Middle School

Chelsea Armstrong Principal, Middle School

Chelsea Armstrong is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She came to Kaohsiung from Cairo, Egypt, and has also taught and led schools in Vietnam, the Marshall Islands, and Chicago. These experiences have fostered her love for student-led experiential learning, school improvement through accreditation, and restorative justice practices. Chelsea has a BA in Education from the University of New Mexico, an MA in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, Chicago, and is an Illinois-certified Learning Behavior Specialist. Outside of school, Chelsea enjoys reading, painting, swimming, and cooking for her family while listening to true crime podcasts.

Jessica Acholonu MYP/DP Language & Literature/Head of Department: MYP Language & Literature

Originally from New Jersey, Jessica is joining the KAS MYP & DP Language & Literature team. She holds a BA in English from Temple University and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Rowan University. She has taught in The United States, Myanmar, and Guatemala.

Jessica describes herself as a lifelong learner and deeply passionate about literature, critical thinking, and creating space to include diverse voices and experiences. When she’s not teaching; she loves discovering new restaurants, reading, hiking, baking/cooking, and learning to dance salsa.

Emma Ahmed Secondary Instructional Coach

Emma is originally from the UK and has loved teaching and learning in international schools for over sixteen years including Colombia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. She has a BA in Elementary Education and an MA in Technology, Education and Learning, as well as certificates in Coaching and Advanced Cognitive Coaching. She is currently working on a second MA, in International Education and Development.
Emma has learnt, grown and modelled as a coach alongside early years to high school students, administrators, teachers and support staff in American and IB programs. She has a passion for supporting students to be empathetic and self-directed.​ In her spare time, she loves creating henna designs, cooking, reading novels and exploring with her husband Shan and children Zaine, Nadeem and Amiya.

Jeff Barrons MYP Science

Jeff has taught in Canada, Malawi, Lao, Slovakia and most recently in Shanghai, China. He has taught a variety of subjects in both high school and middle school but most of his experience is in middle school science. Jeff’s goal is to make science fun for all his students while at the same time challenging their thinking, questioning and creativity skills.

When not in class, Jeff is an amateur photographer and is often found out walking/hiking in the city or surrounding countryside with his wife, Kelly, looking for interesting people, places, and things to take photos of. He is also a voracious reader and is always interested in hearing about new titles and authors. Their 3 adult children did most of their schooling overseas and love to travel. Jeff and Kelly are from British Columbia.

Kristi Bell Librarian

Kristi Bell received her Bachelors of Business Administration from Oklahoma Christian University and her Masters of Library Science from University of Oklahoma. She is certified by the Oklahoma State Department of Education as a Media Specialist for PK–12. After receiving her Masters, Kristi worked as the Reference and Instructional Librarian at Southwestern State University. More recently, Kristi worked as the Elementary Librarian at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand, supporting parents, faculty, and students in their literacy needs. Kristi is joined at KAS by her husband, who works as a photographer, and their two cats.

Rosa Carbajal MYP Mathematics

Rosa, a native of Los Angeles, California, brings over 20 years of teaching experience to the classroom. Having spent 15 of those years abroad, she has enriched the lives of students in England, Latvia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, Singapore, Ecuador, and soon Taiwan. She is thrilled to share her passion and curiosity for math with the Dragon community!
When not in the classroom, you’ll find Rosa exploring the great outdoors through running, hiking, and cycling. She relishes seeking new challenges and experiences.

Monica Cho MYP Language & Literature

Ms. Cho was born and raised in Korea and attended an international school from middle to high school. She spent a few years abroad in Canada which exposed her to the world outside of her home country. Ms. Cho obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Secondary Education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, then worked as an RA and MYP Humanities and ELL teacher in Korea. Ms. Cho loves learning and developing new skills. She has started learning to play the guitar and speak and read Chinese. In her free time, she loves watching Formula 1 and going to watch musicals.

YJ Choi MYP Design

Originally from Korea, YoungJin has led an international life since 2001, starting in Taiwan and Chicago as a student. YoungJin has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. YoungJin taught elementary school art in Indianapolis, USA, and in Macau. Before moving back to Taiwan, she taught grade 6–12 art in Vietnam.
YoungJin loves taking photos, traveling, swimming, painting, playing board games, and trying new things. She lives in Taiwan with her husband John Rios who is in the IT field.

Paloma Corella Montero MYP/DP Spanish/Head of Department: World Languages

Originally from Valencia, Spain, Paloma has been living and teaching overseas for many years. Her experiences as an educator have led her across Spain, Nepal, India, Singapore, and UAE, teaching the IB MYP and DP curriculum and serving as an IB DP Examiner. Fostering her love of lifelong learning, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Philology and a master’s degree in Teaching Spanish from the University of Valencia, and another master’s degree in Teaching Spanish from the University of Alcalá. She is here in Taiwan with her husband, Miguel (a KAS teacher) and her two daughters.

Kyle Cripe MYP Health & Physical Education

Kyle Cripe is a K-12 certified Physical Educator. He has taught in Korea, and Bulgaria. Kyle was born and raised in West Papua, Indonesia. His parents work at an International school there. Kyle earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education K-12 from Palm Beach Atlantic University. He went to teach in Korea after graduating from University. He has taught Physical Education and health in the elementary, middle, and high school levels. His goal for Physical Education is to provide students a safe environment where they can engage in as many different types of sports and activities as possible in hopes of finding something they enjoy and will engage in for life. He values the development of teamwork, social interaction, and communication skills as these are things that can transfer to all areas of education and life. In his free time Kyle enjoys playing sports, hiking, and traveling.

Gulian Fang MYP and HS Chinese Language Acquisition

Gulian is excited to continue being a member of the KAS community in her new role as MYP and HS Chinese Language Acquisition teacher. She joined the KAS family as a 4th grade TA and has served as a TA leader.

Prior to KAS, Gulian had various experiences in teaching Mandarin. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and worked as the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at Western Kentucky University. Gulian also has experience working as a Mandarin teacher in both the Critical Language Scholarship program and the Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program. Currently, she is pursuing her Masters degree in the field of Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language at National Kaohsiung Normal University and continuing her professional development through the IB program.

Gulian has a great enthusiasm for education, as demonstrated through her various roles in teaching English and Chinese as a Second Language through the years.

Celine Fournier MYP Art/Head of Department: Arts

Celine Fournier has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a focus on painting and animation. She completed her MPhil in Arts, Creativity, and Education at the University of Cambridge with Distinction and received a “Best Dissertation Award”. She is also certified in TESOL and trained in both MYP visual arts and design. Passionate about art and education, she worked as an Education Assistant at the Chicago Artists Coalition where she participated in curriculum planning and management for emerging artists. She was the Visual Design Coordinator of the 2019 Kaohsiung International Piano Festival. Celine is also a visual artist who paints fragments of her everyday life and constructs them into irregular-shaped self-portraits. Her works were exhibited at the Auction Center Taipei. In her leisure time, Celine enjoys hiking, working on ceramics, as well as visiting art museums and galleries. As a KAS alumna, she is thrilled to be back.

Todd Fu MYP Japanese

Todd is a lively and dynamic teacher who loves exploring different cultures, histories, and cuisines. He enjoys traveling and experiencing new things independently. He is committed to creating an engaging and interactive learning environment. He uses games and situational teaching to set clear learning objectives and provide guidance, ensuring students find their learning experience meaningful and enjoyable.
Todd holds an A.A. degree in Japanese from Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages and has obtained the JLPT N1 certification. Additionally, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chinese from the same institution. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at National Kaohsiung Normal University, where he is also studying the IB curriculum.
Todd’s teaching journey began during his university years, when he tutored students in both Chinese and Japanese. He started as a Chinese intern teacher at KAS, and transitioned to teaching Japanese. He has expanded his role to include teaching Chinese as well. These diverse teaching experiences have equipped him with the ability to effectively inspire and support his students’ learning enthusiasm.

Chikako Fukuyo MYP/DP Japanese

Chikako graduated from Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor of Teaching degree. Chikako then became a certified Japanese Language Teacher by completing training from New Global Language Training Center in Tokyo. She teaches Middle and High School Japanese. Chikako has been trained in the MYP and in both IBDP Japanese B and Ab-Initio. Chikako has a husband and two children, and enjoys cooking and traveling with them.

Diana Garcia MYP Individuals & Societies/Head of Department: MYP Individuals & Societies

Diana is originally from Colombia, holds a B.A in Modern Languages and a Masters in Leadership and Management in Education.

She has experience teaching History and Geography in the IB, IMYC, and Cambridge-based curricula and is also an MYP examiner.

She began teaching in international schools in Colombia, then moved to teach in Gabon, Central Africa, and later moved to Asia to teach in Vietnam. Besides teaching, Diana has also been a Model UN advisor. Diana is passionate about music and cultures, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Harold Hernández MYP/DP Spanish

Harold Hernández is originally from Bogota, Colombia. He holds a BA from La Salle University in Teaching English, Spanish, and French, and a MA from the European Atlantic University (Spain) in Applied Linguistics with an emphasis on teaching Spanish as a second language. Furthermore, he has studied drama, which has benefited his teaching career as he can incorporate new language techniques into his classes. Harold is an experienced IB Teacher. Harold has taught in PYP as a Primary Homeroom Teacher and MYP and DP as a Spanish B Teacher. In addition to being an IBO workshop leader (MYP Language Acquisition) and examiner (MYP Personal Project and Spanish Language and Literature), he is also a TEFL-certified teacher.

Running marathons, reading, traveling, and spending time outside with his family are a few of Harold’s favorite things. He lives in Taiwan with his wife Angélica, and their daughter Guadalupe.

Dr. Cheng-Wei Hsieh MYP Music/MYP Service Learning Coordinator

Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the versatile musician Cheng-Wei Hsieh is passionate about teaching and coaching chamber music having previously served as a Teacher Assistant for the string area at the University of Houston Moores School of Music from 2016-19. During the assistantship, he taught violin private lessons, group technique class, and chamber music at undergraduate level. Hsieh taught as a string instructor at the Bob Hope School and Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan Middle School. He was in charge of group violin lessons, music theory classes, and music appreciation classes. Besides school teaching, Hsieh maintained a private studio in the Houston metropolitan area, working with students of all ages and levels. Hsieh has been invited to teach and perform as a violin faculty in the Encuentro Anual de Cuerdas, a pedagogical outreach program based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Hsieh holds his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Houston Moores School of Music, Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, and Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan.

Angela Hsu Aquatics Director

Angela Hsu joined KAS as an Aquatic assistant/lifeguard and is now the Aquatics Director after years of experience in the department. She earned her BA from Kaohsiung Medical University in Sports Medicine and her MA from National Kaohsiung Normal University in Physical Education. She continued to obtain her teaching certificate in the States of Hawaii. Angela is a certified lifeguard and Lifesaving Coach, fitness coach, volleyball referee and coach, and has her EMT license. Angela has experience as an athletic trainer for local, national, and international events, including the National Games in Taiwan and ACAMIS in Hong Kong and China. She also leads the girls’ varsity volleyball team and has taken them to the championship several times. She and her sister live together in Kaohsiung; they enjoy traveling, cooking, swimming, and watching movies.

Vanessa Hsu Lifeguard

Nancy Huang Middle School Secretary

Nancy Huang is the middle school secretary and works at the KAS reception desk. Before she transitioned to the main office, she worked as a library assistant, then as prekindergarten and Grade 5 assistant. Nancy graduated from Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages where she majored in English. Nancy enjoys working with students and parents, helping answer their questions, translating, chaperoning trips, or supporting our teachers. In her free time, Nancy enjoys eating out with friends and family.

Pierre Ice MYP Mathematics

Pierre is originally from New Mexico but attended university in Texas. He has a large extended family with six siblings and seven nieces and nephews. Over the past nine years, Pierre has taught various middle school subjects, including math, science, and design, with experience teaching in China and Texas. As a teacher, he strives to maintain a positive classroom climate where students feel comfortable expressing themselves, and he delivers engaging lessons that promote independent thought and problem-solving skills.
In his free time, Pierre enjoys traveling the world, trying new foods, and playing chess, xiangqi, and other board games. He is also learning salsa dance, and has recently tried scuba diving for the first time.

Erica Jheng Library Assistant

Erica Jheng earned her Associate of Arts degree from Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages in Kaohsiung. In her years at KAS, she has assisted in upper elementary classes, and is now an library assistant.

Ms. Jheng is originally from Chiayi and she loves reading, music, and movies so much that she can’t live without them. She also loves to explore the beauty of nature with her family and friends. Erica has a husband, A-Jia, and two sons, Banks and Nick.

Gloria Kao MYP Chinese

Gloria Kao is a longtime teacher at KAS. Gloria holds a teaching degree from the ‘Department of Chinese Language and Culture for International Students’ at National Taiwan Normal University. Gloria has been trained in DP Literature, MYP Language & Literature, and CAS. Gloria previously served as the DP CAS Coordinator. Gloria has a strong passion for community outreach and community service and enjoys sharing this with students in her role as High School Community Service Coordinator. In addition, Gloria leads the KAS Community Service Club, Orphanage Club, Red Cross Club, Zonta clubs, Charity Art Club, Food Bank Donation, and Shou-Shan ES Teaching Club. Outside of school, Gloria enjoys listening to classical music and operas, as well as visiting museums.

Kolas MYP & Personal Project Coordinator/MYP Language & Literature

Kolas is a dedicated international educator with a rich background as an Indigenous Asian-American and a proud member of Taiwan's indigenous (Amis) community. Raised in the northeastern United States in both private and public school systems, Kolas comes from a family of Taiwanese scholars and academics. His extensive experience as a multi-certified teacher, seminar instructor, and instructional coach enables him to serve and advise KAS families with a deep understanding of educational best practices. Selected for Cohort 8 of the Boston Teacher Residency—a Harvard Kennedy School award-winning clinical teacher preparation program—he brings a high standard of educational leadership to his role as MYP Coordinator at KAS. A competitive triathlete in Taiwan, Kolas has completed multiple olympic, as well as half-ironman races, and the full distance "ironman" triathlon (226km). Kolas is also passionate about storytelling as a transformative tool for teaching and exploring community and identity. Outside of his educational work, he enjoys cycling through Taiwan’s mountains, running along Love river, reading, and spending time with his family in Boston, Massachusetts.

Amber Lanning MYP Theatre

Amber is an experienced actress and teacher with a Masters degree in Theatre, who has had the amazing opportunity to live and work around the world. After growing up in Texas, she has moved to New York, Florida, Oman, Qatar, The Netherlands, Germany and now Taiwan. Amber has previously taught middle school, high school and university level courses, and has provided private lessons to students of all ages. She brings a wealth of experience in theatre performance and education. Her ultimate goal is to create a safe classroom where creativity and confidence take center stage, so her students can shine. Amber is in Taiwan with her husband, two sons (KAS students) and two dogs. She enjoys making the perfect chocolate chip cookies, movie nights, tacos, Dr. Pepper and traveling.

Irene Lee MYP/DP Chinese

Irene Lee joined KAS as a high school Chinese teacher. She holds an M.Ed degree from National Kaohsiung Normal University. She has been trained in DP Literature, Language & Literature, and MYP Language & Literature courses. She has a strong passion for all classical and contemporary literature, and also enjoys sharing this with students in her role. Before coming to KAS, she taught as a DP/MYP teacher for many years. She has two lovely children; an older girl and a younger boy. She loves to travel, reading, watch movies, and be with her family.

Jasmine Lee Lifeguard

John Lin MYP Chinese

John is an MYP/DP Language & Literature trained and experienced teacher. John earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at National Changhua University of Education and has his certificate from the Education Ministry of Taiwan. Mr. Lin has many years of experience as an international school teacher. When not in school, John likes to watch different kinds of movies and dramas. That gives him lots of inspiration for teaching.

Elizabeth Marvel MYP Individuals & Societies

Elizabeth (she/her), originally from Columbus, Ohio, spent time in Osaka, Japan, and Oxford, England while growing up. Elizabeth graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Middle Eastern and Asian history. She went on to earn a M.A. in Ottoman History from Ohio State. Elizabeth has taught history, cultural studies, and English as an Additional Language in the United States, Turkey, and China. She has also held roles in independent school and higher education admissions.

A forever student of history, Elizabeth enjoys reading and learning languages. She enjoys exploring Taiwan with her partner, Noah Dvorak, who is a college counselor.

Cindy Matheson Middle School Learning Support

Cindy is a Canadian certified teacher originally from Toronto, Ontario, with a diverse teaching background. Her teaching practice began in Mexico, spending three years internationally before returning to Toronto to deepen her teaching practices in both Elementary and Middle School grades. Middle school education has been where I have spent the majority of my 25-year career. Whether teaching a contained gifted class spanning grades 6 to 8 or serving as a generalist teacher in grades 7 and 8, I thrive in the environment of middle school.
Beyond the classroom, Cindy is an active individual who enjoys spending time in nature and she’s always up for a new adventure.

Avi Megiddo MYP Design/Community Project Coordinator

Avi holds a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from U.C. Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Education from Purdue University, where he majored in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Learning Design and Technology. Avi has taught SAT preparation and Secondary Mathematics in the United States, ESL in South Korea, and MYP Design and DP Computer Science in Taiwan. Avi is passionate about inspiring students to develop a growth mindset and reach their full potential. In his free time, Avi enjoys cycling, hiking, cooking, brainteasers, and keeping up with current events.

Clint Munkholm MYP Math

Clint hails originally from Alberta, Canada. While he graduated with a B.Sc. in Ecology, his career has included a broad array of experience, including Environmental Education, Ecological Design, Electrical Engineering, and the design of green buildings. He has teaching experience in both public and private schools, community colleges, and via his own hands-on maker workshop, working with children to develop the skills needed to design and build their own creations. He is passionate about helping students practically apply their learning.
Clint, a “Tainan son-in-law”, is a longtime member of the KAS family, with two sons who are KAS alumni, and his daughter a student. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, fermenting, rooftop gardening, community composting, and aquaponics.

Vincent Pan MYP Health & Physical Education/Head of Department: Physical & Health Education

Vincent will be joining KAS at the start of the school year as an MYP PE teacher. He came to KAS as a Teacher Assistant and Lifeguard. He has also been the Head Coach of the Girl’s Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. He graduated from Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages. During college, he was a rollerblade and volleyball athlete. Vincent is a certified lifeguard, lifesaving, and swimming coach. He completed his Teacher Preparation Certificate Program at Moreland University.
Vincent loves surfing and all kinds of sports.

Jitesh Pattni MYP Science

Jitesh teaches MYP Science. He brings with him 11 years of experience as a fisheries biologist on the Oregon coast where he led the research of salmonid population dynamics and harvest rates to ensure a sustainable future for the species. He received his BA in Environmental Studies and Economics from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, is working on completing his Master’s in Education. When Jitesh isn’t on campus, he helps organize the Kaohsiung Ultimate League and can often be found on the ultimate frisbee field. You’ll frequently spot him in his wife Kali’s office, or playing with his amazing children, Ilia and Grey, in Aozihdi Park.

Pon Peng MS Teaching Assistant

Pon Peng was born and raised in Kaohsiung and loves this city very much. She earned her BA in Applied Foreign Languages from SUE-TE University in Kaohsiung City. Pon worked as a teaching assistant for several years in elementary school before her role as a MS teaching assistant. Pon combined work and travel by working in the United States during the summers she was studying in university. She worked in Colorado in a peach factory; in Ohio for at Cedar Point Amusement Park; and at Los Angeles International Airport as a ground service agent for EVA Air. Pon then went to Canada and worked in Vancouver. She really enjoys working with children at KAS and thinks of KAS as her second family.

Amos Ruffer MS English Language Acquisition/Head of Department: English Language Acquisition

Amos Ruffer joined KAS as the EAL (English as an Additional Language) teacher in MS. He graduated from Ohio State and initially taught 5 years of Elementary PE. After gaining Learning Support certification, he taught for 4 years in the Denver area and was most recently at the American International School of Dhaka for 4 years with his partner, Jean Tsai, and daughter Emory. Amos loves being active, eating spicy foods, and exploring Taiwan.

Winnie Shen MS Counselor/Head of Counseling Department

Winnie Shen holds a M.ED and an Ed.S. in Marriage and Family Counseling from the Counselor Education, University of Florida. With many years of clinical experience in working with children, adolescents, and adults at various settings including a school, a hospital, and a college counseling center, she is very enthusiastic about interacting with students as well as helping and supporting them when they are in need. Winnie was a National Certified Counselor in the US, and is a certified Counseling Psychologist in Taiwan. She was born and raised in Kaohsiung and grew up in a lovely family that enjoys travel. When she visits or lives in other cities or countries, she embraces diversity and cherishes every moment that she gets to learn from other cultures. She is honored to be a counselor at KAS and loves to work in this great and diverse community in her hometown.

Audrey Sifunganyambe MS Teaching Assistant

Audrey Sifunganyambe, a proud Zambian national, spent her adult life in Germany, Norway and Dubai where she gained an appreciation of diverse cultures. She prides herself in being an extremely energetic, enthusiastic and self-motivated individual. She has a background in sales and marketing and holds education qualifications in travel and tourism. Ms. Audrey enjoys her time at KAS as a 1:1 Paraprofessional where she is able to contribute to bettering the lives of students. She is also very actively involved in girls’ soccer at the school, as the Middle and High school soccer coach. Her interests include soccer (which she played professionally in her younger days), cooking, traveling, working with children, music and current affairs.

Wendy Weng MS English Language Acquisition

Wendy joined KAS as an elementary ELL teacher. She graduated from Fu-Jen Catholic University with a BA in English Literature and earned her MA in Education from the University of Texas. She has certification in English and ELL teaching from Montana State University and has training and experience in MYP. Wendy currently teaches middle and high school ELL. She loves working with ELL students; she is always amazed at how much progress students can make and feels proud of them. When not working, Wendy enjoys spending time with her husband and son.