The team
Welcome! The OSA office is made up of four class deans, one for each class, who travel with their class from Grade 9 through to graduation. In addition there are three university advisors, who begin to work with students at the beginning of Grade 11. Our administrative assistant also serves as the director of external testing (AP's, ACT, SAT, and UK university entrance tests) and our registrar handles all matters pertaining to grades and transcripts.
 Grace Conteh Grace Conteh joined the ASL team in November 2016 as admissions assistant. Before ASL, Grace worked for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, where she managed the professional development phase program for newly qualified veterinary graduates. As registrar, Grace is primarily responsible for all the transcripts in the High School. In her spare time, Grace enjoys singing and reading. |
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 Kristen Goodlett Kristen joined ASL in 2020 as a HS learning specialist before transitioning into the role of dean of the Class of 2025. Kristen previously served as a middle and upper school learning specialist at The Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to that, Kristen was a special education teacher and department chair, in addition to directing MS choir and musicals, in public and charter schools in New York City and Atlanta, GA. Before diving into traditional education settings, Kristen worked as an applied theatre artist with the City University of New York (CUNY) Creative Arts Team. Kristen has earned a BA in Theatre Arts from Boston College, an MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY School of Professional Studies, and an MSEd in Teaching Students with Disabilities from St. John's University. In her free time, Kristen enjoys connecting with friends and family, trying out new restaurants, and going to the theater. |
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 Simon Lewis Simon joined the Office of Student Advising at ASL in 2023. Previously he was Head of International University Advising at Latymer Upper School. He is a Co-Founder of UES Education, where he worked as a Director from 2014-2022 and is currently Head of College Counseling. Prior to 2014, Simon founded a social enterprise and worked in project management for a number of nonprofits specializing in improving economic well-being for low income families. Simon is a longstanding member of International Association for College Admission Counseling and is a mentor and reader for the Sutton Trust US Programme, supporting High Achieving Low Income students. He regularly works with schools across the U.K. to improve their capacity for international applications. Simon received his Bachelor of Arts in English from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2003 and is currently completing the UCLA Extension Certificate in College Counseling. Outside of work he enjoys performing and writing music, international food and travel, theatre, cinema, literature, and the visual arts, cycling, and watching Arsenal, England cricket, and the Welsh rugby team. |
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 Terri Okpoyo Terri Okpoyo joined the team in August 2019 as administrative assistant. Originally from Minnesota, Terri moved to Cork, Ireland, in 2013. After five years in Cork, she and her family relocated to England in 2018. Before making the leap across the pond, she worked as an administrative assistant to the special education department at Beacon Academy. Terri holds a BA in individualised studies, which allows her to boast that she knows a little bit in a lot of areas! Her free time is spent watching her three boys’ basketball games. |
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 Duncan Pringle Duncan Pringle took on the role of Grade 9 dean from fall 2019, having joined ASL in 2016. He has taught in the high school social studies department, and also served as a Grade 9 advisor. Fluent in Italian, Duncan taught in international schools in Rome, Italy, for 19 years, prior to joining ASL. Duncan holds a BA in economics from the University of East London, and an MA in economics from London Guildhall. |
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 Anne Richardson Anne Richardson joined the American School in London in July 2017 as director of student advising, having previously worked at Kents Hill School and Hamden Hall Country Day School in the US. In addition to working as director of college counseling, she was academic dean for six years and director of communications for five years. Having completed the presidential cycle in the New England Association for College Admissions Counseling (NEACAC), Anne is now active in the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC); she was one of two secondary school counselors appointed to the Commission for International Student Recruitment, chaired NACAC's newest committee on international initiatives and currently serves on NACAC's Testing Panel. Anne has presented at the TABS Global Symposium, NACAC, NEACAC, IACAC, MCA conferences and at the U. Maine International Conference; she has written for the Journal of College Admissions and co-authored a chapter in NACAC’s "The Fundamentals of College Counseling." Anne earned her A.B. in English from Oberlin College and her M.A. in liberal studies from Wesleyan University. |
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 Joanna Shearer Joanna joined ASL in 2020, an interesting year to be a new staff member! Joanna previously held the role of Director of University Counselling and Careers at Halcyon London International School and, prior to that, she was a College Counselor at ACS Cobham International School. From 2009-16 she sat on the other side of the admissions desk as the Head of Student Recruitment at Imperial College London. Joanna has also worked in a variety of academic-related roles at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, CAPA International Education and Boston University. She has been a regular presenter at the UCAS International Advisers’ conference as well as International ACAC, the British Council, NAFSA and many others. Joanna received her BA in French Language and Literature and her MAT in Teaching Modern Foreign Languages from Boston University (USA), her MPhil In European Literature from the University of Cambridge (UK) and her Doctorate in French History from Oxford Brookes University (UK). Joanna enjoys going out to the theatre in London, music festivals (usually in the rain!) and cycling with her two daughters. |
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 Nicole Thompson Nicole Thompson joined the ASL team in August 2016. Ms. Thompson brings nearly 20 years of experience in the fields of admissions and college counseling. Prior to coming to ASL, she was associate director of college counseling at Sage Hill School in Newport Beach, California. At Sage Hill, Ms. Thompson wore many hats in addition to that of college counselor, from academic advisor to diversity committee member to club advisor. Prior to Sage Hill, Ms. Thompson worked for a decade in college admissions, at the City University of New York, Fordham University, and most recently, at Columbia University. Ms. Thompson is a member of National and International Associations for College Admission Counseling (NACAC and IACAC), and the Association of Black Admissions & Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League & Sister Schools. Ms. Thompson earned a BA in sociology from Georgetown University, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Columbia University’s Teachers College. A self-professed “college nerd,” Ms. Thompson is passionate about helping young people discover more about themselves via the college process and helping them to find campus communities where they will thrive. You can also engage her in conversations about popular music, movies and television of all genres and her desire to see more of the world. |
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 Laurel Waterhouse Laurel came to ASL from LEAF Academy in Bratislava, Slovakia where she served as Assistant Head of School and Dean of Character and helped to guide the development of the Academy through its first four years of operation. After completing a BA in International Affairs at Lafayette College, Laurel began her independent school career as a Teaching Fellow at the Taft School in Connecticut before moving on to Choate Rosemary Hall, where she taught history and political science, coached varsity rowing and basketball, and served as an advisor, dormitory head, and class dean. After nearly a decade working in education, Laurel returned to graduate school to pursue her passion for studying history and political science. In 2016, she graduated with a dual MA/MSc degree from Columbia University in New York and The London School of Economics, earning a prize for her work in human rights history. |
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 Rodney Yeoh Rodney Yeoh came to ASL in August 2015 as Grade 9 dean and a HS history teacher. Rodney grew up in Malaysia and went to the Mahindra United World College in India to complete high school. He studied biochemistry and religious studies at Colby College before earning a master’s in theological studies at Harvard Divinity School. Before ASL, he worked at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, MA, from 2007 to 2015, during which he served in a variety of roles, including history teacher, grade 10 dean and associate director of Beaver's Hiatt Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. These days, Rodney enjoys spending time with his two young daughters. He also enjoys reading, cooking and biking. |