Ms. Paula Kerby, an English teacher here at Cathedral, describes herself as, “an active and kind human being.” Coming from a small family in California’s Castro Valley, Ms. Kerby has always valued making and nurturing connections with others. “My friends have always been my family, so I value my friend relationships and try to hang out with them as often as possible,” says Ms. Kerby. “On the weekends I try to go to a baseball game, concert, or dinner with friends.”

Ms. Kerby’s kindness heavily influences her work as a teacher. After graduating from UCSB with a degree in psychology, she applied to CCHS, and was hired shortly thereafter as a new member of Cathedral’s English department. When discussing her teaching style, Ms. Kerby stated, “I really try to find humor in my classroom and with my students. One thing I love about my job is that I get to laugh every day!“ She finds inspiration in observing her fellow English teachers, Dr. Williams and Mrs. Carlson to name a couple, and hopes to emulate the same energy, kindness, and comfort her peers do in their own classrooms. “My students also inspire me,” says Ms. Kerby. “As a teacher you become aware of just how many really tough challenges students face, and yet they still show up, work hard, and do their best.”

Ms. Kerby is a highly empathetic individual, and strongly encourages others to see the good in the world, especially when things get hard. “It’s easy to fall into the habit of assuming the worst about someone, or taking things personally, but really we don’t know anything about someone else’s experience,” she says. “You never know what people are going through or have been through.”

Ms. Kerby highly values showing kindness to others, but one of the biggest lessons she hopes her students learn is the importance of remembering to be kind to themselves as well. She believes that one of the most important ways to nurture yourself is to never stop learning, and Ms. Kerby attributes the majority of her own growth as a person to the lessons she has learned throughout her life. “Learning how to navigate the world, and ask for help when I needed it really helped me get to where I am today,” says Ms. Kerby. She desires to push her students to become lifelong learners, and to stay curious, even after they gradate as a CCHS alum. “There is SO much to learn, especially from doing things that I or other people don’t think I can do.”

Ms. Kerby’s curious spirit goes hand in hand with her adventurous and active lifestyle. She loves hiking, spending time outside, and doing anything and everything with her dog Emma, who she describes as, “the love of my life.” When she isn’t at school, you can find her at Orangetheory fitness, working out at Mission Bay, or at the dog beach. During the summer, she loves exploring national parks, and has been to Yosemite, Zion, and Sequoia thus far. This past August, she completed the Triple Crown Half Marathon Series, racing in three of San Diego’s half marathons. “This year completing the series was one of my biggest goals, so I am super proud of that,” says Ms. Kerby.

Ms. Kerby hopes to continue spreading love and positivity, wherever that may be. “Eventually, I would like to go back to school to study something having to do with Psychology, says Ms. Kerby. Her five-year plan includes continuing to teach here at cathedral, as well as possibly working on another degree, and continuing to be happy!