From the PUC graduating class of 2020, Leah Dopp returns to her alma mater to teach English 101, 102, Themes in Literature, and American Naturalism and Realism. While teaching, she will also be completing her doctoral studies from Claremont Graduate University, where she earned her M.A. in English in 2022.  

“When I interviewed with the English department, I asked my (now) colleagues what they enjoy about working at PUC. Each of them responded with some version of I love working with the amazing women who are here today,” said Leah. So far, I have to agree! I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with and to learn from the amazing women educators who make up our department. 

PUC is grateful to have Leah back in Angwin teaching our students and helping lead the English Department. She kindly answered our questions to help us learn more about her. 

Why did you decide to work at PUC? 

PUC is my alma mater, and I have always loved PUC. Now, as a professor, I realize that PUC has many qualities that I was looking for in a workplace. So far, I have been blessed in that my previous teaching institution shared some of those important values. Among them, the role of the faculty is to serve the students. I have seen firsthand how fulfilling it can be to teach in a student-centered environment. 

Something else that also really appealed to me about PUC is that its smaller size allows me to teach quite a few different classes. I have always been someone with varied interests, so teaching composition classes and Themes in Literature alongside various literature classes for English majors is something I might not be able to do elsewhere, and that really excites me. 

How did you become interested in English, and what motivated you to pursue a career in teaching?

I have always wanted to teach. I think I was simply born with that innate desire. While I was in high school, my general plan to teach became a plan to teach English when I really connected with it on a deeper level.

How do you think PUC’s English program stands out from other colleges and universities? 

At PUC, your professors have time for you! Yes, there are office hours in every department at every college. But when I was a student at PUC, I practically lived on the couch outside of (formerly of PUC) Dr. Sara Kakazu’s door, across the hall from the rest of the faculty offices. It was those personal conversations that set my undergraduate experience apart. English majors reading this, please come hang out in the hallway. Stauffer Hall is lonely without you! 

If you could spend a day living in the world of any book, which would it be?

It would actually be a play: Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. To be fair, the world it’s set in is the real world, and there are a lot of things about living in the 16th century that I imagine weren’t so nice. However, that play provides me with so much wish fulfillment. It evokes frolicking around in Italy—not a bad way to spend a day. 

What book do you think every college student should read? 

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God—it has something for everyone! 

What would students be surprised to find out about you? 

Is it surprising that I like baseball? If not, how I came to like baseball is probably the reason. After over a year of pretending to like baseball as a bit, my brother took me to a game and I realized how fun it actually is. Now I sincerely root for the San Diego Padres! 

What advice do you have for students who are passionate about literature and writing but unsure of their career path? 

A passion for literature and writing is more versatile than it might seem on the surface. Storytelling, thinking deeply, and writing well are universal, valuable, and highly transferable skills. 

Literature and writing teach us what it means to be human and are uniquely poised to help students learn about themselves. A passion for literature and writing is worth nurturing, especially for students who are unsure about their career path. 

Where are your favorite restaurants in the Napa Valley?

I have so many favorite places to eat in the Napa Valley. You can’t beat Azteca’s, but I will also give special shoutouts to Giugnis and Soo Yuan in Calistoga. They are the three yummiest, but also most affordable places in the valley! 

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

This community has welcomed me with open arms, and I cherish the opportunity to extend that same welcome to students who are either new or returning to campus this Fall quarter. 

What are you looking forward to this school year? 

I’m so looking forward to teaching English 301 (Themes in Literature). I’m calling my section “Hemispheric Connections.” That class is an opportunity for me to design a fun course, and it’s something that makes PUC unique. I think that, as an upper-division General Education class, the diverse perspectives of students across disciplines are really interesting. 

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

I have a sneaking suspicion that you will find me grading on Sunday mornings. Maybe, on some weekends, you can find me grading in a cozy Napa Valley coffee shop.