Meet The Team

In 2010, our beloved friend and colleague, Brett Campbell, co-founded the American Institute with the lofty goal of bringing the American education system closer to Croatia. In addition to his many responsibilities at the American Institute, Brett worked as a lecturer at the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Political Science and the College of International Relations and Diplomacy Dag Ham-marskjöld. He also served as a freelance copy editor for GONG, UNDP, the Institute for International Relations, and GiZ, among others. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Brett earned a master's degree in European and Eurasian studies from George Washington University and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in International Studies at the University of Trento.

After a long, arduous struggle with cancer, Brett had to leave his loving family, dear friends and students, and cherished American Institute behind. His unwavering wit, charm, and way with words, which he wielded so eloquently, will live on forever in the hearts of those privileged enough to have crossed his path.

Alexandra is an educator from Calgary, Canada.  She has received a Bachelor’s in Psychology, followed by a TEFL/TESL certification, and a Bachelor’s of Education in 2019. She has 10 years of experience in teaching and believes literacy is the key to success. She champions building a sense of community and connection in the classroom and enjoys using new technologies to teach. Alexandra’s familial origins are Greek and her husband’s are Croatian which helped influence their decision to move to Zagreb. When she is not teaching, she is dancing and traveling to neighboring cities and countries. She also works on her own professional development by keeping up with online courses and attending a minimum of 2 seminars each year.

The American Institute's administrator is Sabina Bajruši, a Croatian- Canadian practitioner, who brings more than 20 years of experience inteaching, directing, and playwriting to our team. Sabina previously lived in Winnipeg, Canada, and, while there, taught drama at the Manitoba Theater for Young People, the Prairie Theater Exchange, and the Winnipeg School Division. Upon returning to Croatia, Sabina continued her career in the fields of publishing and corporate administration, among other areas.

Helena is a student who was born and raised in Zagreb. She is studying Tourism and Hotel Management, majoring in hospitality. After completing high school she began hostessing and in 2020 she became a part of The American Institute. Growing up with a Croatian mother and a Chinese father she learned a lot about what it means to be multilingual and cultured. In her spare time, she loves to travel, try out different cuisines, watch movies, and play tennis.

Paul comes from County Fermanagh in the north of Ireland. He completed his degree in 1994 in Leicester at De Monfort University in Business and Spanish. In 1995 he became a TEFL teacher at Oxford House College, London. Throughout his 25 year career he has taught PET, FCE, CAE, IELTS, CPE, TEOFL, Business English and general English in 9 different countries to all ages and nationalities. He is currently in his 11th year teaching in Croatia having initially came here in 1998. Paul is also a qualified examiner for the FCE oral examinations. He has taught students from every continent during many years of teaching at assorted summer schools. When he is not working he likes to read, learn Croatian and go fishing.

The son of Croatian immigrants, Paško was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. After completing a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Western Sydney in 2006, Paško worked in the Australian public and not-for-profit sectors, mainly as a proofreader and editor. During this period, he also earned a master’s degree in non-fiction writing from the University of Technology, Sydney, before eventually moving to Zagreb. Paško believes that words matter, and encourages his students to develop their writing skills by reading as widely as possible. When he’s not in the classroom, Paško enjoys reading good books, traveling, and live music events.

Jason was born and raised in Athens, Greece in a Greek-Canadian family. With a passion for theatre and public speaking, he excelled in activities centred on the English language and communication skills throughout high school. After graduation, he travelled to Ontario, Canada where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Studies from Queen’s University. Somewhere along the line, he discovered he had a knack for teaching English and helping others with their English language work. Thus began his career as a teacher. Wishing to see more of the world, Jason travelled far and wide, from the Americas to East Asia, exploring and learning of new cultures and strange cuisines. Throughout, his capacity as a teacher facilitated his path and his skills and knowledge grew. Having finally landed in Croatia, Jason continues his hobbies of reading, traveling and cooking.