Kathryn Rasmussen is a Consular Associate at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn. She has a Master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Wisconsin and has worked as a fundraiser for the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. A native of Oklahoma, Kathryn has also lived in Nepal and Barbados where her children attended the local IB school. Kathryn has two daughters who are thriving at ISE.
John Liau is the Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Office in Tallinn, Estonia. During his 20 years with the U.S. government, John has served in protective and investigative assignments in Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Vancouver, Canada, and Pittsburgh. Over the course of his career, he specialized in complex financial fraud and cybercrime investigations. He also served for four years on the Presidential Protective Division and protected both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush. Prior to joining the U.S. Secret Service, John worked as an engineer after obtaining a degree in Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
I think that my story of becoming a psychologist already started in Grade 9, when I understood that I would become a psychologist when I grew up . I made my decisions based on this knowledge, and went to study psychology at Tallinn University where I received both the bachelor’s and the master’s degree in the field. During my university studies I read elementary art therapy, and specialized in the field of school and counseling psychology. Today I have gained professional experience as a school psychologist from six different schools, and have received a level 7 certificate (out of 8) for school psychologist. Since 2012, I have been teaching courses on sports psychology, neuropsychology, general and developmental psychology, psychology of crisis, close relationships and conflicts, and motivation. At the moment, I am involved in specializing in family psychotherapy, which gives me an opportunity and ability to conduct family and couple therapy.
My practice is guided by three principles:
Matthew Bell grew up in a small Scottish town before a passion for Science and Mathematics had him heading to University of Glasgow to obtain a Master’s degree in Chemistry. During his degree he found himself happiest when helping others and after navigating through a postgraduate diploma in education at the University of Aberdeen he returned to his home council to help spread the passion he had grown and fostered over the years as a science teacher.
Matthew first arrived in Estonia in 2016 and has been with ISE ever since. This year marks 5 years of IB teaching for Matthew. In this time he has taught Biology and Mathematics across both the MYP and DP programs. Additionally, he holds the posts of Extended essay coordinator and staff representative of the student council.
Quick to adapt to new learning and teaching styles, Matthew is a firm believer in experiential learning and the value of new digital technologies. Constantly adapting and refining materials, he strives to teach in ever more engaging ways.
Student Support Coordinator
PYP Teacher
English Language Learning Specialist and WIDA Administrator Valerian Goguadze aims to improve multilingual learners’ English language skills, and increase their academic performance. Mr Goguadze has been working as an English Language Learning Specialist for over 13 years. He has 6 years of experience working with the IB PYP and the IB MYP learners. Valerian Goguadze is currently working on the Doctoral Program in Leadership for International School Leaders (LISL) at the University of San Diego. His research interests are multilingual learners and their challenges at International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Schools.
Valerian holds a Bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University and a Master’s degree in Engineering from Tallinn University of Technology. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree he served as a consultant English language teacher in the project Teach for Georgia. He was selected on contest-bases to teach the English language in Georgian public schools. He is a certified teacher in TESOL/TEFL from the World TESOL Academy with a solid understanding of the needs of a multilingual learner and is an advocate of differentiation in all subject areas. He has been actively participating in various professional development workshops and webinars on how to support multilingual learners in diverse classrooms.
Mr Valerian is a native Georgian coming from a small town Batumi near the Black Sea Coast now living in Tallinn. Valerian enjoys learning foreign languages, travelling, swimming, and reading books about different cultures. Valerian is fluent in Georgian, English, and Russian languages.
Nick is a British national who is Professor in Green Chemistry at Tallinn University of Technology. Since finishing his studies in England he has taught students at universities in Denmark, Australia and Ireland before joining TTU in 2015. In Ireland at Dublin City University (DCU) he was nominated for the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in2009, 2011 and 2014. Nick has two children in ISE. His hobbies include reading science fiction, the cinema and anime.
Elizabeth Horst is the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia and a career Foreign Service Officer. Prior to Tallinn, Elizabeth worked for International Media Engagement in the Bureau of Public Affairs, where she spearheaded the re-launch of the State Department’s flagship Russian language account @USApoRusski on Twitter and Facebook. She served as Deputy Economic Counselor in Kyiv (2011-214), where she managed a team focused on economic reform and business advocacy. During the Maidan revolution and Russia-Ukraine crisis, she led the Embassy’s interagency task forces. Previous overseas assignments included the U.S. military Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Qalat, Afghanistan; Moscow, Russia; Dushanbe,Tajikistan; and Lahore, Pakistan. Her Washington assignments include the State Department Operations Center, and managing Afghanistan and Iraq training for U.S. government civilians. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History and German from the University of Kansas and a Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in Modern Germany History. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Niger, West Africa, and speaks German, Russian, French and Hausa.
Anatoli, was born in 1971 in Armenia. Since 1972 he has been living in Estonia.
1977-1987 – Secondary School
1988-1990 – Various work experience
1990-1993 – Tallinn Technical University, Economics Department
1993-2000 – Various employments
2000-2015 – Managing director of Estonian subsidiary of German corporation
2015 – various projects development in the area of oil trading and bunkering
