News & Articles

Pacifica Hires New English Faculty

March 20th, 2023 by Julia Bishop

By God’s grace, Pacifica is growing. In addition to adding more classes, Academic Teams, and other exciting aspects to our program, this fall we will have the biggest freshman class in Pacifica's history. We are deeply grateful for God’s goodness to us, and look forward with great anticipation to finishing this year well, celebrating our seniors, and welcoming our new families to campus.

In light of this, we are hiring additional faculty, and are excited to announce the first among that new cohort for next year. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Annalea Shea to the English faculty for the 2023-2024 school year. We could not be happier that she has chosen to come on board to teach our students to think and live well.

Annalea Shea is passionate about cultivating students’ hearts and minds to see and relentlessly pursue God’s truth, beauty, and goodness in every aspect of life. She believes that literature offers a unique and important opportunity for us to develop compassion and wisdom as we read different perspectives that reveal truths about ourselves and the world around us. Ms. Shea finds great joy in leading students in this endeavor, relying wholly on Christ as the foundation and constant anchor for her teaching.

Annalea was born and raised in Orange County. After attending a small Christian high school, she moved just a bit farther north to the Los Angeles area to attend Biola University. There, she received her Bachelor’s degree in English, with a concentration in Secondary Instruction, graduating summa cum laude. She was also a member of the Torrey Honors College where she fell in love with discussion-driven classes, pursuing truth in a community of learners. During her time as a Torrey student, she had the opportunity to study literature abroad in Cambridge, England, where she made some of her favorite memories to date. While at Biola, Ms. Shea worked as a rhetoric and writing consultant, teacher’s assistant for literature and writing courses, and research assistant for professors in the English department and Torrey Honors College. She intends to continue her studies in the coming years as she works toward a Master’s degree in English, deepening her knowledge and love of literature.

When she is not teaching, you will often find Annalea with her nose buried in a book, a candle aglow, and a hot cup of tea in hand. At her home church, she loves serving as a vocalist on the worship team and teaching in children’s ministry. She also enjoys embroidery, adventures in the mountains, spending time with her two younger sisters, and watching lots of movies and shows.

Credentials

B.A. English, Secondary Instruction —Biola University, Torrey Honors College