María Isabel León, Head of School

Ms. María Isabel León, "Marisa", is deeply committed to international and multilingual education.  She has worked in three countries (the USA, Venezuela, and Colombia) as a Primary teacher, Middle School Principal and High School Principal.  She is leaving her present position as the High School Principal of Gimnasio Fontana, one of the leading bilingual schools in Colombia, to serve as the Founding Head of the Magellan International School.

A native of Colombia, Marisa is a US citizen and has two daughters (ages 9 and 12).  She completed her High School education in the United States, winning a scholarship to study at the United World College-USA where she completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program.  As a result of this experience, Marisa is an enthusiastic supporter of the IB.  She received her BA (History) from Bryn Mawr College and her MA (Educational Administration) from New Mexico Highlands University.  As a consequence of her international experience, Marisa is a strong advocate of an education that contains academic rigor, that stresses the link between the sciences and the arts, that appreciates different cultures, and that exposes children to adventure and service.

Marisa carries these convictions outside of her professional life by volunteering to assist the United World College (UWC) movement.  The UWCs are a group of 13 secondary schools on five continents that promote international understanding by selecting students from over 120 nations to study and work together.  She Chaired the UWC National Committee in Colombia selecting students to study in the various schools.  As part of the Colombian National Committee she organized public relations events, including one featuring Queen Noor of Jordan, and raised scholarship funds from the Schlumberger Corporation.  She was subsequently asked to join the International Board of the UWC and, most recently, has become a member of the Executive Committee of the Board.  Marisa now Chairs the Committee of National Committees of the UWC. This commitment to service, education, and internationalism is the thread that runs through both Marisa’s professional and personal life.

Marisa is a strong believer in the mission of The Magellan International School because of the opportunity it presents to work with a group of parents, teachers and children to build a new educational model that will serve as a standard for the world of the 21st century.