Teacher Summer Recap

Victoria Seoah Baek

Summer 2025 was a time of café trips with friends, reading, watching newly released movies and preparing for the new school year. Over the summer, two of OCSA’s English teachers spent meaningful time with loved ones. For Courtney Harper, this summer was about finding joy in small moments. Ashley Jan spent her first summer with her toddler. As we return to the classroom, both teachers bring a refreshed energy, enhanced love for books and sincere advice for the new school year.

Courtney Harper enjoyed a peaceful and audiobook-filled summer. She has been at OCSA for a decade and teaches Lit & Comp 7, Modern Voices and Media Studies, and Yearbook. She previously taught in the live theatre industry before transitioning into a teaching career. 

In previous summers, Harper has travelled to Africa and Europe, but this year was different: she found joy in cherishing simple things, such as a week-long trip with family to La Jolla. Harper spent her summer recharging: often listening to audiobooks, completing 1000 piece puzzles without looking at the picture and watching TV. Her life is rich yet simple, with easy-going pleasures, such as quality time with family, or fulfilling her love for Jurassic Park (of course, with her dog Winnie curled up beside her). 

Two books that she recommends that have “a touch of magic” are “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune, and its sequel, “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.” Other recommended novels include “The Lost World” by Michael Crichton, “The Briar Club” by Kate Quinn, “Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies” by Elizabeth Winkler, and "By Any Other Name” by Jodi Picoult.

As the school year begins again, Harper advised students to remember: “You are exactly where you need to be right now. Don't worry about what anybody else is doing.” 

Ashley Jan has been at OCSA for nine years and is starting her first year back after an off-year. Jan was inspired to teach by a strong legacy of English teachers who encouraged her to foster a love for reading and writing: “I grew to really enjoy helping people find their voices as writers and I felt like I could see myself doing that for a long time.” 

This past summer was the first summer she spent as a mom. She enjoyed “getting to see summer through her [daughter’s] eyes.” Her summer was full of library story-times, park trips and watching her daughter splash around at a water table. 

Similar to many teachers, Jan found herself reading a lot of texts related to her teaching curriculum, but after COVID, she started to read for enjoyment again. Her book list for Summer 2025 include East of Eden by John Steinbeck and the Emily Wilde series, which she described as “a textbook for fairies.”