Welcoming our new College and Career Counselor

As we enter our 40th academic year, we embrace the wonderful traditions we’ve made over decades and excitedly welcome the changes that continue to build our school’s legacy. Each year, within our transitioning community, our school encounters staffing changes. To ensure the extension of warm greetings to our new members and to develop a sense of familiarity among our parents and students, we provide introductions to better share their backgrounds, connections, and qualifications. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing our newest staff members, and this year, we’ve been delighted to also have several long-time community members take on larger roles within our school.

Mrs. Amber McTaggart, who has been with our community for four years, is now joining us as our College and Career Counselor. Mrs. McTaggart, a proud Texan, grew up living overseas in Abu Dhabi and India as her mom, also an educator, worked in international schools. “That was really what cultivated my love of learning and being abroad,” says Mrs. McTaggart. Following in her mom’s footsteps, Mrs. McTaggart and her husband, Mr. Isaac McTaggart, our Social Studies teacher, moved their family to China and have connected with staff, parents, and students over the years. Mrs. McTaggart has supported our Fine Arts department during our Fall and Spring plays and our annual LifePlus Fine Arts Festival.

Now in her role as our College and Career Counselor, Mrs. McTaggart joins us with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hope College and her master’s degree in management from the University of Illinois system. She has worked as a teacher and volunteered in college counseling to prepare high school students for their university tracks. This will be a significant branch of her position here. “My job has different seasons. So, essentially in the beginning of the school year is focusing on getting students registered for classes, making sure they’re meeting their course requirements, and making sure they’re on track to graduate,” she says.

She’ll be meeting with students to provide guidance on which universities would be best for the majors they will pursue, supporting them through the college process, and coordinating with our seniors in preparing needed recommendations and supplemental materials for university applications. She’s also tasked with maintaining the quality and integrity of our SAT and AP testing site. “We’re one of the few schools in China that actually does AP [testing]. So, really making sure that we maintain that title is a big part of my job.”

While Mrs. McTaggart works with students to see them through graduation from our school and settled onto the next path of their educational journey, she remains a resource to those in university as well. “My goal is not only to get you to college but through college, and that’s something that I grew up in and teachers really put in me, and that’s something that I want to instill in our students as well.”

Mrs. McTaggart is excited to support students and to be a wealth of information for parents, saying her door is open. “No question too big or too small… It’s my job to give you the answers, and if I don’t have them, I will find them.”

In this upcoming year, she wants to drive secondary students to enroll in dual credits, encourage more juniors to apply for our honors diploma, and develop and maintain excellent communication with parents through seminars and email correspondence.

Welcome, Mrs. McTaggart!