Current FaCulty and StaFF

n i Cole r aynor

My journey to OLP began with my high school education at a CSJ-sponsored school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the 1980s, I was fortunate to witness the St. Joseph sisters’ charism both in their roles as administrators and teachers. My parents were tremendous supporters of my Alma Mater, and they gave of their time and treasure in a yearly benefit which took place at my parents’ fine dining establishment. My parents are now deceased, and I left my home state over thirty years ago; but my family legacy lives on in a fund my parents established all those years ago.

I tell this origin story because there is a true connection between who I was as a student at St. Joseph’s Academy and who I became when I arrived, serendipitously, at OLP ten years ago. I always knew that I wanted to give back to my high school as a teacher, but marriage and the United States Navy took me back and forth from the West and East coasts. I approached OLP for the first time in 1991 to inquire about teaching positions in my area of study, French language and literature. Alas, there were no openings, but in the ensuing years,

I found work in a private high school on the east coast and in community colleges. We settled in San Diego for good in 1995, and my husband completed his training as a physician at the Naval Medical Center. At that time, I also commenced my 18-year “maternity leave.” Periodically, during these 18 years, various friends (alumnae and parents) who were stakeholders in the OLP community advised me that I should apply for a teaching position when ready.

In 2013, a friend of mine whose three daughters were OLP students informed me that OLP was looking for a long-term part-time substitute teacher in the world languages department. As my two sons were entering their senior and freshman years at St. Augustine High School, the timing was perfect for me to dip my toe back into the world of teaching. I contacted OLP and said my prayers. I was hired in the summer 2013 and met Lauren Lek during orientation for newly hired OLP teachers. My first impression of her was that she was incredibly enthusiastic and charismatic. It has been exciting to be a member of a cohort who entered the OLP community with a new lay leader at the helm.

Lauren is a skilled storyteller, and from the get-go she has been committed to keeping alive the legacy of her Sister predecessors, both recent and in the history of the CSJ order as a whole. In fact, as an alumna of a CSJ school, I did not know the backstory of the sisters who educated me. Because there were so many sisters in education in the time of my schooling, the charism was living in the here and now of that time; and there was no need to qualify it with terminology and nomenclature. Lauren is a lay leader who understands the awesome responsibility of carrying on the legacy. Her doctoral dissertation and continued connection to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in Los Angeles are illustrative of that commitment to the legacy.

Personally, I appreciate Lauren because during the last ten years, she has contributed to my holistic betterment as an CSJ educator. I am eternally grateful that under her leadership, I had the opportunity in 2018 to attend the Footsteps of the Founders pilgrimage in France. This trip was transformative for me, and I now have a greater understanding of the CSJ story that began in 1650 in Le Puy, France. The terminology of which I spoke earlier is clearer, thanks to this nine-day journey. Terms such as dear neighbor, unifying love, divide the city, and swarm of bees are part of the story. Lauren understands the power and action that these words convey.

Additionally, I am grateful to Lauren that she believed in me when I applied and was granted to be a Fellow in the inaugural cohort of the Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC), an initiative sponsored by the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS). Participation in this research project was humbling and challenging, and Lauren supported me every step of the way. It was an incredible honor to accompany Lauren to Boston in the summer of 2022 and meet my nine-member cohort, the members of which hailed from seven countries. Finally, I have deep gratitude that Lauren wants to share the Footsteps of the Founders pilgrimage with student members of the school community. As a French teacher, I strive to make meaningful connections between my academic discipline and the heritage of the founding sisters. As a chaperone on the pilot student pilgrimage to Annecy, Le Puy and Lyon during Easter of 2023, I am overjoyed that OLP students will take the transformational journey I experienced in 2018. I know that these student pilgrims will share their hearts and newly found knowledge to their community upon their return.

As I conclude this reflection upon Dr. Lauren Lek’s first 10 years at OLP, a period which has coincided with my own tenure as a teacher at OLP, I’d like to state how much it has meant to my husband and me to participate in the Boundless Campaign, a hallmark of Lauren’s leadership thus far. I feel a deep association between OLP and my own Alma Mater, and giving to the school that nourishes me in the present is how I pay tribute to my past. We are so honored to help to contribute to OLP’s future. Thank you, Dr. Lek! Congratulations on your first 10 years at OLP. I look forward to the realization of Boundless and to a bright second decade under your leadership!

Congratulations to Dr. Lauren Lek for her ten years of leadership as Head of School at OLP. It is with great pleasure that I share her leadership impact at OLP and beyond. Dr. Lek has been instrumental in the transformation of OLP’s infrastructure and culture. We have seen existing buildings transform into learning centered classrooms and the plans of new buildings come true under her leadership. Throughout these ten years, Dr. Lek has helped OLP grow and anchor to continue its legacy. As a faculty member I have seen the classrooms adapt and have access to the needs of our ever changing technological world. I have seen students be introduced to and have access to multiple leadership opportunities that shape them into strong women. Yet, Dr. Lek’s passion and leadership does not stop at the OLP community. Not only is Dr. Lek fully involved and committed to her work at OLP but also at the greater community through organizations such as Rotary. Through Rotary Dr. Lek is in partnership with a global network of individuals who take action to solve problems across the globe. With her vision, Dr. Lek has brought this global initiative to the OLP community in the form of the Interact Club as an affiliated high school version of Rotary. Students have been supported and inspired to service the dear neighbor on a global scale through the Interact Club.

Having joined the OLP community a few months after Dr. Lek, in these almost ten years I have been able to witness her leadership and also the impact it has had on a personal nature. Dr. Lek has trusted me to grow in different roles. The various entrusted leadership opportunities have helped me become a more confident individual and more open to take on new challenges. It is with joy that OLP celebrates the perseverance of Dr. Lauren Lek and her ten year milestone of leadership at OLP!

Emily D Evereaux

The definition of Lauren Lek may as well be “innovative.”

As an alumna from the Class of 2000 and a faculty and staff member from 2008–2013 and 2014–the present, I have experienced the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP) both before and after Lauren’s leadership. While OLP has always produced students who excel academically, thrive socially, and graduate ready to succeed in post-secondary studies, it was Lauren who spearheaded new programs that have made OLP a modern, trailblazing institution in San Diego. She started the Bring Your Own Device initiative on campus, provided ample professional development to faculty to advance our fluency in educational technologies, started the OLP Magazine, created the Women’s Symposium, revamped annual fundraisers like the gala and golf tournament, and developed and oversaw the master site plan which included campus renovations, ADAcompliant facilities, and the preservation of historical buildings. She did all of this and more in only 10 years. Lauren operates with the speed and vision of a Silicon Valley CEO but with the heart of a lifelong educator, marrying OLP’s history and mission with modern education.

t im Palu S o

It’s crazy to think that it has only been ten years that Lauren has been at OLP because of all the significant advancements she has made in that time. Ten years ago the STEM department consisted of one computer science class, fast forward to today and OLP offers a variety of different STEM classes and we continue to see enrollment in these classes trend upward. One class, in particular, is our Computer Science Principles course which Lauren was very instrumental in having OLP pilot years before the AP test was even offered. In the 2022-2023 school year, roughly 10% of all students are enrolled in the course.

Another significant addition to the department is our robotics team. Having started the robotics team nine years ago, I am very aware of the amount of hard work the team puts into each and every season. A special shout-out to Mr. Cooney and all the girls on the team for the time and dedication they put in.

While there is still plenty of room for growth in this department, that in itself is the exciting part... that it is given the opportunity from Lauren to grow.

Working alongside Lauren Lek these past ten years has proven to be the most exciting and rewarding experience of my career. As I tell most people, “I didn’t mean to fall in love with OLP, but the students and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have captured my heart.” Of course aligning to an organizational mission that one believes in is very rewarding, yet it has been the constant inspirational leadership from Lauren that has had the most significance upon me. Different from hierarchical organizations I’ve worked with in the past, Lauren talks the talk and walks the walk of collaborative, servant leadership.

One of my first experiences at a work event, I remember watching Lauren, the new Head of School, arranging furniture in consideration of the flow for forthcoming guests. At the end of the evening event, she was there picking up trash and putting things away alongside our custodial team. She was the first one to arrive from our team and always the last one out. Her investment in the welfare of people is equity driven and offered with sincere consideration of others. And her dedication to teenagers is astounding, as she is deeply invested in their safety, learning quality, socialemotional wellbeing, with an understanding of their need to be supported during the critical adolescent years.

I have been witness to Lauren crafting programs or creating platforms on the spot from head-to-toe, start-to-finish, inclusive of every operational detail. Her ability to recall data and research findings is like no other. She drives meaningful initiatives and conversations with an erudite understanding from a national and global perspective. Her ability to navigate the rich tapestry of knowledge has challenged my own growth for the better. She moves the needle higher, so to speak, of professionalism and in doing so has allowed me (and all of us interested) new heights of skill learning and application. Honestly, standing in the company of her genius makes every day an exciting endeavor because she enthusiastically offers generative learning opportunities, empowers all stakeholders to grow and thrive, and does so with a sincere dedication to her Catholic faith and love of education.

Though I didn’t mean to fall in love with OLP and our CSJ Sisters, I am also keenly aware that mission alone is not the only measure of retention. It is having a boss who leads without ego and celebrates others professional growth – even to the point of send off – that truly makes Lauren Lek and her phenomenal decade of dedication the gift and continual blessing it is today.

I stand in awe and gratitude daily for Lauren’s leadership, and thankful to God for bringing her (and me) to OLP.

Congratulations, Dr. Lek, on 10 years of leadership at OLP. Your commitment to the education of young girls and the values of the CSJ’s has provided continuing excellence for the Academy.

~ Mary Caratan Sloper ‘58

I had been re-engaged with OLP back in the 1990’s, specifically for the Holy Family Event Center fundraising and build. Once that building was complete, I thought I, too, had finished my work with my high school alma mater. I really hadn’t thought about creating a legacy tie to OLP, however it was after meeting Lauren Lek that my consideration of honoring my mom and her investment in my own OLP education came to be. Of course this wasn’t the origin of our relationship, I believe Lauren and I connected through our shared Catholic faith and the unified interest in educating girls within that faith. Lauren’s commitment to innovation, research, love and care of today’s and tomorrow’s OLP students resonated so strongly with me. Some leaders step into their passion for a momentary journey, but I have found in Lauren a deeply committed woman of faith and a tremendously brilliant leader invested in furthering young students to “all of which woman is capable.” It has been such a fun blessing to work alongside her.

~ Annie Navarra ‘63