I am lucky to say I am able to be the same person in all aspects of my life. I may have to be more professional in certain spaces, but I am sure of who I am and how that carries over to each space. Do I sometimes take work home with me? Absolutely, but I do my best to separate my job from my personal life.

Being a teacher, especially in the fine arts, has allowed me to learn what it means to be steady in both high-stress situations and everyday happenings. You never know what a student may say or do in the classroom; some of these things can be a trigger. Yet understanding that sometimes they don’t know any better has been my key to being grounded in these situations. I honestly think being a teacher has helped me better understand who I am in my personal life. It has prepared me for things I would’ve never thought I would experience.