I have been teaching art to young people since 2012. Before I joined Vertus in 2016, I led afterschool art programs at middle schools, high schools, and youth centers in and around Austin, Texas through a nonprofit organization called Creative Action.
What is your philosophy as a teacher?
Educator William Ayers said it best: "I want to build spaces where there's lots of room to ask questions of the world, to interrogate common sense, to challenge the orthodox. I want to build spaces that nourish our imagination, sense that the world is big and fragile and precious, dynamic and always in flux. Another world is possible -- and inevitable -- and we can participate in its making." I believe that the art room can be such a space, and this belief guides me every day. It is why I teach.
What motivates you to be at Vertus? (what is your “why?")
I am a Rochester native, and I love this city. I also love teaching young people about art. Teaching art to students in Rochester, especially at a school like Vertus that allows me to know each and every student, is an ideal situation!
Who are you outside of Vertus?
I am an artist, friend, daughter, sister, and community member. I love reading, cooking, and walking around with a camera. I am also a student myself, at Nazareth College where I am working towards my Masters in Art Education.
What is your motivational message for students, current or future?
You have something to say that is worth hearing. The world needs your voice now more than ever.
