Mr. Josh Budde

Josh Budde spent 30 years teaching in the United States prior to coming to TAS.   Most recently, he was the Head of the Boys Middle School for 12 years at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to moving to Taiwan, Josh also teaches middle school math at TAS.  He earned his bachelor's degree from Davidson College and his Master's degree in Education from Pepperdine University.  Josh's wife Becca is a middle school counselor, and they have three children in the Middle and Upper School.

Ms. Karisti Cormier

Karisti's career of teaching and leading has taken her around the world! Just before joining TAS, Karisti spent a year teaching Grade 8 English at The American School in London. Prior to that, Karisti served as both MS Associate Principal and MS Principal at the Anglo-American School of Moscow (AAS). During her six years at AAS, she led, directed, and oversaw Middle School student life, faculty development, and divisional organization. Specific areas of focus included strengthening the MS advisory program, reviewing and solidifying the MS Standards-Based Grading practices, and creating a system for student-driven electives. In addition, Karisti served as a co-lead for AAS’s NEASC ACE Accreditation self-study.

Prior to Moscow, Karisti held the roles of Middle School Humanities teacher, English teacher, Grade 8 Dean of Students and High School English and French teacher across four countries and five schools. In her 28 years in education, 24 of them have been spent in middle level education. She is excited to be joining the TAS Middle School. She brings a passion for working with young adults and feels the best part of being a middle school educator is helping students find their voice and discover their passions. Creating opportunities for both the academic, social, and emotional parts of learning is at the heart of her work. Karisti earned her B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and her M.A. from the University of Iowa. She has also earned a Post-Master’s Certification in Educational Leadership from The College of New Jersey,

When not at school, Karisti enjoys reading, traveling, and cooking. She also loves checking out the local sites in her new home city. She is excited to be back in Asia and getting to explore all that Taiwan has to offer. 

Ms. Lori Richardson Garcia

Lori Richardson Garcia served TAS for 12 years as a Middle School Counselor before moving into the role of Middle School Associate Principal. In addition to her counseling role, at TAS Lori has served as MS Student Support Services Department Chair and MS Counseling Team Leader while also supporting community well-being on several iterations of the school-wide Wellness Task Force, MS JEDI team, and MS Rock Climbing Club. Lori brings a wealth of experience and understanding of middle school students to the role, and she is committed to creating opportunities for Middle school students to connect with each other and the adults in their lives while also exploring their interests and finding their strengths.

Prior to TAS, Lori worked in middle and high schools in Virginia and North Carolina, USA. Lori graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Psychology and earned her M.Ed. in School Counseling from the University of Virginia. She earned her Ed. D in Educational Leadership from East Carolina University in 2019, completing her dissertation on strengthening community partnerships in international schools. 

In her spare time, Lori enjoys reading, traveling, and exploring the restaurants and parks in Taipei. She and her husband, Raul, have a 2-year-old son and welcomed their second child this summer.