After a yearlong search for the ideal candidate, we are delighted to announce that Roderick Jemison has been selected as the founding Head of School for International School of Asia, Karuizawa.
Rod currently serves as the Director of the Upper School at La Jolla Country Day School, an independent kindergarten through grade 12 school in California, USA. In his role as Director, Rod has played an active role in all aspects of upper school administration, including orchestrating new initiatives in educational and faculty programs, fundraising and finance, college placement and marketing. Rod’s spirit, determination and ability to view challenges from a new angle have led to clear growth at Country Day, most noticeably in the areas of fundraising and Upper School admissions. His efforts have also strengthened Country Day’s track record in college admissions to top-tier schools.
Members of the Board at ISAK, as well as ISAK trustees and staff who sat in on interviews, felt a connection with Rod not only for his strong background in education and administration, but also for his outstanding interpersonal skills and passion for creating positive change. Mr. Jemison’s enthusiasm for working with students was apparent in his interview, and board members felt that Mr. Jemison was the ideal candidate to create a strong, open ISAK community that unites students, faculty and local residents. Rod is passionate about education, particularly how leadership education and residential living can have a lifetime impact on students, and is looking forward to engaging with ISAK students in all areas of campus life.
Mr. Jemison commented, “It is a tremendous honor and privilege to lead the first fully-residential international school in Japan. I am humbled and excited to join a wonderful team that is committed to changing the landscape of education in Asia and beyond. I was drawn to this position because of the incredible passion, enthusiasm and progressive thinking of the ISAK project members and their vision for educating young people to be transformational leaders for the region – and beyond. We are committed to recruiting a world-class faculty who will fulfill the mission of the school. Together, we will aim to foster respectful, collaborative and creative young people in a setting with a rigorous curriculum and a variety of leadership opportunities; that is the ISAK way!”
Mr. Jemison will be joining the rest of the ISAK team in Karuizawa for Summer School 2012, at the end of which he will lead a workshop for faculty and staff to further refine the ISAK mission and goals as we move toward the school opening in 2014. Rod and his wife and daughter will be moving to Japan full time in August 2013.
