As a teacher, I want my students to see my passion for design.
I encourage my students to look for design everywhere and find inspiration across all fields of design. In my courses I teach students to implement design thinking and a design process, while emphasizing technical and analytical skills. I am also a lifelong learner. I try to instill this in my students by reinforcing the idea that designers are forever learning, growing, and evolving; and that this continuous development does not end when their diploma is in hand.

I am committed to creating an inclusive learning community for my students. I feel that art and design are enriched by diverse populations, viewpoints, and approaches and this should be celebrated in the classroom to promote intellectual growth.

In the classroom I strive to create a space where all students feel safe to learn, try and fail, and ultimately grow. Design is about taking risks and learning to do so in a safe environment, and this will help students develop their own personal style.

Design is an iterative process and because of this I believe in giving students an opportunity to update their designs, which leads to more polished final work. Checking in often and brainstorming among their peers mimics the standard collaborative practice inside many design studios. By nurturing those conversations inside a classroom, students feel more willing to take risks and learn from one another.

When it comes to being a great designer for your clients, a key component to success is to learn to listen. Listen to what your client is asking for, even if they are not always talking. This is something I bring into the classroom, teaching students to listen to a design problem, and to ask all the right questions to get the information they need to design the best solutions.

I believe students should present each project to the class and embrace teacher and peer feedback. This develops a comfort for talking about their work and giving and receiving feedback. This builds confidence so students will be prepared to stand in corporate offices and present their designs to CMOs with the ability to take feedback and engage in conversations with clients to determine design direction and necessary revisions.

I have benefited from networking while in school, therefore I encourage students to establish mentors, participate in industry events, and grow their network as early in their education as possible to help foster their journey in becoming a design professional.

Ultimately, my goal is to instill the knowledge, tools, and confidence my students will need to navigate professional opportunities in the future as a successful designer.