TEACHERS
Our team of qualified, professional and experienced teachers is our greatest asset.
ISN teachers are recognized for their expertise and significant experience in international education. Our faculty is culturally diverse and brings a global perspective to the classroom. The majority of our professional educators have advanced degrees, or more than 20 years teaching experience and all are passionate and committed to learning and continuous development.
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ISN’s primary language of instruction is English and 100% of our core subjects are taught by English mother-tongue teachers from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc.
Marina Grimaldi
Pre-school
My name is Marina Grimaldi. I am Australian. I am a Montessori trained teacher and I have worked with children aged 3 to 5 for the past 28 years. One of the most valuable rewards of working with children is to encourage the love for learning from a very young age and to have the opportunity to watch children grow and learn in a fun and stimulating environment.
Susan Martin
Kindergarten
My name is Susan Martin and I have been teaching Kindergarten at the International School of Naples for the past 10 years. It feels like I have come home! I grew up in Naples as the daughter of American missionaries. I attended ISN many years ago when it was known as the John F. Kennedy American School of Naples and was located in the Mostra D’Oltremare. My home in the United States is in Illinois, where I attended Wheaton College to study early childhood education.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Marianna Veltri
First Grade
My name is Marianna Veltri. I was born and raised in the Long Island/Queens regions of New York and moved to Italy four months ago to join the ISN team. I have been teaching in the elementary school setting for the past 6 years. Prior to moving to Italy, I completed my studies at Queens College, in Flushing New York, one of very few schools in the United States that holds the CAEP award from Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and NCATE award for the Standard of Excellence in Teacher Preparation for their teacher preparation education programs.
Ryan Heath
Second Grade
My name is Ryan Heath. I am an American married to an Italian. I grew up in Washington State in the Seattle area. While in university, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan, Germany, and Italy teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding on the military bases. I have a B.A. in Education from Washington State University and am certified to teach kindergarten through eighth grade.
Iannucci Immacolata
Third Grade
My name is Imma Iannucci. I was born in Naples and I attended international schools. I graduated from Nottingham Trent University, in London. Throughout university I traveled to study and work between Italy, the USA and the UK. I attended San Diego State University during my third year abroad, and I worked in Milan, Florence and Rome as well. I had been teaching English in several schools in Naples for seven years before I joined the ISN team in 2020. I believe that in order to give your best everyday you should love what you do, and I do love my job. I love kids, and I love teaching and learning from them.
Nora Colella
Fourth Grade
My name is Nora Colella.
Heather Louise Einset
Fifth Grade
My name is Heather.
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS
Daniela Masucci
Sixth Grade
My name is Daniela Masucci. I am an American-Italian citizen. I am the Sixth Grade teacher. A few years ago, I completed a Master's Degree in Teacher Education at the University of Phoenix in Arizona, and had the opportunity to combine it with a teaching experience at the Naples Elementary School (Department of Defense District School) in Gricignano D’Aversa. While studying and completing my teaching experience, I taught a variety of grades in the elementary school level including the fourth grade. Teaching is all I have ever wanted to do since I was in high school. This is my 13th year teaching at ISN and I am still as inspired as my first year!
Katherine Hominuk
Science
My name is Katherine Hominuk. I was born and raised in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. I have been living abroad for 16 years. Before moving to Italy, I spent five years teaching at the American International School of Vilnius, in Lithuania and 2 years teaching in South Korea. I have an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, with a minor in Biomedical Science from the University of Guelph, Canada and a Master’s of Science in Education from Niagara University, U.S.A.. I hold a teaching certificate from both New York State and the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Muhammad Awais Cheema
H.S. Math Teacher
My name is Muhammad Awais Cheema, and I am proud to be a part of the ISN family!I am currently the home room teacher for grade 12. I was born in Pakistan and raised in Australia. Traveling and experiencing different cultures has always been a top priority for me. I have a degree in Chemical Engineering and Education, and I formerly worked with Schlumberger Oil and Gas as a well service engineer and then with the Adidas Global team as a Quality assurance engineer. I have worked in multicultural environments, which gave me ample exposure to different ways of thinking and above all acceptance. I have been teaching since 2017, and I joined the ISN team in 2021. I wholeheartedly believe in the ISN vision, and take it as my utmost responsibility to implement these traits in my students.
Karen Ferrelli
English/ESL
My name is Karen Ferrelli. I am an American that has been living in Naples since 1989. I began teaching High School English at ISN in 2015. Before that, I taught at the University of Maryland University College, Europe. I have a BA and an MA in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Pennsylvania and took graduate classes in teaching writing at the University of Rhode Island. I am also an experienced online instructor and enjoy combining learning and technology with the classroom.
Antonietta Milione
Social Studies and ESL
My name is Antonietta Milione and I was born and raised in Australia. In 1991, I graduated from La Trobe University in Melbourne, with a BA in Social Sciences; and, in 1992, I completed “Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language from Cambridge University.
Ileana Nacca
Social Studies and ESL
My name is Ileana Nacca and I was born and raised in Rochester, New York. I received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and an Associates of Arts in English Literature from the University of Maryland in 1988. Over the past years I have acquired various teaching qualification modules from the University of Cambridge in Teaching English as a Second Language.
Sapphire Li Qiwei
Math Teacher
My name is Sapphire Li and I have been teaching in ISN as a math teacher for 5 years. I moved to Italy in 2015 from Qingdao, China where I was born and grew up. Before moving here, I spent over ten years teaching math at an American international school of Qingdao in China. I’m experienced in teaching all levels of math from Pre-algebra to AP Calculus BC. My experience gives me a unique ability to teach math in a heterogeneous classroom, to explain complicated concepts in various ways and to never cease learning in my field. I like to study when I am free and this habit enabled me to accomplish my Master of Education in Curriculum and Instructions from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2011.
Teresa Bortone
H.S. English Teacher/Administrative Assistant
I am Italian/American and completely fluent/bilingual from birth in both written and verbal Italian and English. I have been teaching English and ESL for the past 30 years. I have a strong passion for literature and the arts in general, which I always incorporate into my lessons to foster a similar love in my students as well.