Meet The Faculty

Elizabeth Minnigin joined AISF in August 2024 and she is excited to be in Freetown and at AISF.  Mrs Minnigin’s most recent post was as a Head of School in Togo, West Africa. Elizabeth has extensive experience as a school administrator, senior leader and as a teacher internationally and has very much enjoyed living and working in a range of different countries across the globe.

Elizabeth was born in Scotland, she benefited from an international education from kindergarten on, this included various countries notably India, Canada, the United States, the UK and Singapore. Her broad experience helps her to better support the young people in her care.

She has a Joint BA Honors degree in French and German from Leicester University, A PostGraduate Certificate in Education from Cambridge University UK, where she also specialised in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. She is currently continuing her research through the Cambridge University Voice 21 project.

Mrs Minnigin completed a full-time MSc master’s degree in educational leadership and management and two Further Post Graduate Certificates in Pastoral Education & Care and Boarding Management through Roehampton University. Mrs Minnigin has successfully initiated and led school improvement projects in several different areas including Early Language Learning, Transition from and through each learning phase, experiential learning, service learning, outdoor learning, health education, and preparing young adults to successfully navigate and embrace further education and independence. Mrs Minnigin believes it is essential that our children and young people have learning experiences rooted in skills and conceptual understanding to embrace the challenges which lie ahead for them. It is our responsibility to provide them with the opportunities they need to grow into the knowledgeable, reflective and caring leaders of tomorrow.

Ms. Nachelle joined AISF in 2021 but before that she was in the United States pursuing a career in Criminal Justice. She graduated with honors with a B.A of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Legal studies from Georgia State University in Atlanta. After working with a well-known legal aid organization in Sierra Leone she quickly found an interest in teaching elementary and went on to pursue a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education with a certification in teaching from Kindergarten through grade 6 from Moreland University in the U.S. Ms. Nachelle is most passionate about student-led learning as she believes that the classroom should be more reflective of a community where we each learn from each other and grow together. 

After completing his B.A. in History at the University of Guelph in Canada, Mr. Ingram completed his PCGE in the United Kingdom. Before joining AISF he taught Middle School Social Studies in Cambodia. Prior to embarking into the world of education, Mr. Ingram was employed in a variety of jobs, from working on a horse farm, in factories, as a delivery driver, and even opening an art studio. Mr. Ingram believes that a student-centered approach to learning that is guided by a genuine curiosity is the best way to keep students engaged in the classroom and to become life-long learners outside of it. The variety of his experiences before teaching, and as someone who has worked, read, and travelled widely, allows Mr. Ingram to bring a unique maturity and depth to the classroom.

Ms. Becky taught for 10 years in Nigeria before moving to Sierra Leone with her husband in 2015. She taught in a private school in Abuja and later taught grade one in a Montessori school in Ondo state. Teaching early years and elementary has been one of Becky’s long-term interests.  She is certified in the American state of Hawaii. She earned her MA degree in education with Moreland University in the US. Becky has worked at AISF for five years and has spent three teaching early years and kindergarten class. 

Ms. Joy Kamara taught various grade levels in primary school for 7 years in a group of three private schools affiliated with the Anglican Church, mainly at Christchurch School in Greenwich.  Ms. Kamara earned her BA (Hons) in Cultural and Media Studies at the University of the West of England where she also earned an educational qualification in Early Years. At Bristol University she completed a Masters of Education in Special and Inclusive Education. Ms. Kamara earned her Qualified Teacher Status (PGCE) at London Southbank University. Joy Kamara is deeply trained in the integration of technology into classroom learning and has experience in differentiating instruction, a skill especially important at AISF in our multi-age and grade classrooms. Ms. Kamara was the science leader for her previous school, developing curriculum, monitoring teacher quality and pupil achievement, and leading staff meetings to share ideas.

Ms. Hopkins joined AISF in 2020 as the middle school Math and Science teacher.  Upon graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. in Business Management minoring in Mathematics, she worked as a claims adjuster for 8 years before finding her passion in teaching.  She completed her teacher certification training in Atlanta, Georgia in conjunction with Georgia’s Department of Education. Ms. Hopkins is bringing to Sierra Leone 10 years of experience teaching Math at a high school level and 2 years of teaching Math and Science on an elementary/middle school level. During those 12 years, she served as department chair, worked as part of the school leadership team, worked as a liaison to obtain grants for her school as well as sponsored various clubs to include a leadership academy, step team and a mentoring group.