Who Am I
I have been teaching art in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system for about nine years, but have been teaching for almost fifteen. In addition to teaching at Renaissance West STEAM Academy, I also teach youth at Community School of the Arts as well as adults online with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I am mom to two wonderful boys — a rising junior college student and a rising junior in high school. In my spare time I love to create my own artwork. My art varies, but I mostly love creating abstract mixed media paintings.
Education and Training
I spent my high school years in the public school system having graduated from Olympic Senior High School here in Charlotte. Prior to public school, I spent my childhood years in private schools. I hold a Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I also completed training for teaching International Baccalaureate art (also known as the IB Programme) to high school students and received K-12 Visual Art certification through the graduate certification program at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
What Was I Like as a Child
I was a mini artist! From my earliest memories, being creative has always been a part of my life. Each morning while I ate breakfast, my mom would do my hair and I would color in coloring books. The schools I attended early on didn’t have art as part of the core learning experience so my parents enrolled me in art lessons after school at Spirit Square. Going to those classes were my most favorite part of the day. My art teacher had no idea how much she inspired me. Looking back, she exposed me to everything creative and never doubted that I can do it. She is now my daily inspiration when it comes to teaching children.