Welcome! I am thrilled to be joining the the the Art department staff at the Freshman Center this year, and to meet all of the awesomely talented art students! My family and I just moved to the Rockford area from Los Angeles and we couldn't be more thrilled. The last two years, I was at Santa Monica High School where I taught Drawing I and Drawing II. Before I was at Samohi, I completed my student teaching at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA and received my Art teaching credential from Cal State, Long Beach in June of 2017. My undergraduate degree is in Business Marketing from California State University, Long Beach, which I received in 2010.
I am originally from central Pennsylvania, which makes me the biggest Penn State Nittany Lions fan ever and you'll know what I'll be doing Saturday mornings during college football season! In addition to teaching, I love to cook, practice yoga, read, go hiking and camping with my husband, and of course, create art! My artistic concentration is on the fiber arts and have traditionally been interested in exploring the root of materials, deconstructing where each part comes from and to understand the processes. I love to extract and utilize natural dyes on fabric and paper, weave cloth, bind books and collage with mixed media.
"I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares."
- Saul Bass
My family and I watching the Rose Bowl, 2017.
"The Art of Education", installation show. CSULB. 2016
Philosophy of education
It is my job as an educator to facilitate a personal growth process in such a way that is both beneficial and motivational for each student. I infuse applicable and meaningful content with expectations of personal expression and creativity. While my students may come from various backgrounds and social truths, it is essential for them to think critically about the knowledge they acquire and to create their own interests while being aware and respectful of fellow objections. I encourage my students to hone skills for judgment and decision-making, which prevails over answer-seeking. Class curriculum is inspired by and in conjunction with the New Visual Arts Standards and emphasizes the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.
I seek to provide my students with an inspirational setting where they feel empowered and enabled to fulfill their purpose. I encourage all students to engage in problem-solving techniques such as group work, the collaboration of ideas, and the application of past knowledge. With the evolution of technology, students are able to not only learn from the teacher, but also from each other. I encourage students to explore the artistic and intellectual possibilities that exist beyond the the classroom, which opens a world of inspiration, contemplation and reevaluation.