Having amazing staff is the most important piece to having an amazing school. We hope you are able to meet and get to know our people. We've supplied a short bio here in order for you to get an idea of the staff at the school.
Cathy Guither (Director)
Cathy Guither has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in K-12 English Language Education, a Minnesota state K-12 ESL teaching license, and is certified through Oxford with TESOL/TESL/TEFL. She has experience teaching international students at Concordia University receiving their Educational Leadership and Business/Entrepreneurship Master’s degrees and has taught English both at high school and elementary school levels for many years in the United States. Cathy has served on educational leadership teams and has experience in training teachers. She has a passion to serve in education with a desire to make an impact on each individual person so he or she can reach their fullest potential. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing disc golf, going on adventures, exploring nature, and taking walks.
Abdi-kadar Osman (Executive Assistant)
Abdi-Kadar Osman has a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Science from the University of Djibouti and a Master’s degree in Educational Management from University of Malaya. He has participated in a student outbound exchange program that took place in Colombo, Sri-Lanka. He has worked as English language teacher in the Ecole Bilal primary school for two years and in Djibouti for the past 2 years. He is proactive and eager to implement state of the art teaching and learning practices to make education more appealing to students. Furthermore, he is aspiring to become a prominent researcher in the field of Education. Outside of school, Abdi-kadar is, among other things, fond of learning video editing skills, swimming, and meditating.
Kyle Guither (Elementary Teacher)
Kyle graduated with a Master’s degree in K-6 Education from Concordia University of Minnesota. He also carries a Bachelor’s Degree in Intercultural Studies with a TEFL certification. Kyle’s teaching experience has been with both elementary and middle school in the United States. He is passionate about sharing ideas through collaboration and teaching the next generation the skills and tools they will need to impact the world. Kyle is excited for this opportunity to serve and work alongside the wonderful administration and staff at ISD. When he isn’t teaching or working, he enjoys playing sports (disc golf, bowling, soccer, basketball, American football, and baseball), being outside in nature, reading books, watching movies, and going on adventures.
Tiffany Baker (Middle School Teacher)
Tiffany is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). She has a B.A in International Development from St. Mary’s University and is currently working on her BSc. in children and trauma. She has spent 6 years teaching at a private boarding school in China where she taught English language arts and 5 years teaching here in Djibouti. She established a STEM program for female students and created a school-wide drama program. She has spent most summer breaks teaching at Koç University in their intensive English language boarding program for kids. When she isn’t teaching, she enjoys running, playing hockey or watching her favorite team, Montreal Canadians, play. She loves to travel, loves both dogs and llamas and enjoys a strong cup of coffee.
Alice Odoch (Elementary Teacher)
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Makerere University and a postgraduate diploma in Public Administration and Management from Uganda Management Institute. Alice has over 15 years of experience in the teaching profession, both at the primary and secondary level. During this period, she has taught subjects based on national and international curriculum. She has worked in Uganda, the UAE, and Djibouti. Her experience has enabled her to live and work with a multicultural community. Outside the classroom, Alice enjoys listening to music, watching documentaries, and sports.
Saharla Badri (Elementary Teacher)
Saharla is originally from Djibouti but was born in the United States and has lived and studied around world. After completing her Masters and CELTA, she decided to move back to Djibouti to become an elementary school teacher. Saharla is passionate about education and aims to create a safe space for her students in all of her classes. She speaks English, French and Somali.
When Saharla is not teaching, she enjoys learning new languages, reading and drawing.
Sougal Mohamed (Assistant Director of Facilities and Business)
Sougal Mohamed has a degree in Business Management. He has studied in places including Bethesda, Maryland, United States; Dunkirk, France; Nairobi, Kenya; Apeldoorn, the Netherlands; and Rabat, Morocco where he obtained his degree from the HECGI University. He has worked for Canon, Hewlett Packard and Nike, where he participated in a cross cultural awareness training program. His fluency in English, French, Dutch and Somali combined with the other skills he has developed or learned throughout his life makes him a perfect fit for ISD. In his free time, Sougal loves history, cinema, comedy, and many sports including soccer, American football, and athletics.
Mariam Terese Mohamed (Assistant Teacher)
Mariam has a number of post-graduate certificates and a high-school diploma. She grew up in Djibouti and is well placed to understand the linguistical and cultural issues of the local context as she is fluent in English, French, and Somali. She has a huge heart for kids and will be assisting in the PreK - K classroom this year.
Abdisalaam Mohamed (Assistant Teacher)
Abse has been employed in the field of education since 2022. He has worked with elementary students, supported educators and fostered inclusive, stimulating learning environments in the classroom. Abdisalaam brings creativity to the lessons using graphic design tools to enhance English language learning through visual learning strategies.
Passionate about student development, he is committed to creating a welcoming, courteous, and engaging classroom where all students feel appreciated and supported. He has received instruction in classroom management, youth life skills, and entrepreneurship. Abse holds a High School Diploma, speaks Somali and English fluently, and is proficient in Arabic and French.