Counseling

Born in England, Rebecca moved to Canada as a child where she was educated and began working. Rebecca received her Honours degree in English and Women’s Studies from the University of Guelph in Ontario.  Following that she received her BEd from the University of Windsor.  After teaching for five years, she was able to take her Career and Guidance training from the University of Nipissing.  Rebecca worked at a Canadian high school for 16 years - the first 11 as a higher level English teacher and the last five as a comprehensive counselor.  For the past five years, Rebecca has worked as a comprehensive counselor at Seoul Foreign School, a post that sparked her love for international counseling.  Rebecca is a member of, and has been a presenter for, the International Association for College Admission.  She is also a member of the Council of International Schools.  Joining Rebecca at ISM are her husband Andrew (high school English) and their two daughters Edyn and Calla.  Rebecca loves sports!  She played soccer for her university varsity soccer team and has run a number of marathons including the Boston marathon.  She has coached soccer, tennis, and cross country. 

Ms. Mayo can be reached at mayor@ismanila.org.

Originally from Oregon, Todd is joining ISM from the American School of Quito, where he has dedicated the past 21 years to international education. He began his career as an IB English teacher before transitioning to the role of college counselor, a position he has held for the past 15 years. His extensive counseling experience includes visiting hundreds of universities worldwide, and attending and presenting at numerous international counseling conferences: (International ACAC, NACAC, CIS Forum, CIS Latin America, and Tri Association).

Todd holds a B.A. in Spanish and Anthropology from Oregon State University, and a Masters in Teaching from Oregon State. He has also completed coursework for the UCLA College Counseling Certification, and has a certificate in Solutions Focused Therapy. He is an active member of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and its overseas affiliate, International ACAC.

Todd is joining ISM with his wife Lorena, and son Christopher who will be entering 11th grade at ISM. In his free time, Todd enjoys running, hiking, reading, and traveling. Having spent the past 21 years hiking and climbing in the Andes mountains, he is eager to explore the beautiful beaches of the Philippines.

Mr. Johnson can be reached at johnsont@ismanila.org.

Originally from Oregon and New Mexico in the U.S., Cerise most recently joined ISM from Taiwan where she lived and worked the past 7 years at Kaohsiung American School. She has a long career in international education working with prestigious U.S. Department of State programs and universities, advising international students and developing leadership. She is passionate about diversity, access, and inclusion in higher education, and has frequently presented at international conferences including EducationUSA, NAFSA, IACAC and others. Cerise has lived, worked and volunteered abroad throughout her life, and has traveled to more than 70 countries, and is especially excited for new adventures in the Philippines! She studied at the University of Oregon for her M.A. degree in International Studies, and received her B.A. in Political Science and French from Southwestern University, one of the Colleges That Changes Lives. She received her certificate from UCLA in college counseling and is an IB and College Board trained counselor, and enjoys being a lifelong learner. Cerise is a current member of the International School Counseling Association (ISCA) and also the International Association for College Admissions Counseling (International ACAC) where she serves on the Inclusion, Access and Success Committee. Her husband, Jeff, is an IB Biology and TOK teacher, and their daughter, Oriana, is in high school and their son, Tumiso, is a middle school student. She enjoys cooking, local markets, community-building, traveling, walking her dog, Koko, while listening to podcasts, and time outdoors with her family. 

Ms. Roth-Vinson can be reached at rothvinsonc@ismanila.org.

Before joining the ISM counseling team, Jessica has served students from Asia Pacific International School in Seoul for 3 years as the Director of College Counseling, and before that at Branksome Hall Asia in Jeju for 7 years as the University/Guidance Counselor. Before becoming a school counselor, she taught middle school and high school Spanish in California.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Korea University and her Master’s Degree in Education from Stanford University. She is  a current member of the International Association for College Admissions Counseling (International ACAC) and is a certified Youth Mental Health First-Aider. Jessica was born in Seoul and raised in Buenos Aires, where as a Third Culture Kid she was able to develop friendships and make connections with people from very different backgrounds. This helped her develop cultural sensitivity, appreciate diversity, and become a proud Third Culture Adult. She is married and a doting mom of a 7-year-old bundle of energy, who will also join ISM as Grade 2. She loves traveling, photography and jazz music, and is very excited to explore the unknown in the Philippines."

Ms. Lee can be reached at leesooh@ismanila.org.

Alexandra is joining ISM from New York City. Originally from Connecticut, USA, she received her B.A. in International Studies from Endicott College and is currently pursuing her College Counseling Certificate through UCLA. Having spent time living in Spain and Ecuador she found her passion to be in international education. Alexandra worked at the University of Bridgeport as an Advisor in the Center for International Students and Scholars and most recently at Marymount Manhattan College as the Assistant Director of International Admissions.  Alexandra is a member of the International Associations for College Admission Counselors (IACAC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS) where she regularly attends conferences to stay up to date on relative topics and trends. When she is not working, Alexandra loves going to the beach, hosting family and friends for dinner, and traveling to new places.

Ms. Berry can be reached at berryal@ismanila.org.

Ben is in his 13th year at ISM and his 3rd year in the counseling department. Prior to counseling he taught IB Biology, Chemistry, and Theory of Knowledge, coached volleyball and basketball, and served as Grade Level Coordinator. Originally hailing from Chicago, USA, he completed a BS in Biology and Secondary Education at UW-Madison, an MS in Chemical and Life Sciences from the University of Maryland and worked in international schools in Myanmar and South Korea before calling the Philippines home. He is a dedicated lifelong learner, holding certificates in international school counseling, mindfulness education, cognitive behavioral therapy, solutions-focused therapy, and most recently a PGCert in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King’s College London. He previously worked as a research assistant studying the neurobiology of rhesus macaque monkeys, has sat at silent meditation retreats around the world, and opened the first floatation therapy center in the Philippines. He is passionate about applying the latest scientific findings, as well as insights from the practice of mindfulness, to help students and their families cultivate happier, healthier lives. He hopes a biography written in the third-person will make you take him seriously, but not too seriously.

Mr. Paulson can be reached at paulsonb@ismanila.org.

Having spent 13 years working with the High School Mathematics team at ISM, Patrick is new to the role of IB/AP Coordinator. Located in the Counseling Center, he is excited to be working alongside students and the expert team of counselors and assistants in this new role (he is also excited not to have to walk up 4 flights of stairs to his classroom several times each day..!). Originally from England, Patrick attended Warwick University to pursue his love of mathematics and then to develop his teaching skills. He has taught mathematics in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, Indonesia and the Philippines. In addition to the varied travel opportunities his career has provided, he also enjoys keeping fit, playing golf and writing. Indeed, he self-published a novel not long ago. As students tackle the demands of AP and IB diploma courses, Patrick is available anytime for consultation and to help guide and support students and families through this often challenging journey. 

Mr. Hillman can be reached at hillmanp@ismanila.org