Rovanna comes from Australia and has worked extensively in other big international schools across six countries, most recently at the International School of Macao and the Western Academy of Beijing. She has a Master of Education in Inclusive Education and a Master of Education in Guidance and Counselling, and her expertise is in supporting families and students who require individual programming. At ISASC, she will develop the Student Support Team which will grow to include pastrol care, English as an Additional Language, Learning Support and Counselling services for students. She believes that ISASC will be a school where all students can be successful given the right conditions, and with individualized support, all students can reach and even exceed their full potential.
Brayan Munoz
Head of Academic Unit
Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas, and a Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry with a Molecular Microbiology focus from Westminster College. Mr. Brayan Munoz has 10 years of teaching experience and 8 years of experience in school leadership, serving in multiple roles across various international and bilingual schools. Mr. Munoz served as the Executive Principal of Primary and Secondary School at the Hefei High-Tech Ivy Experimental School, and successfully led the founding of two international schools within two years. With extensive experience in school administration and student management, Mr. Munoz is known for his passion for education and his love for the students.
Luke Walker
Head of Student Activities
Luke has worked in China for 6 year’s and has been teaching for 12. After graduating from Exeter University in the UK with a degree in sports science, he then trained in the UK to become a PE teacher. He started his educational career in South London and after 4 years moved into a management role in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He arrived in China in 2017 to continue in his previous role as a Director of Sport close by in Shenzhen, where his classes received the best IGCSE and A-level results in China for 3 years running. Luke is currently studying to complete his MA in educational leadership and believes that we should all try to be curious thinkers with a growth mindset, able to adapt to the world around us.
Cherish Danekas
Learning Inquiry Teacher
Cherish works as the Inquiry Teacher in the library at ISA Science City where she oversees the library’s teaching and learning as well as the academic collections. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Oregon. Where she helped develop new courses and choose course material. She has worked as a teacher since graduating and has worked with students from Early Years up to Secondary Years. She has a strong passion for all things book and writing related and strives to impart this to everyone who visits the library whether they are staff, student, or parent.
Coco Chen
Activities Coordinator
Coco is an enthusiastic experiential educator, a facilitator of community and social-emotional learning, and a student leadership coach. She has been working in education innovation and international education since 2014, leading experiential and social-emotional learning programs in China and Southeast Asia. Among the programs offered are adventure expeditions, nature and culture explorations, leadership workshops, Global Citizenship conferences, and social innovation projects. Coco is also passionate about promoting education equality. Her work in China, Thailand, and Nepal has been focused on empowering under-resourced youths to make a change in their local communities. Coco has conducted many Social Emotional Learning & Experiential Education Workshops for international educators in addition to serving as an educational consultant and trainer.
Deric Law
Education Technology Coordinator
Deric is originally from Malaysia and holds a Master of Information Technology (MIT) degree from the Open University in the UK. For the past 15 years, he has held various positions including IT Director, ICT Coordinator, MYP Design Teacher, and IT Coach for international schools in Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and China. Originally, Deric became a teacher due to the influence of the teacher he had in primary school who provided him with structure and inspiration. Deric is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) and Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer (MIET) certified by Microsoft Education. Additionally, he is a Certified Apple Professional Learning Specialist (CPLS) through Apple Education. As an Apple Professional Learning Specialist and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, he works closely with schools to look for ways that technology can positively impact the classroom as well as the teacher and their work.
Fern Liu
Data Impact Analyst
Fern hails from Yichang, Hubei, a city celebrated for its iconic Three Gorges. She completed her undergraduate studies in Applied Statistics at the Central South University for Nationalities, where she honed her analytical skills. Following graduation, she embarked on a three-year journey with a Contract Research Organization (CRO), where she specialized in clinical data analysis. Her role involved leveraging analytical software to manage and interpret vast datasets, with proficiency in tools such as SAS and SQL. This experience has not only sharpened her data sensitivity but also instilled in her a meticulous approach to work and the ability to effectively coordinate and schedule tasks. She is confident that these skills, coupled with her professional experience, will enable her to play her role in the education sector, where she aims to delve deeply and contribute meaningfully.
Katrina Liu
School Counsellor
Katrina holds a Bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology and a Master's degree in Social Science Counseling from Hong Kong Baptist University. With two years of experience in a vocational college setting, she actively engages with students, promoting their academic, career, and social-emotional development. Katrina excels in individual counseling, employing narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. She has received training from the Chinese Psychological Society, including crisis intervention, ethical practices, and certified supervision. As a teacher, she delivers key courses like "Psychological Education for College Students" and "Social Psychology," accumulating 682 teaching hours. She creates a supportive learning environment that fosters student growth. With her compassionate approach and professional expertise, Katrina is committed to supporting individuals in overcoming challenges, developing resilience, and achieving personal growth. She empowers students to navigate their academic and personal journeys successfully.
Kelly McCarron
Psychologist
Kelly is a licensed clinical psychologist from the United States. She earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University (Barnard College) and a Doctor of Psychology degree from The Wright Institute, followed by a two-year neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship, with a total of 17 years of clinical practice prior to joining ISA. She has extensive experience in neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy and has published original research on social cognition, integrative health, and institutional courage. After first arriving in China, she enjoyed teaching and contributing to intercultural communication projects in the Department of English at Sun Yat-sen University. As an ISC Science City psychologist, Kelly is grateful to contribute to the communal goal of helping each student feel safe, seen, valued and successful. She also strives to promote educator, leadership, and family wellness to build a flourishing community that loves learning.
Leonah Arroyo
Library Manager
Leonah Arroyo is joining ISA as the Library Manager. She has served as a professional librarian for over a decade. She brings with her experience in library collection management, outreaching programing, and literacy curriculum development. Leonah holds a Master of Library and Information Science, Graduate Certificates in Education and in Museum Studies, and B.A in Humanities. Leonah has had the opportunity to work in diverse international school communities across four countries as well as libraries in the United States. She has a passion for interdisciplinary project-based learning and believes that libraries should be lively places where students can foster a lifelong love of learning.
Sean Maj
Athletic Director
Sean is the Athletic Director of ISASC, bringing to the school a very strong understanding of sport in Guangzhou, the Greater Bay Area, and internationally. He graduated from McGill University of Montreal, Canada, with a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education and English Literature, and played American football. He has served as an Athletic Director, teacher, coach of football, basketball, and volleyball, as well as one of the founding members of ACAMIS. Sean joins us from our partner school, ISA Tianhe. Prior to this, he was Director of Sport at another international school in Guangzhou. Sean is passionate about sport and helping students to pursue their dreams of excellence both on and off the playing field, which are key elements of the four pillars of sport at ISA Science City.
Shirley Zong
School Counsellor
Shirley has a Master of Counselling from Monash University and a Bachelor of Applied Psychology from South China Normal University. She has almost 2 years of experience in mental health centre as a psychotherapist for children and adolescents. In the hospital, she provides ethical and professional therapy and collaborates with psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to prevent individuals from risk and foster their wellness. She has a great passion for working with children and adolescents with the goal of helping young people enhance their resilience and achieve their full potential. In ISASC, she will establish rapport with students, their families and teachers to be the part of the support network.
William Burnside
Learning Support Teacher
William is a member of the Student Support Team and provides learning support services in the Primary and Middle Years Programs. He has over 15 years of experience in education, including leadership experiences in the United States, Kuwait, and China. In previous posts, William served as an Assistant Director, Lead Math and Science Teacher, and Accreditation Committee Chair. William has been recognized as an educator of distinction by the Golden Apple Foundation of Illinois and the Haidian District Foreign Talent Office in Beijing, China. William earned a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from National-Louis University in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Additionally, he attained a Professional Educator License with the Illinois State Board of Education. William also holds a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education. William is a life-long learner and continually seeks new professional development opportunities. He is a member of several international education councils and associations in areas including school leadership, curriculum development, and special education. He is preparing to begin the next step in his educational journey by undertaking advanced post-graduate studies in educational leadership.
Ana Liang
Library Assistant
Ana works in ISA Science City as a Library Assistant. She graduated from Zhujiang College of South China Agriculture university in 2015.During her university, she majored in the research on English culture. As she really loved Kids, she devoted herself into to English Pre-school Education after graduation from university. She had more than 5-year working experience on younger kid’s English teaching. Before she joined ISA, she worked in My GYM School and Giraffe American English as teacher assistant to be key communication bridge between school and parents, therefore she was professional in Kid’s and parent’s communication. When Ana is not at work, she enjoys doing yoga and traveling. She is joining IELTS. She enjoys challenge and hopes to offer most professional assistance for her students.
Leanne Chen
Teaching Assistant
Leanne was born and raised in Guangzhou. Prior to joining ISA Science City, she has successfully worked at international schools in China in Learning Support, including leading a team for 4 years. With over 12 years of experience working in various international schools in Guangzhou, she is passionate about supporting students who have particular needs in order to develop their learning. She strongly believes that every child is unique with their different learning styles and capabilities. She is also known by the children with the nickname “Gamer”. This is because she often plays board games to build the rapport with students before she starts their interventions.
Leanne provides individual and group sessions to meet the specific needs of each learner. She collaborates regularly with other teachers and families to help students access the learning opportunities in their classroom. Furthermore, she helps her students to feel increased confidence in themselves, and in their social development, behavior management as well as their learning progress. She feels a great sense of achievement when she witnesses students’ progress, and receives genuine compliments from class teachers and parents. Her calm and patient nature is a valuable asset that allows her to deal with students of all ages. Her professional aim is to use her knowledge, languages and experiences to nurture students who need support in terms of learning.
Tian Chu
Library Assistant
Tian comes from Wuhan, her first job was a TV journalist, then she moved to Hong Kong to pursue a master’s degree from The Education University of Hong Kong. After that, she started her career in education, she works as English teacher in kindergarten in Wuhan and Guangzhou. She has a strong ability to interact with kids and take care of them. In her free time, she likes doing zumba dance and practicing Chinese calligraphy, she has been learning it from age of 6. She also likes traveling to different countries and learning to cook exotic cuisines. Currently she is learning French because she has interest in this language. Tian believes she will make more contributions to our beautiful ISA community.
