Ethel Walker School
Karim Mabrouk
French Faculty
Karim Mabrouk
Karim Mabrouk joins The Ethel Walker School as a part time French teacher. A Tunisian native, Karim is a native speaker of French and Arabic. Karim received a dual B.A. and a dual M.A. in French studies and international studies with a focus on the study of human rights as well as peace and conflict resolution. Karim served as a teaching assistant of French and Arabic at University of Connecticut, a teaching fellow and adjunct at Trinity College, a summer instructor at Yale University and is currently serving as the team manager and head coach for the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford Swim Team. Karim has volunteered and worked alongside several youth-focused organizations and is thrilled to be a part of the Walker’s family.Â
Dr. Chris Semk
Chair, World Languages Department and French Faculty
Dr. Chris Semk
Chris is the chair of the Language Department and teaches both French and Latin. He earned his Ph.D. in French literature from Indiana University and taught at Yale before joining Walker’s. Chris coaches cross country and advises the Middle School Garden Club, the French Club, and Wings (Gender and Sexuality Alliance). He is actively involved in the community and serves on the board of directors of A Place to Nourish your Health (APNH), a community health organization in New Haven, and the Hartford Karma Thegsum Chöling, a Buddhist meditation and study center in the city’s West End. Chris lives in Hartford with his partner Jonathan.
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Rebecca Rojano
Spanish Faculty
Rebecca Rojano
Rebecca join Walker’s from The Master’s School just up the road in West Simsbury, where she was a middle and high school Spanish teacher. While at The Master’s School, Rebecca designed curriculum, taught a wide range of classes, was the faculty leader for student government and coordinated the Human Trafficking Awareness Club. Previously, Rebecca taught Spanish at the Enrico Fermi High School in Enfield, CT. A magna cum laude graduate of Keene State College with a dual degree in Secondary Education and Spanish, Rebecca studied abroad in Spain; Managua, Nicaragua; and Atenas, Costa Rica.
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Alexandra Noël Grisanti
Latin Faculty
Alexandra Noël Grisanti
A magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College with a B.A. in Classics, Noël comes to us from Phillips Exeter Academy where she was a Latin teaching intern. While at Exeter, Noël also advised the “Exonians Against Sexual Assault” group, coached basketball and served as a resident dorm faculty. She has a long-standing commitment to volunteering and has worked in India teaching English, preschool and in an afternoon program. While in college she also was the co-director for Peer Advocates for Sexual Respect where she directed a team of 16 peer educators in organizing on-campus programming regarding sexual respect and healthy relationships.
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Todd D'Alessandro P'19
Spanish Faculty, Director of Summer Programs
Todd D'Alessandro P'19
Todd graduated from The University of Connecticut and entered the business world. While working for name brands such as Hertz, Banfield, and Pfizer, he found that speaking two languages gave him a strong connection with the teams he managed and clients he called on. Todd has always had a strong desire to teach and guide tomorrow’s leaders, so he jumped at the chance to be a part of the Walker’s community. Todd also serves as a soccer coach. He was an All New England player at Farmington High, All Big East selection at UConn, was drafted by the Boston Bolts of The ASL, and played semi professionally for The Lowell Red Devils of the LASA League.
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Isabel Ceballos
Head of the Middle School
Isabel Ceballos
Isabel Ceballos was born in Medellin, Colombia, and raised in Connecticut. She earned her B.A. and M.A. in Modern Languages with a concentration in Spanish Language, Literature & Culture from Central Connecticut State University. Isabel Ceballos has been a member of Walker’s Language Department since 2013, and is the founding executive director of Horizons at The Ethel Walker School, the first all-girls Horizons program in the country.
Named one of Hartford Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2016, and a recipient of The Thelma Ellis Dickerson Community Bridge Builder Award, Isabel is an active member in the community. She serves on the Board of The Aurora Women & Girls Foundation, and is a member of the United Way Community Engagement Committee.
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