BY KAYLA DEWEY
Being new to a community as tightly-knit as Mariemont can be difficult and stressful. Mariemont’s newest art teacher, Mrs. Hasselbeck, has stepped up to the challenge and started to adapt and enjoy the changes to her everyday routine.
“I enjoy the challenge of getting to know new people and places,” says Hasselbeck. “The most exciting thing about this school year is getting to know all the new students.”
Similar to most incoming freshmen, Hasselbeck agrees that the hardest struggle when she first moved to the district was navigating the school. “I was lost for the first week or two, and I had a boot on my foot since I fractured it during vacation over the summer. That made it hard getting up and down stairs as I travel between two different art rooms.”
Despite this initial struggle, Hasselbeck says that the staff and faculty have really helped her adjust to the new district. “Everyone has been super supportive and helpful!” says Hasselbeck.
Hasselbeck has been teaching art for three years at Princeton High School. This year, she will be teaching Intro to 2D Design I and II, Ceramics, Sculpture, Fiber Arts, and Advanced Fiber Arts.
Celia Caesar, a student in Hasselbeck’s Ceramics class, is excited that they are starting to work on plates because she is allowed to create and design it however she would like.
Abbey Falknor agrees with Celia, adding that Hasselbeck also walks around the room and adds helpful tidbits to help students.
Letting students design their own plates is just one example of how Hasselbeck utilizes creativity, a significant part of what Hasselbeck wants to teach in her classroom. The endless creativity is what excites her the most about art. “One thing I have definitely noticed that is different from Mariemont and Princeton is the creativity students here exhibit,” Says Hasselbeck. “They are more excited and take projects more seriously, too.”
Although Hasselbeck is new to the district, she can’t wait to see where this school year takes her. “I love to teach, and I’m so lucky to be able to get to know this many students,” says Hasselbeck. “I can’t wait to teach them new things about art that they may not have known before!”
Hasselbeck lives with her husband, who is also an artist, and their two children, Holly (2) and Brooklyn (4).