Hayley Perry is a PUC alum, who as a student worked for the Teaching Learning Center (now called The Student Success Center) Director from her freshman to senior year. When she graduated from her master’s program, Hayley started applying for jobs, and when she saw an opening at the SSC, she knew she had to apply. 

“I loved working with that population of students, because most often, students struggling with their course work just needed a little push to achieve their goals,” shared Hayley. “Getting to teach has been a dream I didn’t know I had until I had the opportunity at PUC, and getting to share my passion for language crafting with students has been both extremely challenging and terrifically rewarding.” 

Since 2021, Hayley Perry has held several titles at PUC. She started as an Academic Mentor in the SSC helping students who struggled academically. Then, she taught a few sections of ENGL 101 and 102, was Faculty Advisor for the Campus Chronicle, and now is a half-time faculty in the communication department teaching Copyediting II and COMM 105 (Comm and Public Speaking). 

What do you appreciate the most about your department?

I have always appreciated how welcoming everybody has been during my time at PUC in every department I have worked in. Communication is no different—I felt welcomed since day one. I know that I have a community of educators who will support me if anything comes up or if I have any questions. That is not something I have always experienced in other jobs, so I am really grateful for that here. 

What do you want people to know about your department?

I think communication often gets overlooked, similar to English or other topics that we use on a daily basis. Many people think since they communicate regularly, they don’t need to study it or understand anything else about it. However, I feel the opposite—since we use communication skills in our daily lives, it is one of the most important topics we can study. More people need to understand how communication dynamics unfold, how technology is shaping our cultural communication dynamics, and—my personal favorite—how the media operates in our culture and its purpose in communication.

Do you have a morning/afternoon routine to prepare for your classes?

Typically, I try to show up to class about 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. I am chronically early for everything, but I love the extra time to ensure that anything I need to present is working properly, to write notes on the board, or to simply review my lecture notes prior to the start of class. 

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers community?

A lot has changed on campus from the time I was a student to now, but one thing I have always loved about PUC and its community is the respect for nature that our campus facilitates. 

Growing up in the seemingly never-ending urban sprawl of Southern California, I didn’t develop any affinity for spending time outdoors. The smog and extreme heat in SoCal, along with the scarcity of pleasant outdoor locations near my house, made spending time outdoors unappealing. 

At PUC, as a student, I loved that I could spend time outside doing my schoolwork, reading, playing with my dog, and even just eating my meals. I became aware—as many Pioneers do, I believe—of how much my presence impacted nature and it really influenced the way that I thought about sustainability. People care about their environment in Angwin—I wish that was true everywhere 🙂​

Do you have a favorite place to eat in the Napa Valley? 

Too many to count! But for student-friendly locations, Clemente’s in Napa and Pupusería Salvadoreña in Santa Rosa are both wallet-friendly and have some of the best food I have tried anywhere. When I was a student, I would buy two meals whenever I went to either place, so I could stash the next helping in my dorm fridge and enjoy it when the Cafeteria just wasn’t doing it for me. 

Where is your dream vacation?

I really don’t have any one location as a dream vacation! I have had fairly limited travel experience [I have really only traveled to European countries] so anywhere outside of the Europe would be amazing for me. My ideal vacation allows me to wake up late in the day, take on the sights and activities at my own speed, and is in a warm enough location that I can stay out and exploring well into the night. 

What would students be surprised to find out about you?

Along with teaching half-time, I also co-own a photography and videography business with my husband. I never saw myself as a business owner in college, but we are now in our third year of shooting together in Napa, and I couldn’t imagine life any other way. 

Finish this sentence: On Sunday mornings you can find me…

Always in a different location! It seems that I can never hold down a consistent routine week to week, so I am never in the same place on any day of the week [unless I am teaching!]. This Sunday, I will be shooting on a hot air balloon in Napa, next week, who knows?! 😄