Katrina’s journey into education began in an unexpected place: a global Human Resources department. She spent her early career hiring and developing leaders in the corporate world, helping people grow in their professional paths. Over time, she realized she wanted to build that same meaningful connection with young learners instead. When she stepped into her first classroom 16 years ago, excited and nervous in equal measure, she knew she had found work that brought her both joy and purpose. Teaching, like HR, was still about helping people grow, but this time she could nurture that development from the very beginning.
Leadership & Professional Highlights
Katrina has played an integral role in supporting PYP authorization in three previous schools and again at Dwight School Hanoi. She has been an integral member of Curriculum Review Teams throughout her career and has served in middle leadership roles for over eight years, guiding teachers and strengthening school-wide learning practices.
A Lifelong Learner
A lifelong learner herself, Katrina grew up trying everything from musical instruments to summer camps, art workshops, and sports. Many of these interests remain passions today, tennis, guitar, drums, and the arts continue to shape her as both a person and an educator. Studying psychology strengthened her desire to understand how children grow and what helps them thrive. Helping students discover and ignite their own spark is what inspires her every day.
Personalized Support, Shared Purpose
Katrina describes the Dwight School Hanoi Early Childhood and Lower School teaching teams as deeply passionate educators who go above and beyond for students. Their collaborative planning and ongoing data analysis help ensure every child is supported academically, socially, and emotionally. As a Quest Program leader, Katrina brings the same care and attention to students who need personalized support. She believes Quest succeeds because it places the learner at the centre, helping students understand their strengths, build confidence, and thrive in mainstream classrooms.
Approach to Personalized Learning
For Katrina, personalizing learning begins with understanding each child: their motivations, interests, and needs. It’s not simply adjusting difficulty, it’s creating space for meaningful inquiry, passion projects, and ideas that matter to students. When learners have ownership and purpose, learning becomes joyful and deeply relevant.
Inspiration & Ongoing Growth
Her practice is shaped by artists and educational thinkers such as Olafur Eliasson, Sir Ken Robinson, John Hattie, Kath Murdoch, and leadership perspectives like Kim Scott’s Radical Candor. She also engages in ongoing professional development through the Dwight Leadership Academy.
Finding Balance
Katrina finds balance through meditation, music, boxing, tennis, art, leadership coaching, and continuous reading and learning. Whether through creative pursuits or educational research, she is committed to growing alongside her students, modeling curiosity, resilience, and a love of lifelong learning.
