This story originally appeared in the fall/winter 2017 issue of Harker Magazine.

Jocelyn Poplack is no stranger to adventure. She uprooted five years ago when she moved from Texas to California to become a Harker Preschool lead teacher, she takes full advantage of the nature and culture of the Bay Area, and she loves escaping to wild places like Jackson, Wyo. Family is paramount, and she’s a proud aunt to a niece who lives in the Bay Area, and a nephew and niece in Texas. Spending quality time with them and enjoying her mom’s amazing home cooking in Houston are just two things that make her tick. Read on to learn a few more!

What makes you feel like a kid again?
Reading children’s books! I love being able to share some of my favorite childhood books with my students and also being exposed to the newer children’s literature.

Brag about something.
When I was 7 years old, I won the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby for the biggest fluke caught that year.

What are you doing when you feel most alive?
There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than being surrounded by the ocean. I love to snorkel, fish, sail and take boat rides!

What is your most treasured object and why?
My family cookbook. When I was a child, I started writing down recipes that my mom, grandmothers and other family members used, as I wanted to be able to recreate the recipes myself and keep the family traditions alive. To this day, I am still adding recipes to the book! 

What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
Honestly, I believe this hasn’t happened yet! I look at each day as another chance to accomplish more and more.