Assistant Manager of Administration

Ms. Jane was born and raised in Germany and moved to California 7 years ago. She is fluent in German, English, and Korean, speaks conversational French, and holds certificates in Latin and Ancient Greek. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature/Linguistics and Protestant Theology from Heidelberg University in Germany. Jane has experience teaching, mentoring, and working with children and youths in a ministry setting.
She joined BCA in 2023, and hopes to create a warm and inclusive environment for its students, and to come alongside students as they develop a love for learning, delight with awe and wonder in God’s creation, and grow in wisdom and understanding.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, going to the beach with her husband, and spending quality time via FaceTime with her family and friends who are scattered all throughout the globe.

7th/8th Grade Humanities Teacher/Upper School Curriculum Director

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Hope has always had a passion for educating. When she was in 1st grade, she decided that there was nothing more she wanted to be than a great teacher. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Childhood and Special Education with a concentration in Psychology and a Minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies from New York University. Throughout her experience in private and public schools in NYC, she discovered a need to teach students to see truth, goodness and beauty amidst a world that is yearning for God’s love. She is recently married and enjoys traveling, trying new foods and taking her dog on hikes.

1st Grade Teacher

Miss Joy Park is the 1st-grade teacher at Bethel Classical Academy. She earned her Bachelor’s in Education Sciences and Social Policy & Public Service at the University of California, Irvine. She feels privileged and passionate to inspire students in their education and faith journey. She has very fond memories of learning about Jesus from a young age and looked up to her teachers at church and school. She always dreamed of becoming a warm and uplifting teacher like the ones she had in her life and hopes her students can experience the love of Jesus and a love for learning the way that she did.

2nd Grade Teacher

Hope Nguyen joins the BCA team with 2 years of primary principal experience and 8 years of teaching in the classroom. She is an alumni of Northwest Bible College in Kirkland, WA: the class of 1997 with BA in Church Ministries with a Mission Emphasis. She has over three decades of experience in early childhood education, church ministries, and classical Christian education. Prior to having a family she held a license to preach under the Assembly of God denomination.

She celebrates 23 years of marriage to Bang Nguyen who pastors at Vietnamese Alliance Church of Orange in Santa Ana. She is a proud mother of four beautiful children: Audrey, Landon, Sadie and Theodore. She enjoys time with her family, reading, crocheting, and rock climbing/bouldering. A bible verse you will often hear her quote is Galatians 2:20. A verse she hopes to leave as a legacy for her children and generations to come.

3rd/4th Grade Teacher

Miss Julia is the 3rd/4th-grade teacher at Bethel Classical Academy. She has a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a Bible minor from Biola University. She also has completed the Torrey Honors College, a great books program that discusses classical and theological literature. She loves children and the opportunity to share her love of learning and God to them in unique and creative ways. In her spare time she loves cooking and trying new foods, reading, embroidery, painting, and theater.

5th/6th Grade Teacher

Although drawing and painting have always been his first love, Hugh Speed has found joy in teaching Middle School Language Arts, Ancient plus Medieval History for over 10 years, and now serves as the 5th and 6th Grade Combo Classroom Teacher at Bethel Classical Academy in Irvine, California. Hugh is a graduate of Cal State University, Long Beach and has served as a public school educator since 2007 in Santa Ana, South Central Los Angeles and Kuwait. He is a lover of Literature and History of all kinds, and has led professional development seminars on classroom teaching techniques such as “active monitoring” for student feedback and the “Jane Schaffer Method” of argumentative paragraph writing. Outside of school, Hugh enjoys spending time between Mission Viejo and Pasadena with family and friends, reading historical fiction, discovering the next new and delicious taco truck, and drawing on his sketchpad.

Grammar/Logic School Math Teacher

With two decades of experience in math education, Mr. Daniel is thrilled to bring his passion for teaching to Bethel Classical Academy. He finds immense joy in helping students discover the beauty and logic of mathematics, fostering skills that will support their academic and personal growth. Alongside teaching, he is currently in seminary, deepening his knowledge and love for theology. Outside the classroom, you might find him cheering on the Lakers, Dodgers, and Chargers, exploring hiking trails, catching a good movie, or diving into a great book. He is grateful to be part of the BCA community and looks forward to inspiring young minds each day.

Logic School Math Teacher

Ms. Karis graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea. Growing up in South Korea, New Zealand, and the United States gave her a broad and diverse perspective on education which sparked her desire to teach.  Her passion for teaching became a reality when she started to tutor students in math in 2007, and she has been working with students since.  Ms. Karis saw the benefits of a classical Christian education after having received training in it, and she made the decision to homeschool her son for four years.  BCA is fortunate to have Ms. Karis teaching algebra to our 8th-grade students this year.  Ms. Karis finds joy in continuing her love for teaching math.  Her son, Ian, is a current 6th grader at BCA.  In her free time, she enjoys reading alongside Ian or making espresso drinks for her husband.

Strings Teacher/Grammar School Music Teacher

Ms. Sarah Ping graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, where she received a B.M. in Violin Performance. After actively performing internationally as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral player, her heart was always drawn to working with children, which led her to study Early Childhood Education later on. She has since dedicated herself to pedagogy and music education, working with students of diverse levels and backgrounds. Sarah has been teaching students ages 4 through high school. She believes in artistic excellence as a means to serve the glory of God and is excited to share glimpses of His beauty through music with her BCA students. Ms. Sarah and her husband have a young daughter and a rescue dog, and love to spend time out in nature, whether it be hiking, camping, or exploring National Parks.

Choir Director

Coming Soon

Art Teacher

Joy Kang received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Communication Design and Illustration from Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design. She had been working in the graphic design field for many years in the Greater Los Angeles Area before she settled in Orange County to start a family. While devoting herself to full-time childrearing years, she found her natural talent in teaching art. She has been teaching visual arts to students of all ages for the last 15 years. She finds great joy when she sees sparkles in her students’ eyes as they concentrate on creating their own masterpieces. She hopes that they continue to be able to see beauty around them as they grow older. She is married with two grown-up children. She loves taking photographs, hiking in nature, and visiting museums.

Director of Finance

Ms. Soo is a Finance Manager at Bethel Classical Academy.  She had a long career in public accounting specializing in audits, mergers and acquisitions, and Real Estate Investment Trusts.   She brings her experience in accounting/finance and her commitment to the school’s mission to create an exceptional Christian educational environment. She loves studying art history, painting in acrylic and oil in her spare time, and her passion for visiting art museums is an ever-evolving journey, one that continues to enrich her life in countless ways.  She was on backpacking trips to Europe for over ten years until her daughter was born, and hopes to continue those trips again. She spends lots of time in nature with her family, and is a foster mom for labrador retrievers.