President & CEO

Born in the UK and educated at the universities of Oxford & Sheffield Hallam, graduating in English, Education & Education Management. Graham was a teacher from 1967-1983 in England, as well as Head of English & Drama. In 1983, he emigrated to Canada. He worked and coached rugby at Brentwood College for 3 years, and in 1987 became Head of Collingwood School, and led the school to #1 rankings in B.C. In 2005, he took over the school Southpointe Academy when it was bankrupt, and left it #1 in the B.C rankings, along with a brand-new $25 million facility. In 2013, he became the President & CEO of Westside, where created a re-imagined Senior High School called a Miniversity. During his career, he has served in offices including, Treasurer of the Oxfordshire Schools Football Association, Director of the Federation of Independent School Societies of BC, President of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools, Vice-President of the Pan-Pacific Association of Private Education, CEO of the Canadian Rugby Union and Board Chair of ‘Hives for Humanity’ charity, to name but a few. He has spoken at many conferences & events including, the American Headmasters’ Association at Princeton NJ, The 2015 Conference of the National Association of Independent Schools, Boston, USA.

Principal, BEd, BA, TESL UBC

Christie found her calling early on and by the time she went to university, she had an unwavering dedication to become an educator. She graduated with her B.Ed from the University of British Columbia and decided to pursue a desire for travel and culture that would shape the educator she is today. Christie is passionate about educating today’s learners for the ever-evolving world in which we all live, work, and play. Her years in teaching and leadership at The Westside School have given her the opportunity to work with children, teachers, and schools around the world. Christie has helped transform schools into global learning communities, enhancing the experiences of both the teachers and the learners. When Christie isn’t traveling the world, she loves cooking and exploring new cuisines with friends and family, cycling along Vancouver’s seawall, and attending live music shows.

BA, MA

After graduating from London Guildhall University in the UK with a BA Hons in History and Politics, Kieran undertook his postgraduate teacher training at the UCL Institute of Education. This was followed by a Master’s Degree in Humanities Education in 2015, which was also from the IoE. His dissertation was focused on comparing the curricula of England and British Columbia, due to his planned immigration. He taught in both the private and public sectors of the English education system for 7 years, before making a new life for himself in Canada. He has been in this country since 2016, and has been teaching at Westside since 2017. Here, he is the Head of the Social Studies department, and has also been teaching English for the last two years. As part of an educational and cultural exchange program, Kieran visited one of our partner schools in Changsha, China in 2018. There, he got to witness student and teacher experiences in China, as well as conveying his own experiences of the UK and Canadian systems to his hosts. In his spare time, he loves travelling, live music, and all things Star Wars! In addition, he has been active in Holocaust education in both the UK and Canada, which has included taking groups of students to visit Auschwitz as part of the “Lessons from Auschwitz” educational program.

Director of Admissions & Retention

Anne's passion for excellent customer service has taken her from over 20 years as Director of International Product Sales to 15 years in Independent School Admissions. When she transitioned to the education field in 2008, Anne loved meeting new families who were keen on providing the best education for their children. After a few years as Director of Admissions and noticing a demand for International Student support, Anne transitioned to Dean of International Students. She knew offering the very best in Homestay and International Student Pastoral care was key to the success for students studying at The Westside School. Anne is now back in the role of Director of Admission & Retention and loves welcoming new families and getting to know students (and their parents) during their time studying at The Westside School. When not immersed in school life, Anne especially enjoys spending time with her husband, two grown children, and their English Bulldog.

BA, MA

Aoife, hailing from the West of Dublin, Ireland started a position working as a Drama / ELA teacher here at West Side in 2022. She graduated with a BA degree in English and has a 3 year Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Philosophy and Psychology. She is TEFL certified and has an MA in elementary school teaching. Aoife has been part of the underground artistic scene across Ireland and Berlin and has directed plays inspected and approved by the British Council during her time working in an international school in London. From her personal and professional experiences, Aoife has a deep understanding of how one’s voice, confidence and emotional/contextual awareness can be advanced exceptionally well through the realms of drama and found it to be a very effective tool of support during the Covid-19 crisis for Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade One children who struggled to conceptualise the pandemic. Aoife has witnessed first hand how drama can play a paramount role in enabling children to witness a new side of themselves whilst also nourishing and advancing their skills and creativity.

BPA

Emily was a primary school teacher in England for 18 years before recently moving to Vancouver after getting married to her high school sweetheart after they reconnected after 25 years! Emily studied for a degree in Performing Arts and then completed her teacher training in her late 20's. She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and experience with the children of Westside School. She loves watching children grow both in confidence and ability. She enjoys all areas of the curriculum but is particularly passionate about reading, writing and of course the performing arts! Outside school she is enjoying getting to know our amazing city, from the beaches, to the parks, to the amazing mountains! She enjoys period dramas and is currently studying the works of Jane Austen. Emily also enjoys going to the theatre, ballroom dancing and Pilates, as well as being an avid football fan and attending Whitecaps games.

BA, MA

Johnny Li was born and raised in China. From 1991- 1996, Johnny studied at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, U.S.A. and graduated with his MA there. Before that, he graduated with his BA at Hunan Normal University in China in 1983 and had been a lecturer at Yale - Hunan Medical University until he went to the United States in 1991. Johnny has been in Education for several decades and has had the privilege of working at the Collingwood School, The Southpointe Academy and The Westside School since 1997, particularly from 2005 on he has been the Liaision of China Relations. In addition to working, Johnny is also interested in science, media, playing ping pong and different cuisines. Johnny is looking forward to continuing to build the bridge between Canada and China in education area facilitating the development of education exchange program of the two countries as he believes in what Confucius once said ‘Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace’.

B.A, BEd

Sean has always valued knowledge and has a strong desire to inspire that same value in his students. After graduating with a B.Ed from the University of British Columbia he joined the Westside team. Sean is focused on teaching today's students skills to help them navigate their world. He also seeks to equip them with the knowledge to understand how the past is connected to the future and how those connections affect them. Sean thinks that students learn best when they have the chance to learn from both their teachers and their peers. He believes that sharing perspectives helps everyone see and appreciate the diversity that surrounds us. When not teaching, Sean enjoys reading, languages, and exploring the wilderness of British Columbia.

MA

Faranak is working as Executive Assistant for the CEO at the Westside Schools. She has several years of experience assisting managers and boards and is dedicated to achieving corporate goals . She has obtained two master’s degrees during her education, focusing on international relations and leadership. Faranak speaks four languages and is currently learning French as her fifth. She has travelled the world from Asia to Europe and now the Americas. She considers herself a forever student, eager to grow, both spiritually and professionally. Faranak believes mindfulness in the workplace is key to success. Her interests are reading history books, exploring the world, backcountry hiking, and volunteering.

BA

Younie studied Tourism at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea. She has worked in several hotels, but mainly in an NGO that helps developing countries. Later in life, she moved to Canada and studied Culinary Art at VCC and began with the Westside Schools as a residential manager when the Westside School opened a guest house. She has fond memories of meeting many guests from all around the world and providing them with a warm welcome. She is now the receptionist at the Westside Miniversity, and finds it a pleasure to meet and welcome students every morning. As a mother of two children, she loves to spend time hanging out and watching movies with and enjoys gifting the people around her some of her homemade dishes.

HKICPA

Eddie was born in the energic city of Hong Kong where he graduated from the city's university and was a member of Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountant (HKICPA). He has over twenty years of auditing and financial management experience in different industries. Eddie is now working with Westside as our Chief Financial Officer. As a father of three children, he loves to spend time with his family after work. He likes to play many sports such as badminton, table tennis and other ball games with his kids. Eddie is happy to be part of the Westside community.

BSc

Born and raised in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Michael started teaching at The Westside School in 2010. Prior to this, he studied at Dalhousie University where he earned his certification in Bachelor of Science. After completing his science degree, Michael moved to Machias, Maine where he earned his certification in secondary education. Michael found living abroad to be an invaluable experience—not only did it allow him to work with other cultures and hone his craft, it also gave him the opportunity to travel, learn about different cultures, and pursue two of his biggest passions: Learning and Science. Michael’s special interests include Military History and playing Ultimate Frisbee.

BA, B.Ed

Mimi was born and raised in Xi’an, China. She graduated with her B.Ed from University of British Columbia in 2021. Before becoming a teacher, she worked as a behavior analyst in the Special Education KEY program at the Westside school after obtaining her B.A from University of British Columbia and working with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. She has also worked with children of varying age ranges in developmental psychology research labs during her undergraduate years. Through her experiences working with children, she’s developed a passion for individualized learning and incorporates social-emotional learning throughout teaching. She aims to create classroom environments that allow students to feel physically and emotionally safe to explore and achieve their full potential. During her spare time, she enjoys walking, hiking, traveling, hanging out with friends and eating great foods!

B.A, M.A, M.ED, M.SEN

After studying English Language and Culture at Leiden University in The Netherlands, Elise completed a Masters in English Language & Literature followed by a Masters in Education. She followed the World Teachers Training Program at the Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching. During this Masters she completed an internship at The Rotterdam International Secondary School and an international exchange at the Deer Park School in Cirencester, UK. In 2016 Elise completed a part-time Masters in Special Educational Needs at Fontys Hogeschool in Rotterdam. In order to gain more practical experience working in the field of Special Educational Needs she accepted an opportunity to work in the Special Education KEY program at the Westside. Elise has been working at Westside in the KEY department for three years. She enjoys helping students reach their full potential at school, helping them gain confidence and feel included in the school community. She loves spending time with friends here in Vancouver or traveling back home to be with her family. She also loves to sing, especially in the annual Singing Christmas Tree!

Key Assisstant, SEA Diploma

Mary is passionate about standing up and advocating for those who can't for themselves. She enjoys finding new and exciting ways to educate and promote inclusion. Mary believes that we are all life-long learners and each of us should be given every opportunity to do so. When she’s not helping the next generation achieve their goals, Mary can often be found hiking deep into the woods with her daughter and partner.

BA

Jay is the proud father of two students here at Westside. He was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. After graduating in English Language and Literature, he had various work experiences like working for a trading company, a Radio Station, and a private education institution. He has been at the Westside since 2014 and loves to work for the school because he believes that our kids are the future. He enjoys jogging and playing soccer after work and plans to do the Grouse Grind every year to beat himself every year with a new record.

BA, BEd

Lydia has always had a passion for working with children. She has taught ages 3-14 in a variety of learning settings in Saskatoon, England, and Australia. She and her husband moved to Vancouver three years ago and Lydia has been teaching at The Westside Schools for two years. Lydia strives to create a classroom environment where students’ differences in background and learning style are celebrated. Her goal is that students enjoy learning and develop a sense of empowerment in their talents and interests. In her free time, Lydia enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, traveling, and exploring BC.