Twelve years ago I came to ACC to teach because I believed that I had a lot of valuable industry experience to share with students. I have since learned that sharing my knowledge with my students is only a small part of the wonderful experiences you encounter as a teacher. Teaching in the Visual Communication Dept at ACC has allowed me to grow as an artist, a person, and at the same time become a seasoned professor.

Teaching has forced me to become a better artist. For an accomplished artist or designer, the process of design comes very natural to us. It is quite different to demonstrate and explain it in a manner that will be understood and to give a convincing lecture in all areas of art. It is necessary that students understand the relationship between each principle, step and sequence of a design. Guiding them through this process and at the same time developing their problem-solving skills and building their self-confidence is an art in itself. Making them realize that only through the thorough completion and understanding of each design step will their designs and skills ever reach a professional level. This will allow them to compete in the visual design industry.

I feel my success is multiplied by the students who have come through my classroom. There is a special pride that my students' success brings and a special feeling of accomplishment that only a teacher will ever know. Knowing that I played a part in shaping the success of a future artist is a great feeling of accomplishment.

As technology continues to change, we as artists will continue to be challenged not only to stay current, but also to be innovative in how we implement technology into our art. As teachers, the bar is held even higher. We must stay ahead of the changing landscape because we must educate our students to compete in the future market.

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