Meet our team

Kathryn “Katy” Scanlan joined St. Jude School as General Director in June 2025, bringing with her three decades of experience as an international educator and school leader. Before coming to St. Jude, she served as Head of School and Elementary Principal at Blue Valley School in San José, Costa Rica, where she guided the institution through major transitions, including international accreditations, campus development, and the challenges of the pandemic era.

Katy began her career as a classroom teacher in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica, later specializing in special education and literacy coaching before moving into leadership roles. Known for her ability to build trust, strengthen communities, and drive academic excellence, she has a proven record of fostering student success, supporting teachers, and uniting school communities under a shared vision.

Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, Katy is recognized for her compassionate yet disciplined leadership style, her commitment to safeguarding and well-being, and her passion for making schools vibrant, supportive places for students to thrive. She is honored to serve the St. Jude community and to partner with families in shaping the next generation of learners and leaders.

Yenda Villalobos Slon is the Preschool Director at St. Jude School. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Bilingual Preschool Education and Licenciaturas in Learning Disabilities and Educational Administration. Her career began in 1999 as an English teacher at Jardín de la Infancia Católico, and in 2000 she joined St. Jude’s new Lindora campus as its first preschool teacher. She later became Preschool Coordinator in 2004 and Preschool Director in 2007.  Alongside her role at St. Jude, she also taught English at the university level, broadening her experience in education. 
For Yenda, guiding the preschool has been one of the most meaningful experiences of her career. She is driven by her passion for learning and her love of working with young children—nurturing their curiosity, supporting their development, and fostering their happiness every day. In addition to leading the preschool, she also coordinates health and safety across the school, manages reenrollment and retention, and directs the Street Child United program.

Fluent in English and Spanish, Yenda enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling. With more than two decades of service, she remains deeply committed to St. Jude School, leading with empathy, consistency, and open communication, and creating a space where children, families, and staff can grow and feel supported.

I am, first and foremost, an educator with over 27 years of teaching experience and 7 years as an educational leader in bilingual and international school settings. My passion lies in creating safe, supportive, and engaging environments where students feel valued, inspired, and connected. Currently, I serve as the Director of Primary at International St. Jude School, overseeing curriculum development, instructional leadership, staff coaching, student wellbeing, and daily operations. At the same time, I continue teaching history and geography, which keeps me closely connected to both students and teachers.

Throughout my career, I have led the implementation of international curricula that emphasize critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, resulting in significant gains in student achievement. I also lead whole-school initiatives in Multilingualism and coordinate the Cultural Exchange Program for Secondary. With a Master’s in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s in Bilingual Preschool Education, I am fluent in English and Spanish. Above all, I remain deeply committed to ensuring every child experiences the joy of learning in a caring, challenging, and inspiring school environment.

I am Gloriana Jiménez Jiménez, Director of St. Jude Plus and Physical Education and Swimming teacher in Preschool. I hold a Master’s in Sports and Recreation Management and have been at St. Jude for 9 years, where I lead the Physical Education Department and coordinate clubs, teams, and the swimming program. A former professional soccer player in Mexico and the United States, I currently practice triathlon and am preparing for my first Ironman 70.3. I am motivated to continue contributing to the students’ development and the growth of the school.

I am an experienced facilities management professional with a background inplanning, operations, and team leadership across both corporate and educational environments. With over four years of experience in facilities supervision and project coordination, I’ve developed a strong foundation in preventive maintenance planning, compliance, safety audits, and resource optimization. Since joining International St. Jude School in 2024, I’ve applied my skills and private-sector experience to enhance the safety and efficiency of our campus operations.

Angie Méndez Agüero leads the Admissions Department at International Saint Jude School, bringing extensive experience in educational marketing, customer experience, and recruitment strategy development. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Universidad San Marcos and has studied Human Resources Management at Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. She is currently furthering her education with a specialization in E-Commerce and Digital Marketing at Universidad Fidélitas.

Her professional experience includes over seven years in customer service, admissions, and administrative management, highlighting her role as Admissions Coordinator at Colegio Salesiano Don Bosco before assuming the position of Director of Admissions at Saint Jude School. In these roles, she has strengthened her expertise in enrollment processes, educational marketing, family engagement, and team leadership. Passionate about customer experience and educational innovation, Angie focuses on creating strategies that combine personal connection, professionalism, and digital vision to strengthen relationships with families and support the sustained growth of the institution.

William Triska is the Director of Technology and Lab School lead at St. Jude School. As a member of the SLT he works with the administrative team to support the academic and IT teams on a strategic and operational basis. He has more than 10 years of experience in education and edtech startups, and has experience as an IB Visual Arts and Design Technology teacher as well as being part of the founding team of several schools in China. Prior to becoming Director of Technology he was Director of Arts for St. Jude and other schools previously.

He believes, "Education requires us to meet students and parents where we are, and help them get to where they wish to be." William Triska volunteered with the San Francisco Zoo, the SPCA, Nordic-China Startup Forum, and was recently selected for the inaugural cohort of the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Teacher Fellowship.

He studied for his MBA at Zhejiang University, a top 5 school in China, and got a BA in International Studies after studying at University of Washington and Evergreen State College in Washington State.

Licenciate in Education with an emphasis in Guidance. For the past three years, she has served as the High School Counselor at St. Jude School, addressing topics related to student coexistence and discipline. She held the position of Deputy Safeguarding for one year and recently assumed the role of Safeguarding Lead. Her priority is to ensure that students develop in a safe environment of respect and peace.

Licenciate in Education with an emphasis in Guidance. She has over six years of experience working with children and adolescents, providing support in socio-emotional and protection areas. She is currently part of the safeguarding team at St. Jude School as Deputy Safeguarding and serves as the Elementary School Counselor, where she is in charge of the coexistence and discipline area.

My name is Alejandra Acuña Monge, I hold a degree in Psychology and oversee Preschool and Primary. I have been working at St. Jude School for 20 years, providing emotional support to students to help them achieve remarkable learning. I am responsible for delivering the Sexuality and Affectivity Program and for guiding parents throughout their children’s developmental process.

Preschool teacher with 15 years of classroom experience, additional training in educational administration, and a specialization in psychopedagogy, which brought me to Saint Jude. I am responsible for providing psychopedagogical support to preschool and primary students, as well as coordinating with external professionals and parents to ensure a comprehensive approach to the needs of our educational community.

My name is Ana Lorena Abdelnour Granados. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s in Psychopedagogy. For the past 17 years, I have been the Secondary School Psychopedagogue at St. Jude. My work focuses on guiding students and teachers to enhance learning skills while respecting and addressing individual differences and diversity in educational processes. My approach is centered on fostering inclusive environments and personalized strategies that support the holistic development of each student. I also provide psychopedagogical guidance to the parents of our students.

Fiorella Phillips is an educational psychologist with over 10 years of experience providing emotional, social, and academic support from preschool through secondary. She has worked at institutions such as ICE’s Child Development Center and Santa María School.

For the past 6 years, she has been the Secondary School Psychologist at St. Jude School and, starting in 2025, will lead the Counseling, Guidance and Support (CGS) Department. She organizes talks, Wellbeing classes, student retreats, and educational support, while also providing individual and group counseling in coordination with external specialists.

Her mission is to foster a safe and trusting environment, convinced that emotional wellbeing is the foundation of meaningful learning and holistic development.