Welcoming Elise Asan

Our Lady of the Pillar is thrilled to welcome Elise Asan as our K-5 teacher.

Elise grew up in the Bay Area as the oldest child in a large Catholic family. Her parents chose to homeschool her and started her in kindergarten with a faithfully Catholic curriculum that had high academic standards. As the years went by, the curriculum built on the foundation in faith and academics of the early years; she benefited so much from the homeschooling program that her family has continued it ever since. They were blessed with a good community of friends and extended family, and had great memories from her childhood as a result!

Elise’s family moved to Colorado in her freshman year of high school. This change presented many challenges, but homeschooling allowed her to continue her high school studies with minimal interruption from the move. As they settled in over the years, she was able to pursue in more depth all the areas of her education that interested her. It was during this time that she discovered a deep appreciation of music and musical literacy through playing the piano; Elise also pursued several honors courses in her favorite subjects: English and literature.

Elise was eager to continue her education and connect with her peers when she started researching for colleges. Thomas Aquinas College was her first choice because of its integrated pursuit of truth through the liberal arts. When she left for California to attend TAC, she was excited to learn that her family had also decided to return to the state where she grew up! The college’s curriculum lived up to and surpassed her expectations, and God has blessed her experience abundantly over the last four years, with her family close by, great friendships, and a wonderful education. 

Now that she has graduated from college, she is eager to put into practice the principles gained through her classical, Catholic education in the liberal arts. She is convinced that the vision of Our Lady of the Pillar Academy is what the world needs right now, and is honored to join the team of teachers here.

“While reading through the mission statement of OLPA, there were a couple things that stood out to me: the call of the ‘great, legendary mission bell’ that used to ring in many churches up and down the coast of California, as well as the triple patronage of Our Lady, Saint James the Apostle of Spain, and Father Serra. I see the establishment of this new school as a continuation and a renewal of that timeless duty of every Catholic, to preach the Gospel and bear witness to Christ. The old mission bells and the Spanish patron saints are a reminder of the Faith that once consecrated this land to Christ through His holy Mother. Now in an age of godless thinking and nihilistic culture, the bell of a new Catholic endeavor is ringing, inviting us to bear joyful witness to Christ through the renewal of Catholic education.

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