon, USA. She has a B.A in English Literature and Writing from George Fox University and a Masters in International Education from SUNY Buffalo. She also holds a National Board Certification. She has taught internationally for twelve years in Honduras, Ecuador, and Panama. Ms. Kreutz is excited to begin teaching at AIS! She loves literature and can’t wait to explore literature with the students here. In her free time, Ms. Kreutz enjoys baking (especially cookies and sourdough bread), running and hiking, camping with her family, and writing poetry.
Gina Tillery, Music Ms. Tillery holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of South Alabama. She previously worked as a teacher (preK-12) for eight years in Guatemala. She also was IT coordinator at Colegio Colonial Bilingue for four years. Before beginning her career in education, she worked in a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) Lab exploring the use of technology in music, and performed as an orchestral percussionist and a professional vocalist in the U.S.
Kimberly Griffith Ms. Kim has over 25 years of teaching and has worked at AIS since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science Cum Laude in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics, from the Bowie State University and a Certificate in Instructional Technology from Towson State University.
Ms. Liza Woods Having been in the AIS family since 2017 (parent, tutor, volunteer, sub), I'm excited to teach statistics this year. My background is in finance and have always been a math nerd who is enthusiastic, and often cheesy, about numbers; I use games and hands-on activities to teach. I love exploring with my two kids (Liam and Davis), reading, or playing pickleball or tennis.
Mr. Victor Garrido Middle School English Language Arts and Social Studies.
My name is Victor Garrido, I am originally from a small aldea in Rio Hondo Zacapa called Monte Grande. I moved to VA at the age of 4 while the civil war was still happening and came back in 1995 as the peace treaty was being signed. In 2014, after working with NGOs for about 8 years in Antigua, Guatemala, I moved up north to Minnesota with my partner to start a family. We now are a family of 6: myself, Megan (partner), Isaac (8), Simon (5), Benjamin (2) and Bruce (10 year old boxer). I have been working in Saint Paul Public Schools for the past 9 years. I started as an Educational Assistant in the SpEd program in the Spanish Immersion side and then I pursued my career as a Social Studies teacher for grades 5-12.
I have been teaching 8th grade for the past 2 years and am excited to join the AIS team, and be back to the place of eternal spring. I love playing sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball) , any outdoor activities (walks, hikes, runs, biking, riding my moto) and gaming (Fifa, Mario Kart and COD).
Colbee Cunningham English as a Second Language, Public Speaking & Debate, Model United Nations Colbee Cunningham graduated from Simpson College (Iowa, USA) in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Spanish, International Relations, and Journalism. She will be working with the ESL department at AIS as part of a Princeton in Latin America fellowship. In her professional capacity, her passion lies at the intersection of intercultural exchange, linguistics, and public diplomacy. She has spent the past year working as an English teacher—first in Colombia as a Fulbright fellow and then in Italy as an ESL tutor. When she is not teaching, she enjoys learning languages, traveling, hiking, weightlifting, reading, and cooking.
Kasey Ruano Performing Arts Teacher Miss Kasey has over 15 years of theater experience and is thrilled to start her first year teaching performing arts at AIS. She is passionate about bringing the magic of theater to her students. She holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Studies, though the performing arts have always been her true love. This summer, she had a blast leading a theater camp, reading over 30 books, and exploring beautiful Antigua with her husband (Maiko). La señorita Kasey tiene más de 15 años de experiencia en teatro y está encantada de comenzar su primer año enseñando artes escénicas en AIS. Le apasiona llevar la magia del teatro a sus estudiantes. Tiene una maestría en Estudios Interculturales, aunque las artes escénicas siempre han sido su verdadero amor. Este verano, se divirtió mucho dirigiendo un campamento de teatro, leyendo más de 30 libros y explorando la hermosa Antigua con su esposo (Maiko).
Javier Bustamante Mr. Javier has been teaching at AIS since 2012 and is originally from Bilbao in the Basque Country, Spain. He graduated from the Basque University in Communication Science and Social Studies and is a certified teacher for Secondary School. He also completed doctorate courses in the Basque University and is a SSL certified teacher by the London House in the UK. Prior to coming to AIS, Mr. Javier worked in journalism and translation in New York City and worked for several schools and language agencies in London, UK.(Linguaphone, St, George, World Language Consultants). He also worked as a Spanish Teacher (Secondary Education) in Guatemala and Spain.
Georgina Gomez Ms. Georgina has more than 15 years of teaching experience. She was the head of Pedagogy at El Hogar Virgen de la Esperanza. Ms Georgina graduated from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala in History and Social Science and received a Técnico in Innovative Education at the University of Galileo. She also has a special training in Inclusive Education from the University of Haifa, Israel. In her free time she likes to write, and at the moment she is writing about the conditions of girls at risk in Guatemala.
Josh Radick Mr. Josh graduated from Benedictine College in Kansas in 2014 with a degree in Political Science. He then taught in Iraqi Kurdistan until 2016 before coming to AIS until 2018. Josh moved back to the US to pursue a career in business but missed the satisfaction felt from teaching and helping students achieve their maximum potential.
He is excited to return to Guatemala and rejoin the AIS community this school year.
Maria Morley, Art Maria holds a BFA from Michigan State University and a BFA in Education from the Rocky Mtn. College of Art + Design, with a K-12 teacher certification. She also holds a Master's of Fine Art: Sculpture and Ceramics. In her past she worked as Art Teacher at the Colegio Interamericano in Guatemala City and as an Sculpture Technician at the Rocky Mtn. College of Art + Design in Denver, Colorado.
Rosa Allen, PE Ms. Rosa is from Puerto Barrios, Izabal. She holds a B.A. in Sports Management from Galileo University. Before AIS, she taught at a National Institute of Basic Education for 3 years and worked in the General Direction of Physical Education in the National School Sports Tournament Unit (Organization and coordination of sports activities). She also worked as a Coordinator of Special Events Program of the Vice Ministry of Sports and Recreation of Guatemala.
Ms. Stephanie Alonso My name is Stephanie Alonso. I am from Guatemala. I have been teaching English for 18 years in the city. I recently moved to Antigua, and I just completed a bachelor's degree program in Technology Education. I have taught 1st to 6th grade, and I am passionate about teaching Language Arts. I have taught elementary school for 4 years and middle school for 2 years at an international school, and I love the curriculum. I am always looking for new ways to innovate in my teaching practice to make learning fun. I am eager to learn new things and meet wonderful people as well. I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, writing, painting, cats, and animal rescue. I look forward to meeting all of you soon!
Jorge Rosales Science – Secondary Jorge Rosales is excited to begin a new chapter as a full-time secondary science teacher after having the opportunity to work as a long-term math substitute at AIS. Jorge has a background in industrial engineering and fifteen years of experience in tutoring and teaching. He enjoys managing a wide variety of crops and spending time in the fresh air on his farm with his wife, Natalia, and their three children: Julián, Martín, and Olivia. He looks forward to sharing his passion for education and agriculture with AIS students.
Edgar Avila Secondary Teaching Assistant Edgar Ávila joins our team as a Secondary Teaching Assistant. He has a true passion for education and personal growth. With over a decade of experience in various areas of the education sector, including logistics and student support, he recently completed the Teacher Training Course (TTC) at AIS, specializing in arts and sciences. For two consecutive years, he helped organize STEAM science fairs, participated in theater at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, and trained and certified students as environmental collaborators. He is excited to continue in his role as a Secondary Teaching Assistant and to collaborate with the AIS community to drive positive change in education, helping students thrive and achieve their goals.
Andrés Hermes Makerspace Coordinator, Science – SecondaryAndrés Hermes is a Mechatronics Engineer with extensive experience in digital fabrication, entrepreneurship, and teaching. He is thrilled to be the new Makerspace Coordinator at AIS. In 2016, he co-founded the first Makerspace in the region, TecLab, located at the Technology Campus in Zone 4 of Guatemala City. Initially covering 230 m² and focused on hardware development, TecLab expanded in 2020 to over 1,100 m², broadening its scope to include tools for software development and biotechnology. Now, he looks forward to helping grow the maker movement at AIS. Since 2019, he has also been a professor in the Industrial Engineering department at Universidad Rafael Landívar. And finally, a fun fact about Andrés—he has an impressive collection of “fun socks”!
Miguel Oliva Contreras High School Math, Seminario Miguel began his journey in the AIS community in 2013 when he entered 6th grade at the Cortijo campus. He graduated from AIS in 2020. Since then, he has been working and studying until he returned to AIS in January 2023 as a Student Teacher. He graduated with a specialized degree in Mathematics and Physical Sciences in 2024 with the distinction of Magna Cum Laude from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. He lives by the school's values and demonstrates this by serving others through Rotary International, of which he has been a member since 2015. He is very excited to be part of the teaching team and to openly share everything the school has given him with the new generations.