MAT ALUMNI PROFILES
Maxine Tu
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2018
BA, Scripps College
Visual Arts Educator, Bear Creek School, Redmond, WA
Weeks before graduating, Maxine was humbled to accept an offer to teach third to eighth grade Visual Arts at the Bear Creek School. She is thankful to be equipped by the MAT program with diverse student teaching experiences, strong curriculum design skills, and the ability to articulate her pedagogical practice and teaching philosophy. Maxine is most passionate about fostering a challenging and experimental classroom, where elements of art become building blocks to creating innovative works of art. She believes that art-making can be a discipline that interacts with our humanness in a holistic manner as it flows from the heart, touches the eyes that survey the world, and stimulates the mind with which we understand the workings of it all. It is Maxine's firm belief that Art is transformative - and this much is worth sharing!
Megan Tresca
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2018
BFA, Painting, Rhode Island School of Design
MFA Candidate Connecticut University
After two years of teaching, Megan was reluctant to leave her position at the Winchendon School an independent boarding school in Massachusetts where she taught a number of studio areas including painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography. However, the offer of a fellowship that would enable her to develop her artistic practice was an offer she could not turn down. Megan believes there is no "right" way to create art; it is simply about authentically expressing oneself. Her goal as a visual arts educator was to encourage her students to experiment, push boundaries, and always be open to investigating new ideas and processes while staying true to themselves.
Shoshana Spencer
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2017
BFA, School of the Museum of Fine Arts
Middle & Upper Digital Arts Teacher, York Prep, New York City
After graduating with her MAT in 2017, she moved to New York City and first taught elementary art in the South Bronx for one year. A mixed-media fine artist and graphic designer by training, she sees teaching as a bridge between her art practice and instruction. She enjoys working in a variety of medium — digital and traditional — and endeavors to bring a spirit of experimentation, play, and curiosity into her art room..
Mackenzie Bonney
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2015
BFA, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Founding Art Teacher, 360 High School, Providence, RI
360 High School is an innovative public high school established on Carnegie Principles. Mackenzie believes that: "Art and Design are powerful tools that can be used to foster deeper understandings or gain new perspectives of our world. Mackenzie is passionate about providing students with prompts that allow them to inquire within themselves and the community, as well as the confidence in technical skills that encourages them to take risks. Mackenzie an artist eager to investigate and discover and to develop the kind of exchange between teacher and student that feeds an evolving curriculum as they learn from one another. Mackenzie is committed to instruction that incorporates contemporary ideas and issues so that students can begin to develop a sense of autonomy and connection to their learning that is not always present in most K-12 education today.
Michelle Cho
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2015
BFA, Painting, Rhode Island School of Design
Art Teacher, Brentwood School, Los Angeles, CA
Michelle accepted a teaching position at Brentwood School after working for a time as a visitor services associate at the Broad Museum in LA. Michelle shares that "as an artist-educator with experience and a commitment to community engagement, I plan to introduce my students to concepts of audience, empathy, and context. I want to empower young scholars to be active members in their communities, through continuous investigation of self and connecting with others – all possible through art and design. I am excited to grow alongside my students, to collaboratively take ownership of art as research and art as action".
Nick Prado
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2014
BFA, Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Art & Design Educator, Ivy Collegiate Academy, Taichung, Taiwan
In order to heighten student worldliness, lessons Nick's Advanced Placement Studio, 2:D Design, and 3-D Design courses are often inspired by artwork discovered throughout his travels across Asia. Prior to enrolling in RISD's MAT program, he taught a graphic novel course at an extended day program and English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Korea. As his international career continues, Nick maintains a studio practice in illustration inspired by his travels and passion to integrate art, literature, and culture.
Jeffrey D. Seaberg
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2010
BFA, State University of New York (SUNY), New Paltz
Visual Arts Educator, Hong Kong International School
Jeff's career path has enabled him to follow his dream to teach internationally. Jeff is especially interested in incorporating 21st-century technologies into his teaching. Prior to his move to Hong Kong, Jeff taught at TASIS the American School in England, London where he was responsible for teaching a variety of courses including Drawing, Painting, Photography, and International Baccalaureate Visual Arts. Jeff's first teaching position on graduation from the MAT program was an elementary school art teacher in South Carolina.
Brian Hutcheson
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2007
Director of Arts, Parish Episcopal School, Houston, TX
Brian is an artist/designer/educator who prior to his current position resided in Tacoma, Washington where he was Director of Fine & Performing Arts at Eastside Preparatory School. He teaching drawing, mixed media, and other creative topics. In his own creative practice, Brian works in a variety of media from painting and printmaking, to paper-craft and interactive installations. He established the Martlett Press while teaching at the Charles Wright Academy. On graduating from RISD with his MAT, Brian was hired by leading K-12 art curriculum publisher Davis Publications as its digital media consultant.
Sarabeth Berk
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD
BFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Founding Director, Futurebound
Dr. Sarabeth Berk is Founding Director of Futurebound, a not-for-profit think tank that brings together leaders to fuel innovation in chid development. Since graduating from RISD with her MAT, Sarabeth has been teaching art, building community connections, and shaping education through design practices. First, Sarabeth taught environmental art at the Island School in the Bahamas, a semester abroad program for high school students. Then, she managed children’s workshops and an outreach program at the nationally-renowned artist residency, Anderson Ranch Arts Center. After Anderson Ranch, Sarabeth became an upper school art teacher at Francis Parker School in San Diego and from there to manage a $4M Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant for Denver Public Schools. Dr. Berk completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies & Instruction at the University of Denver.
Aaron Chang
Master of Arts in Teaching, RISD 2004
BFA, Furniture Design, Rhode Island School of Design
Assistant Principal, Buena Park High School, La Miranda, CA
Aaron moved to his current position after posts as co-principal at Longdean Elementary and Temple Ciy High School in Temple City, California.In his position as a school administrator, it is Aaron's goal to use his leadership position to advocate for art & design as an essential component of K-12 students’ education. Prior to his administrative positions in Temple City, Aaron held teaching positions in other California Schools. In addition to his RISD MAT, Aaron earned an M.Ed in Educational Administration from Concordia University in Irvine, California.