Casablanca American School is my first international position and has been a unique experience in so many ways. 

Since coming to CAS, I have been able to teach new subjects (economics), learn new curriculum and methodologies (IB), and develop new policies and cultural norms (committee work). The school has undergone significant administrative changes over the last two years, which, although challenging in many ways, have provided opportunities to step into unofficial leadership roles to bolster the faculty and student body while adding to the school's rich and historic culture.

My teaching activities include

• IB Business Management (Y1/Y2; HL and SL)

• IB Economics (Y1/Y2; HL and SL)

• Senior Advisory

• Extended Essay Advisor (Business and Economics)

• Business Management team lead

My committee activities include

• Co-chair of the Artificial Intelligence Education Committee. In this capacity, I was tasked with researching and evaluating best-practice policies from similar institutions and creating policy guidelines for CAS. Additionally, our committee's focus has been to develop AI literacy and ethical practices in two key areas: 

  1. Student AI Literacy. At CAS, we aim to develop our students to be ethical practitioners who use AI as a catalyst for inquiry and an educational assistant, not to replace critical thinking and academic skills, but to enhance them. 

  2. Faculty AI Literacy. The ways in which our teachers use AI are just as critical to our success as our students' use. One of our major initiatives is to train our teachers to use AI to strengthen collaboration, improve ideation, and increase efficiency and effectiveness as educators with an ever-growing list of responsibilities. Working closely with a member of our AI committee, I have developed an AI workshop specifically designed for teachers and education leaders to develop their skills and capacity, which I am excited to present at the upcoming 2026 NESA Fall Leadership Conference.

• NEASC Foundation Standards Committee. The purpose of the CAS Foundation Standards committee is to oversee CAS's accreditation renewal efforts. As a member of the committee, my primary task has been to work closely with various stakeholders in developing a Shared Understanding of High Quality Learning (SUHQL). We've taken a deep dive into the core foundational concepts that define our organization, what they mean to our community, and how they play out in practice. The work I have done with our SUHQL has been some of the most meaningful of my career, as it shapes everything we do at CAS. 

• CAS Board of Governors - Governance Committee. The CAS Governance committee is comprised of two members from the Board of Governors, one representative from the parent community, two administrative staff officers, and me, who represents the faculty at CAS. Our task is to oversee the process of electing and appointing members to the CAS school board. Our board is undergoing significant turnover, with half of the members' seats open to election over the next two years, including the Board President. We have also navigated emergency appointee decisions, term renewals, and an ever-changing stakeholder population typical of an elite international institution. Taking on critical responsibilities that shape the future of the school has been both humbling and rewarding, as I have learned much about the nuanced complexities of effective leadership and policy. 

• Various. In addition to those listed above, I have also enjoyed significant contributions to the school culture, administrative systems, and teaching and learning practice as part of the following committees:

  1. Academic Calendar and Scheduling committee

  2. Upper School Syllabus and Student Handbook committee

  3. CAS Academic and Achievement Awards committee

  4. Best Practices in Education committee

  5. Week Without Walls planning committee 

My favorite CAS experience (so far)

This is easy. By far, without pause or hesitation, my favorite student throughout my career is one of my CAS students. His name is Driss. 

Driss was the epitome of the laidback, funny-loving, easy-going teenager who didn't care about his education. Driss' family had pretty much already decided his future for him in the family business, so as far as he was concerned, it didn't matter how he did in school. He told me many times that he was only going to college to get away from his folks so he could pursue his dream of becoming a DJ. As you may have guessed, Driss was not a very high-performing student by any metric known to man. 

Drisswas enrolled in two of my IB classes, and I was assigned to be his Extended Essay advisor. So, Charlie and I spent a LOT of time together, and when I say I have never seen more personal growth in a student over a single academic year, I mean it. Never. By the end of his junior year, Charlie had gone from being excited to score a 4 on an IB-style assessment to earning a 7 on his Year 1 Final exam in Economics and a high 6 in Business. For those unfamiliar with the IB, a 7 in Economics is no small accomplishment.

Charlie is graduating this year and is planning to study Economics in college. He still wants to DJ on the side, but he has developed a true passion for studying and is one of CAS's standout students. And although he's still as charming and fun as ever in class, he is also making significant contributions to our learning efforts. Being a part of his growth process has truly been a career highlight for me.