Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

My first introduction to art was watching Studio Ghibli movies with my family. My mom thought it was very important to keep my sister and I connected to our Japanese-American culture. I spent my childhood drawing my favorite Pokémon and characters from Cartoon Network or watching my mom work on her paintings. I loved to draw, but it wasn’t until I got to college that I realized I could have a career in digital art. 

I immediately fell in love with animation in digital art, and COVID was the perfect time to hone my skills. I first attended Pace University for Art before transferring to UMass Dartmouth CVPA where I majored in Animation + Game Arts. I got to learn 2D and 3D art and animation specialized for gaming, and I really found my niche in background and prop design.

What attracted you to work at One River School?

I have always thought about teaching, especially after developing close, professional relationships with my college professors and they encouraged me to look into teaching after graduating. One River had opened after I had graduated but I know I would’ve loved to have a place to take art classes and meet other kids interested in art. I think having a place for young artists to come together is so important and valuable to their artistic journey, and I am just happy to be a part of that.

How would you describe what it is like to teach here?

Working with young artists is always exciting, their creativity always surprises me! It can be hard work, but it’s always worth it to see a student succeed. However, I think my favorite part of teaching is our wonderful team in Westport. We have such a supportive and kind team of teachers and staff. It’s nice to know someone always has my back and that we all are working towards a common goal.

What has been your favorite project to teach and why?

My favorite project to teach is the “Learn to Use Blender: Tiny Islands” camp. I really enjoy 3D and I don’t get the chance to teach it during the school year so it’s a real treat for over the summer!

Is there a special One River moment that stands out for you?

The end of week art shows are always my favorite! Getting to see my students show off their hard work to loved ones always warms my heart. Some camps can be a lot of new information for students so to see them excel and feel pride in their work is the cherry on top for me.

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

Outside of One River I enjoy spending time with my cats, going outside and hiking, eating sushi, working on my next cosplay, or most often I am found playing video games!