HS Counseling team

JoAnn Porterfield was born and raised by her loving parents in a small town in Ontario. Although she came from a small town, living and teaching abroad has always been a goal of hers and after graduating with a degree in Psychology/Sociology and a Bachelor of Education she began her dream of seeing the world. JoAnn has been living and working at DAA since 2017 and has truly enjoyed the experience. JoAnn has been working as the grade 9 counselor since 2020. She enjoys working with students to help them find success and plan out their dreams for their future.

Originally from Los Angeles, California. Katrina Watson graduated with her Master's Degree in Counseling; Student Development in Higher Education from California State University, Long Beach. Katrina’s counseling career began in 2008, where she worked  for a federally funded program to assist low-income, first-generation high school students in Long Beach, CA 

Katrina took her professional college counseling career abroad to the United Arab Emirates in 2013 where she has worked with hundreds of students from over 100 different nationalities. Katrina has been working at DAA since 2015. 

She is a successful school counselor who empowers high school students to find their best fit university around the world. Katrina believes in maintaining a positive mindset, creating meaningful connections with students and parents, and always striving to work collaboratively. 

Ms. Nedra Brown has nearly 18 years of experience in education and has served as both primary and secondary school counselor for the past 15 years, with a specialization in social and emotional and college counseling.  Ms. Brown earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Texas Southern University and both her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Educational Leadership from Prairie View A&M University.  Her teaching and counseling career began in Texas, where she taught in middle school and later became a school counselor.  Ms. Brown continued her counseling profession in the UAE, where she has been residing in Dubai for the past six years.

Ms. Brown believes in promoting the all-round development of students, academically, physically, and emotionally, and recognizes that the primary to young adult years are an important developmental period that builds self-awareness and social-emotional strengths. Ms. Brown’s motto for her students is “to live life to the fullest”, in which she helps them to discover their passion.

Ms. Brown is thrilled to be a part of the Dubai American Academy family, and looks forward to working with students, parents and community partners to help students accomplish their dreams by making more informed decisions and better educational and career choices.

Pushpa Dasari was born in South Africa and has worked at international schools in South Africa, Qatar, China, Singapore, and the UAE. Pushpa holds a Bachelor of Education (Honors) degree. Her postgraduate degrees include a Masters in Education (specializing in Educational Psychology) and a Masters in Counseling. She is a registered test administrator for ability/attainment testing (CCET) with the British Psychological Society.

During her career spanning more than 25 years, she has worked as a Science teacher, Inclusion Support teacher and a Counselor. She has leadership experience as a Head of Inclusion and Designated Safeguarding Lead. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, dancing, and traveling.

As a South African, Pushpa is inspired by Nelson Mandela’s attitude towards service and his belief that the significance of the life we lead, is determined by the difference we make to others’ lives. This is something she hopes to emulate in her work and life.

Mr. Jeff Chelin is originally from the Chicago (USA) area, Mr. Jeff received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 2005 where he majored in business at Indiana's Kelley School of Business. After graduating, he worked in sales for a variety of companies before deciding to follow in the footsteps of his parents, both of whom worked in education for many years. He went on to receive a Master of Education (M.Ed) in School Counseling from DePaul University in 2012 and took additional classes at National Louis University in 2015. After working as a school counselor in Chicago, Mr. Jeff moved to Bangkok, Thailand where he worked at an international school for 8 years. He loves working with students of all ages and backgrounds, and enjoys helping students learn and grow, while guiding them towards their personal, academic, and career goals.

In his free time, Mr. Jeff enjoys traveling the world and is an avid Chicago sports fan. He can’t wait to get to Dubai and to work with the students and families there!

Ms. Trisha Johnson is from the southeastern region of the USA and has been a resident in the UAE since 2016. Trisha earned her BS in Family and Consumer Science Education from Winthrop University, USA, and her MA in Social Work from the University of Georgia, USA.

Trisha’s career began as a Family and Consumer Science high school teacher where she taught curriculum such as Human Growth and Development, Child Development, Independent Living, Food and Nutrition and Sewing and Textiles. During her teaching career she realized that her passion for teaching students had extended into helping their families and the community. This led to the pursuit of a graduate degree in social work which then allowed her to begin her counseling career as a Clinical Out-Patient Therapist. Trisha eventually merged the two career passions of teaching and community therapy by becoming a School Comprehensive Counselor where she is able to support students holistically with academic, social/emotional and university/career counseling. 

Trisha has been a part of the DAA HS Counseling Team since 2017 and she has been the Head of Department since 2019 where she has worked diligently with the counseling team to ensure the growth and expansion of services to best meet the student’s needs. Trisha’s passions include experiencing new cultures through international travel.

Meet Jennifer Gaffney, a dedicated professional with more than 23 years of experience working with young people aged 7 to 18. She started her career in therapeutic care in 2000, working with individuals and families from all backgrounds and denominations under the governing body of The Child and Family Agency. Throughout her career, Jennifer has led social and emotional groups, engaging in educational and life-skill-focused activities that help young people navigate the complexities of the modern world, enabling them to reach their full potential and happiness.

Jennifer's passion for traveling and exploring new places and meeting new people is evident in both her personal and professional life. She actively works on developing her social and emotional skills, which she believes are crucial in her line of work. Jennifer is thrilled to be starting a new journey with DAA, where she hopes to further hone her skills and contribute to the organization's mission to inspire and empower young individuals.

Before joining DAA, Jon worked in various industries (Business Process Outsourcing, Quality Assurance, Financial Services and Project Management Consultancy) for over 15 years across the Philippines, Qatar and the UAE. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology. He enjoys digital illustration and dreams of one day publishing a graphic novel.