WELCOME TO UNITY MCHS
Unity Middle College High School prepares all students for four-year university success, leading to professional careers through a blended high school and college curriculum. Unity MCHS welcomes all students from diverse backgrounds and communities.
TEACHER PROFILE
Mr. Jun Chung is the founding Unity MCHS science teacher. Upon graduating from Troy High School in Fullerton, California, Mr. Chung graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science. He earned his teaching credential for biology and chemistry at CSUF.
Mr. Chung has a wealth of experience working with youth. He has worked in both middle schools and high schools around Orange County. He has served in the youth group at his church ministry, Open Book Community, for over eight years.
Mr. Chung is married to his beautiful wife, Melanie. He loves spending time with people, and in his free time he is often found making plans to grab a meal with someone. He loves reading the Bible, playing and watching sports, playing the guitar, and learning new dishes to cook for others.
Jun Chung, Founding Science Teacher
jchung@unitymchs.org
Austin Kim, Founding Mathematics Teacher
akim@unitymchs.org
Mr. Kim has a passion for working with the young generation. For four years, he tutored middle and high school students in math levels from Pre-Algebra all the way to Calculus BC. He also enjoys serving at the youth group a part of Thanksgiving Church.
During his free time, Mr. Kim enjoys spending his time with friends and eating delicious food around the Orange county area. In addition, Mr. Kim likes to read good books, play board games with friends, and play the piano and guitar.
Marcus Maher is the Social Science Teacher at Unity MCHS. Since graduating from California State University, Long Beach with his BA in History and his clear credential in Social Science he has taught, a plethora of courses from AP Human Geography, AP United States History, World History to Government and Economics before joining the Unity family. In Mr. Maher’s class, students get the opportunity to analyze historical documents from around the world and discover what happened in the past for themselves. His classes focus on critical thinking, diversity, and argument development.
Mr. Maher is blessed to come home to his wonderful wife, Megan and to his sweet daughter Emma. When he isn’t mentoring your students, he loves spending time with family, watching sports, and watching people.
Marcus Maher, Social Sciences Teacher
mmaher@unitymchs.org
Haley Talbert, Founding English Teacher
htalbert@unitymchs.org
Upon graduating from a Middle College High School with a year of college courses already completed, Haley attended Biola University in La Mirada, California. During her time at Biola, Haley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education and credential to teach Secondary English. During the completion of her music program, she spent a semester studying songwriting, music recording, and performance arts at the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
In her free time, Haley can likely be found outside with good book accompanied by a great cup of coffee. The way to Ms. Talbert’s heart is through her stomach, as she enjoys soft pretzels and Junior Mints. Her favorite authors include F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Oscar Wilde. In addition to the classics, she is nearly obsessed with the sense of adventure and bravery characterized by J.K. Rowling’s created world in the Harry Potter series. Haley was born and raised in Corona, California, the land of citrus, and is still transported back to her childhood when she smells orange blossoms on a warm spring day. She now resides in Newport Beach, California.
Meet a Founding team member and the Spanish Teacher of Unity MCHS, Emily Perea! Miss Perea graduated under Dr. Craig’s leadership at an Early College High School and graduated from Vanguard University of Southern California with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in May of 2018. Miss. Perea is also the CALPADS Coordinator for Unity.
In her spare time, Miss. Perea enjoys spontaneous adventures with her friends to new coffee shops and restaurants in different cities across the OC and LA County. Her favorite place to travel and rest is Cancun, México. She also loves the adrenaline rush from rollercoasters, ziplining, racing and one day hopes to go skydiving.
Emily Perea, Spanish Teacher
eperea@unitymchs.org
Keshya Locksley, English Teacher
klocksley@unitymchs.org
Miss Locksley is excited to be given the opportunity to be the 11th and 12th grade English teacher, as well as the new P.E. teacher. Her passion is to guide and support the younger generation reach their goals—academically and mentally.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to new places, trying new foods, attending sporting events, playing with her puppies, and going to the beach.
She briefly took a break from teaching after two years to become a web developer. She briefly worked for an advertising agency, maintaining websites for car dealerships and various companies. Missing the various personalities of high school and middle school students, she went back into teaching here at Unity Middle College High School.
Ms. Ly enjoys playing video games, board games, and photography! Food is her best friend. Korean BBQ, sushi, and boba are only a small list of her favorite foods.
Linda Ly, Math Teacher
lly@unitymchs.org
Chris McCarthy, Music Teacher
cmccarthy@unitymchs.org
Currently, Chris performs with the Dana Point Symphony as associate principal cello. He was a member of Symphony Irvine, the Montage Civic Orchestra, and the Crystal Cathedral Hour of Power Orchestra. He is a founding member of Love4Cello, a cello quartet based in Los Angeles, where he also serves as the group’s arranger. In 2014, as a member of the Southern California Chamber Ensemble, Chris performed in Nagoya, Japan, with renowned urhu virtuoso George Gao. He is a string coach for Oak Middle School in Los Alamitos and Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, and is the cello instructor for the Casa Romantica Music Festival Academy.
Craig Casperson is the new Education Specialist here at Unity Middle College High School and he could not be more excited to be with us. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Leadership and a Minor in English. He has over ten years of experience working with students with special needs of all ages and abilities. He has worked as a Paraeducator and a caseworker for the Westminster School District, as a Registered Behavior Technician for Garden Grove Unified School District, and as an In-Home Behavior Therapist for the Non-Profit Agency, Creative Behavior Interventions. He is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Special Education through National University.
Mr. Casperson lives right here in Orange County, is married to his awesome wife Ally, and is a father of two. In his free time, you can find him surfing, kayaking, hiking, playing baseball, riding bikes with his kids, playing the ukulele or watching the Dodgers or Lakers.
Craig Casperson, Educational Specialist
ccasperson@unitymchs.org
ADMINISTRATION PROFILE
Erin McKenzie Craig, Ed.D., Founding Executive Director
Previously, Dr. Craig served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Principal for NOVA Academy Early College High School in Santa Ana for almost three years. Prior to NOVA, Dr. Craig was an assistant principal, department chair, college math professor, and math teacher. Since 2013, Erin has led the statewide Early and Middle College High School efforts, support, and development through her service as the Treasurer for the California Coalition of Early and Middle Colleges (CCEMC). CCEMC is the only organization in California dedicated to sustaining and supporting Early and Middle Colleges.
Dr. Craig received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership specializing in K-12 Urban Schools at University of Southern California, and a MS and BS Mathematics. Dr. Craig holds her single subject teaching credential in mathematics, clear administrative credential, and certificate specializing in charter leadership from Loyola Marymount University.
