Art has always captivated me in all its forms. In high school, I took every art class available — though I lacked confidence in my own abilities, that passion never left me. Rather than pursuing art as a career, I channeled my other deep calling: helping people. I earned my Associate degree from Rio Grande University and my Bachelor of Social Work from Ohio State, then spent my entire adult life working alongside people with special needs in a wide variety of settings and roles.

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No matter where I worked, I found ways to weave art into what we were doing — because I could see, firsthand, the profound impact it had on people's lives. In 2018, I began volunteering with Not Forgotten Home and Community Services, and by 2019 I had joined as an Art Teacher. When the COVID pandemic shut down our classes, I shifted my focus to teaching my own children at home for a year. I returned to Not Forgotten in 2021 and continued bringing art to my HAB clients.

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I began teaching at our current studio last fall, and I now serve as an official substitute — stepping back to part-time so I can be present for my family. Every artist I've worked with holds a special place in my heart, but watching certain students flourish at Studio Forget Me Not has been particularly moving. I'm honored to be part of that journey.

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Beyond the studio, I use my artistic skills to enrich the day program at Reach, where I work one or two days a week. I also collaborate weekly with Heather M., who is passionate about sharing her love of art with the broader community. Our most recent project brought us into an elementary school, where we co-taught 60 fifth graders a lesson on painting without brushes — and together, they created a collaborative work of art to celebrate their graduation.

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Art continues to astonish me. In all its forms, it has a quiet power to transform lives and strengthen communities.