Ian Quinones | On 15, Dec 2021

Growing up, Mrs. Sullivan was  surrounded by art. Despite the fact that half of her family are visual artists, musicians, authors, poets, and so on, she went to Fashion School and worked as a Fashion Designer in Mexico before becoming an art teacher. She staged fashion shows for several companies and had success doing so, but she’s always known that the creative aspect of the profession piqued her interest. It was due to this that she returned to school and enrolled in Visual Arts.

Mrs. Sullivan needed to support herself because the lifestyle of an artist is challenging, so she decided to seek professional development and teach language part-time while attending school. That’s when everything started and she went on to become an art instructor as well as an English and Spanish teacher. She claims it all happened by coincidence.

Mrs. Sullivan enjoys hearing from previous students that she has made a difference in their lives. With her current students, she loves seeing the look on their faces when they really begin to understand the concepts being taught. Generally speaking, realizing that you are important to the training of a future balanced individual is an extremely fulfilling thing. Her greatest test in instructing is competing with web-based media, as well as the web-based world itself, when it comes to making an impact.

It is difficult to rival a Tik-Tok video that has turned into a web sensation. Sullivan wished those interruptions and pseudo-powerhouses were less present. In her opinion, there is a sensitive line when it comes to permitting her students to communicate their thoughts and ideas in a deliberate manner. Every student has their own thoughts on what it means to put themselves and their ideas out into the world, and keeping the harmony between regard and self-articulation is not an easy task.

Consequently, Mrs. Sullivan energizes self-articulation through fine art. She personally encourages students to investigate all various spaces of craftsmanship prior to focusing on a particular one. She also recommends pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree rather than a Bachelor of the Arts. A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree will allow students to spend significant time in a particular field, gain experience, and furthermore, to be prepared for an advanced education later on.

As for her staying current to the day and age, Mrs. Sullivan notes that, “Every lesson in Art class has a cultural reference and every artwork is always up and personal, from the colors that students choose to the lines they create. Some assignments require students to write a small art statement about their choices in art elements, and there is so much you can learn from them when you read their statements.