Who Am I?

Dr. Monica Medina has been an international educator for over 25 years working as a Deputy Superintendent and Principal in Ecuador (Academia Cotopaxi), Kenya (International School of Kenya), China (Shanghai American School). the United Arab Emirates (American School of Dubai) and Brazil (Escola American do Rio de Janeiro).

Monica was born and raised in northern California in a home where Portuguese language and culture were preeminent.  She is a first generation American, the child of immigrants.  Her upbringing in a multicultural family had a significant impact on her future work in schools.  As a second language learner herself she benefitted from the knowledge of multiple languages and cultures.   This nurtured her love of and interest in living and working abroad.  

She earned her Doctorate in International Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco in California where Monica worked as a teacher and school administrator for over 15 years prior to moving overseas. During her 20+ years overseas she has worked in growing schools where program expansion and growth were a focus.

She also worked very closely with the late Bonnie Campbell Hill, the developer of the Bonnie Campbell-Hill Reading and Writing developmental continuum. Monica is a recipient of the National Association of Elementary School Principals prestigious National Distinguished Principal Award. She presently works as an Instructor in the Education Department at California State University Channel Islands and consults with international schools coaching administrators, providing workshops on K-12 literacy practices and training international schools literacy coaches facilitating the International Literacy Coach Cohort (ILCC) in the CEESA and NESA regions.

Monica has two sons, one who was educated in international schools in Ecuador, Kenya and China. One of her sons in a middle school special education teacher in the US.