Our Staff
Leadership Team
Claudia Ferrufino
SLT
Executive Director
Claudia has an MBA from Universidad de los Andes and is a professional Coach. After her early career in business management with experience in a wide variety of business functions, she started her own micro-enterprise. Having sold this business, she moved into the education world, taking up the post of Administrative and Financial Director of Uniandinos, an alumni organisation of 13000 members. From here, she was appointed as the first non-professorial Director of the MBA program of the Universidad de los Andes, where she was able to introduce improvements for the benefit of the educational program and the students.
Diana Giraldo
SLT
Financial Manager
Diana Giraldo, was born in Bogotá. Is an Accountant with an emphasis in Statutory Auditing with a specialization in Financial Management. Auditor iso 9001, passionate about the Administration of resources. She has more than 20 years of experience in the financial and administrative area. Has worked as Financial and Administrative Director in different schools. She believes that planning, communication and empathy skills are the most important skills she has developed. Believes in the importance of understanding the needs and ideas of other people, since she thinks that they are the keys to teamwork and success to achieve the common objectives of any organization.
Andrea Roa
SLT
PYP Coordinator / Spanish Teacher
Andrea Roa has a degree in Education from the University of San Buenaventura, a specialist in teaching Spanish as a native language at the National Pedagogical University and a specialist in the Competent Reader Program at the Alberto Merani International Foundation. Additionally, Andrea is training in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). Andrea has collaborated as the Internal Auditor of the Quality Assesment System that assures our procedures all comply with the System. Throughout Andrea’s 15-year career in education, she has worked across all levels of Primary and Secondary education in different schools in Bogotá, always reflecting on the reader and writer process, the acquisition of the language and the possibility of integration of all the knowledge. Andrea has been part of the KSI family for 7 years, shares the KSI philosophy and firmly believes in education as a tool of progress for any society. Some of the activities she enjoys are sharing time with her family, husband and pet, walking, traveling, reading and enjoying nature.
Mike Mackenna
SLT
DP Coordinator, English, Theory of Knowledge, and Extended Essay Teacher
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in Management, Customer Service, Staff Development, Employee Training, and Educational Leadership. .Master’s Degree in Didactics of Mathematics in Early Childhood and Primary Education from Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, ,Bachelor degree of basic Education with emphasis in Technology and computer Science from Universidad Manuela Beltrán and a Marketing degree from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano.
Adriana Carvajalino
SLT
Marketing and Admissions Manager and Middle Years Coordinator
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in Management, Customer Service, Staff Development, Employee Training, and Educational Leadership. .Master’s Degree in Didactics of Mathematics in Early Childhood and Primary Education from Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, ,Bachelor degree of basic Education with emphasis in Technology and computer Science from Universidad Manuela Beltrán and a Marketing degree from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano.
Sandra Naranjo
SLT
Academic Secretary
She was born in Cali. She likes movies and traveling. She has 20 years of experience in Education in various private schools in Cali and Bogota, as Academic coordinator and Dean of students. She has a degree in Administration of Education from Universidad de San Buenaventura de Cali, and specialist in in Management and Strategic Competences and in Learning Assessment at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. She studied English as a second language at St. John Center in St. Catherine’s, Canada. ISO 9001 Auditor and two stars EFQM. She is also currently working on English immersion programs with students to study in Canada and England. At KSI, she works as an Academic Secretary.
Yenifer Cardona
SLT
Human Resources Manager
Yenifer was born in Bogota. She’s an Industrial engineer with an emphasis in Human Resources and I have an MBA from Universidad La Rioja. She loves animals, riding her bicycle and enjoys her life with her family. She have more than 14 years of experience in the continuous improvement processes and Human Resources area. She thinks the most important thing in her job is to work in the wellness of the people, listen everyone’s needs and ensure their happiness at work. She really likes working in team, keeping an excellent communication and helping develop talent.
Teaching Staff
Alberto Holguín
Teaching Staff
English Teacher
English Teacher, Interpreter and Translator; Master in Performing Arts (Actor and Stage Director), deeply interested in projects related to education and arts and interested also in the way arts affect how we learn and offer contexts to develop new skill sets to face everyday challenges. Alberto has worked for over twenty years as an English Teacher, and has had the chance of translating several books for two Publishing Companies. As a teacher he has also helped people succeed in attaining passing scores in international exams and worked as a Cambridge Oral Examiner for a year. Before the lockdown, he was acting and directing in the play Salvajes, which was staged in different local theatres and schools. A believer and a pet lover who enjoys physical activity, reading, drawing, and learning new things, and is currently exploring what digital media has to offer in storytelling. He believes people and relationships are vital and that education can help shape our future in a more positive direction.
Mauricio Vega
Teaching Staff
Art Teacher
Mauricio is an Artist from the Andes University with postgraduate studies in Theoretical Art Studies from the Javeriana University and a Master in Fine Art from the Nacional University of Colombia. He has been working as a teacher for 12 years and he has certifications in IB as well as in Reggio Emilia which has given him a wide experience with all ages. He also works as a contemporary artist and he has shown his work in different galleries in and out of the country.
Mateo Rodríguez
Teaching Staff
Music Teacher
Bilingual Music Teacher, Composer and Producer; Bachelor of Music in Film Scoring, passionate about teaching, mentoring, and composing for different types of visual media.
Diego Farieta
Teaching Staff
Spanish Teacher
Teacher guide, counselor and facilitator of Basic Bachelor’s Degree with emphasis in Humanities and Spanish Language at Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (Bogotá). Specialist in Virtual Learning Environments of the Organization of Ibero-American States (Argentina). Teacher of the course Lengua A: IB Language and Literature. Qualified in project work, implementing strategies focused on problem solving to promote communication and interaction scenarios with students. Diego has also supported in the execution of the different processes for the certification of the IB MYP program from the subject of language and literature. The development of the IB PEP program from language and communication. As well as in the development of strategies for monograph advising from language and literature, also as a supervisor of monographs.
Evgeniya (Eva) Miroshina
Teaching Staff
Year 5 Homeroom Teacher
Eva was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, where she obtained her Bachelor degree in Tourism Management. Since she has always been interested in education and linguistics, she has also obtained Child Care and Education Diploma, Special Educational Needs Advanced Diploma, as well as Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate. She is currently halfway through her Masters in Education and Advanced Teaching programme. She worked in Early Years Foundation Stage at the International School of Moscow for 4 years, where she had a fantastic opportunity to further develop her knowledge and skills, while falling in love with the profession. Eva feels a special connection with Colombia and its people and has been living here for 3 years, working as a Homeroom Teacher at KSI since 2020. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Russian. In her free time, Eva enjoys travelling and discovering new cultures, hiking and long-distance running, painting and reading. She says that her biggest passion is learning new things whether it is in education, art, sport or ICT, and she is always looking for opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills.
Paula Hincapié
Teaching Staff
Year 3 Homeroom Teacher
Grew up in New York and have lived in Colombia for the last 8 years. I studied early childhood education in Richmond, Virginia and my profession is my pride and joy. Teaching is the most effective way to make the world a better place, one child at the time.
Sonia Castro
Teaching Staff
Science & Physics Teacher
Sonia joined KSI on 2017, holds a Master of Science degree in Physics, a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering and a Bachelor of Physics from Los Andes University. Sonia started as a university teacher when she was doing her masters but found that her passion was teaching High School students. Since then, 8 years ago, Sonia has been attending multiple workshops from the IBO to further develop her skills as a DP and PYP teacher. Since 2006 Sonia has joined the team of authors of the MYP e-assessment on Physics and is a passionate writer of exams and units designer. Sonia enjoys being with her family and friends and activities related with her Catholic faith. Sonia believes the school creates a space that promotes creative and innovative ways to teach in a respectful and challenging environment. Sonia strives to allow students to ‘Be all they can be’.
Marcela Duarte
Teaching Staff
Year 1 Homeroom Teacher
Year One homeroom teacher, holds a degree in psychology from Konrad Lorenz Fundación Universitaria. She also studied the analysis and development of systems and obtained a degree as a technologist, so she loves to teach and learn about technology. She has been working in schools for nine years, this is her seventh year in KSI and her second year as a homeroom teacher.
Rebecca Cruz
Teaching Staff
History Teacher
Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador. I came to Colombia 6 years ago to study, and fell in love with the country; Bogotá, with its turmoil and its cosmopolitan feeling and possibilities, felt like my type of home. I hold a Bachelor degree in Philosophy and another in Languages and Sociocultural Studies from Universidad de los Andes, currently I am finishing my master’s degree in Philosophy. My last job was as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, in Universidad de los Andes, where I taught critical reading and writing. There I confirmed my vocation as teacher; as one, I could entwine my belief that education is the way for a reflexive and equal society, with my love for public speaking and getting people excited about interesting questions and ideas. Besides teaching, I enjoy reading texts that make me see things in a different light, listening to soulful and funky music, traveling and making people laugh.
Daniella Gutiérrez
Teaching Staff
Science and Biology Teacher, CAS Coordinator
Daniella is from Bogotá, Colombia and joined KSI in 2017. She holds a Master of Science in Biological Sciences, Bachelor of Biology and Bachelor of Microbiology from Los Andes University. She studied at an IB school and got her IBO diploma when she graduated from high school. She started as a private tutor, then while she was doing her masters she was a university teacher. In 2012, she noticed her passion was education and started working in high schools. Since then she has been devoted to improving her skills and knowledge by attending multiple IBO workshops to develop as a DP and MYP teacher. She is currently studying her Masters in Education at University of the People. She has been an IB examiner for DP Biology since 2016.
Christopher Higgins
Teaching Staff
Year 6 Homeroom Teacher
From Toronto, Canada. He graduated from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) with a Bachelor of Science in Global Resource Systems, focusing on Latin America and International Trade and Development. Christopher has been teaching English for 10 years with several years experience teaching science, agriculture and maths in elementary school. Christopher also has 4 years experience as a fifth grade homeroom teacher. His teaching career has found him working in South Korea, Panama, and Colombia. Christopher enjoys public speaking, capoeira, meditation, hiking, camping, rock climbing, travelling, cooking, socialising, and reading. Christopher has found KSI to be a fulfilling environment to develop his professional career. The challenges it presents, allows for the development of his creative and critical thinking skills. He looks forward to supporting his team and developing his career at KSI.
Natalia Quiñones
Teaching Staff
Maths Teacher
Natalia Quiñones Morales has a Physics degree from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional of Colombia. She is trained in instructing the IB Diploma Program Mathematics and she is currently an Examiner of IB. Natalia has more than 20 years’ experience as a teacher in Primary and Secondary for Physics, Mathematics, Geometry and Logic. She considers teaching a good opportunity to help the world and children. Natalia enjoys spending time outdoors, and with her pets.
Andrea Laguna
Teaching Staff
Primary P.E Teacher
Andrea Laguna is a professional in physical culture and sports, graduated from the INCCA University of Colombia. She has more than twelve years of experience as a physical education teacher in different schools and sports clubs. Andrea has knowledge in the art of directed dance with children, with an academic training in the barajas theater foundation. She is trained to develop training processes, organization and sports practices for the educational sector. She loves her profession and is always committed to the well-being of her students.
María Cristina Rengifo
Teaching Staff
Reception Homeroom Teacher
Maria Cristina earned her Bachelor’s degree in Pre-school Education in 1986. She has been working as a self- contained teacher for 30 years; teaching students from ages 2 years, up to 14. Maria Cristina has previously worked at an English School in the Special Education Needs department. She likes to teach students songs, games, origami and reading comprehension activities. She believes there are many things she has learnt from her students throughout her life and there is still so much more to be learned.
Diana Mejía
Teaching Staff
Year 4 Homeroom Teacher
Ms. Diana Mejía was born in Cartagena. She has been teaching for thirteen years at IB and international schools in different cities, such as Cartagena, Medellin, Pereira and Bogotá, and this is her second year at KSI. Bachelor in Journalism, and is a certified Coach, and Teacher. She loves to teach, travel, meet different cultures, read, knit and dive
Fabrián Prieto
Teaching Staff
Secondary P.E Teacher
I have worked as a Physical Education and sports teacher in IB schools for 8 years, a sports’ coach and manager and business administrator. I have also worked as Dean and discipline coordinator. I have experience as a professional soccer player for 14 years in Colombia and abroad.
Mark Glowacki
Teaching Staff
Homeroon Teacher Y2
“Mark Paul Glowacki is a native of the United States. He is the Year Two homeroom teacher, who has diverse experiences with PBL teaching and motivating students through ‘real-world’ application of learning methods. He has been teaching for seven years in a formal school setting. His passion is to watch all students learn and grow together as outstanding citizens and to be contributing members of the international community. He is an avid student of science, art and is active in sports.”
Paola Yaya
Teaching Staff
Spanish Teacher
Juan Camilo Salazar
Teaching Staff
Math Teacher
Juan Camilo is from Bogotá, Colombia and joined KSI in 2022. He holds a Bachelor in Mathematics from Los Andes University. He studied at an IB school and got his IBO diploma when he graduated. He started teaching in some universities when he graduated, and has been an active teacher since. He has been an online tutor in mathematics, and in 2015 he started working in high schools. He is currently finishing his Master in Big Data and working as an online teacher for Data Science for Social Data Consulting.
Catalina Rodríguez
Teaching Staff
Sciences/ Tech Teacher
Born in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas and a Master in Biochemical Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has 5 years of experience in bilingual teaching and 2 as a researcher. She loves learning languages, researching, and traveling, as well as maintaining a fitness-based lifestyle.
Carlos Carmona
Teaching Staff
Social Studies Teacher
Carlos is anthropologist with studies of Environmental Management at Andes University, and studies of Linguistic anthropology at the University of Michigan; he holds a broad experience in environmental consultancy and conflict resolution with ethnic communities. Carlos has always hold a an interest on education and humanism in society; he has worked as a Social Studies teacher and also as an English instructor. A sports fan and sporadic practitioner of volley and basketball; enjoys cooking, dancing salsa, drinking a good Ale, reading a good critical writer, listening blues, jazz or classic rock. He loves being disconnected while watching a good movie, keeping himself busy, learning new stuff, and thinking of ways of influencing future generations in history, defending biodiversity, multiculturalism.
Martha López
Teaching Staff
Year 2 and 3 Art Teacher / Year 5, 7 and 8 Spanish Teacher
Martha Cecilia has a Master’s degree in psycho-pedagogy from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and a Bachelor’s degree in Plastic Arts from the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira. At the end of her undergraduate studies she worked for 5 years as a teacher of arts, Spanish and mathematics with the Ludes Foundation for students with special needs and conditions. Subsequently gives rise to the educational institution Liceo Taller Pablo Picasso product of her degree work with academic offerings in preschool, primary and secondary approved by the MEN in the city of Pereira serving as Rector and teacher for 7 years, finally after the sale of the school resumes academic loads in different private educational institutions and some IB of the city of Bogota with national and international offerings as a teacher of arts, Spanish and dances in classroom and virtual form adjusted to pandemic, offering a total of 20 years of experience next to the education.
Admin Staff
Joan Andrea Ospina Romero
Admin Staff
Media Coordinator
Photographer with training in editorial publishing and digital marketing, who has worked in the public sector leading creative projects with a socio-environmental impact (Bogotá) and in the private sector in managing editorial processes (Buenos Aires). Passionate about the film world and animal rights activism, she is committed to offering warm and efficient attention to the challenges of the KSI community.
Luz Ángela Vargas
Admin Staff
Accountant/ Invoicing
Luz Angela, has been linked for more than three years to KSI, she has been a Public Accountant for two years. Has a solid experience of more than 9 years in the accounting area, in different sectors of the economy. Currently she wants to deepen her studies in Financial Management. She spends her free time reading, in company of her six pets whom she loves as if they were her children. She loves movies, traveling and cycling.
Adriana Correa
Admin Staff
Accountant/ Invoicing
Adriana is a Public Accountant graduated from the Nueva Granada Military University, she has more than 7 years of Experience in the Accounting area, working as Treasurer and Accounting Analyst in Companies of the Floriculture Sector. In her free time she likes to practice Yoga, share with her Family. She loves Extreme Sports, Reading, going to the Movies and Traveling.
José Alexis Hernández
Admin Staff
ICT Coordinator
Systems Engineer, Specialist in Physical and Information Security from the School of Military Communications with strong knowledge in the areas of Information Technology and Communication (ICT’s) and in some standards such as ISO 9001, 14001 and 27001 of INCONTEC. Has an experience of over 14 years in academic institutions. He is a cheerful person who likes to travel, go to the movies, dance and do activities such as extreme sports, likes to work in a team and in a family environment.
Angélica Alonso
Admin Staff
Analista de Admisiones
Psychologist from Universidad del Bosque. Extensive experience in customer service. She has a great facility to connect with people and that allows her to guide parents in a very empathetic way. Her great love is her husband Rogerio and her two daughters, Isabela and Valentina, with whom she enjoys sharing. She is a believer in God and the Virgin Mary, her family routine includes going to mass on Sundays and praying with her daughters at night. She enjoys physical activity, reading and studying languages.
Bryan Herrera
Admin Staff
Front Desk / ICT Teacher Year 3 and 4
Born in Bogota and currently has technical skills as an audiovisual producer and administrative assistance. He is a charismatic person, responsible, passionate about learning and innovation. In his free time he likes to travel, share with his family and practice sports like soccer or volleyball.
William Carabuena
Admin Staff
Auxiliar contable
Jenny Padilla
Admin Staff
Nurse
Jenny Padilla Abril, nurse graduated from the National University of Colombia, with more than 10 years of experience in the healthcare and administrative areas in the health sector, with about 5 years of experience in the educational sector, the latter being her great passion within her profession. The effective creation of healthy habits and customs from childhood, allows us to generate a more positive public health in the future.
Yonnathan Valencia
Admin Staff
Payroll and Human Resources Analyst
Yonnathan Valencia was born January 30, 1994 in Algeciras, Huila, Colombia. He was interested in gastronomy for a few years and worked as a cook for about three years. He spent his childhood in Soacha until he was 12 years old when he went to live in Suba where he finished his high school studies. He was interested in gastronomy for a few years and worked as a cook for about three years. At the age of 23 he changed careers at the beginning of his studies in business management and after finishing them. He started working in the administrative area at Cambridge School. From there he focused on human resources management and grew in the area finishing his studies as an administrator and worked as a payroll analyst in which he currently works.
Student Support
Herlina Garzón
Student Support
Counselor
Paola Benavides
Student Support
Neuropsychologist / Case Manager
My name is Paola, I am thirty two years old. I’m an empathetic and smiling person. I’m very close to my family. I enjoy riding my bike and sometimes run in the mornings. I am analytic and rigorous with my work and love to work in teams. I have 8 years of experience in different areas such as: working with children with obstacles in their learning processes, educational and therapeutic contexts, inclusive education, learning the familiar and school dynamic and its various characteristics. I studied psychology at the Konrad Lorenz University, Postgraduate studies at Buenos Aires University, Argentina, and my Masters degree in clinical neuro-psychology at San Buenaventura University in Bogota.