Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

My name is Deniz Yazar. I’m a graduate from the School of Visual Arts (BFA Cartooning program) I love reading comics and watching cartoons, most my my early inspirations for my art came from the wacky and zany styles of artist like John Kricfalusi, Hannah Barbara, and Osamu Tezuka to name a few.

What attracted you to work at One River School?

Before One River, I was working a retail job, and I was searching for something more meaningful to do with my life. I stumbled upon One River on Indeed where they listed a position for Teachers Assistant. I shot over my application for any open positions they had, had my phone call interview with the staff, and to my surprise they took me on as a full one instructor for classes and camps.

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

Teaching at One River has been one of the most, if not the most, rewarding job I’ve ever held in my life so far. It’s such an active experience getting to work with students of varying ages and skills. It keeps me moving and keeps me challenged with how to approach certain topics and projects to find out how to best support certain students.

What has been your favorite project to teach and why?

My favorite project to teach was not actually in a class but one of our summer camp programs, and it was cosplay creations. That camp was such a fun loving group of students and an incredibly engaging project. I personally love working with my hands and getting the chance to be tactile with my work, so getting to teach kids the foundational steps on cutting and gluing cardboard to create a full costume was so awesome to witness and be a part of.

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

Not a specific moment to say, but after I teach my Thursday TAS+ class, I always go across to our digital labs where an old friend of mine from college teaches a digital manga class. Some of the students there were in some previous camps I taught, so I always go in and say hello to all of them and check out their work. It’s always so fun and sweet to see the warmth and comradery of these groups, and being able to walk through different classes receiving warm greetings from everyone.

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

Outside of One River and my art, I’m an avid outdoorsman. I volunteer for my old Boy Scouts troop as an assistant scoutmaster, and I love to go hiking, camping, fishing, and a whole myriad of outdoor activities. The wilderness is like my second home, and it’s also a major theme for the artwork I create. 

I’m actually going back to school this summer for my Master in Educational Psychology with Cert. in Special Education training.

Working here at One River has helped me realize that my true calling is working alongside kids and helping them learn and grow on their journey through life.