Mrs. Grant has taught art at Ware Jr. Sr. High School since 1997. Prior to teaching in Ware, she completed her student teaching practicum at Amherst Regional Jr. Sr. High School, and taught high school art in Connecticut and in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She also directed a summer art program in Amherst and taught continuing education classes at a community college. “Of everything I have done, teaching high school art in Ware has been the most rewarding to me.”
When asked, “Why teach in Ware?” Mrs. Grant said it all began when she entered the old high school building (now our middle school) for a job interview. It was during August and several teachers were there readying their classrooms. In the hallway, two teachers met her and guided her to the main office. “It was a comfortable feeling being welcomed by such friendly people. I knew this is where I wanted to be. Since accepting this position, I have made many life-long friends here – it’s like a second family to me.” Now after teaching at the high school for nearly 23 years, Mrs. Grant said her students inspire her every day. “There are such talented students here! Many come to me with a passion for art and some realize their abilities when they are in my classes. I love watching each of them grow.” Mrs. Grant said she keeps in touch with former students who have gone on to become artists and art teachers. “It is rewarding to know I may have done for them what my teachers did for me.”
During her teaching career, Mrs. Grant served as Supervising Practitioner for many Art Education students from Smith College and the University of Massachusetts, and mentored several new teachers in the Ware school system. Additionally, she initiated the first Ware Chapter of the National Art Honor Society for her students, served as a representative on the WJSHS School Council since 2002, and served as a Department Chairperson since 2014.
Mrs. Grant has always had a strong passion for creating art; her late grandmother was an artist and she had several amazing art teachers who fostered her appreciation for art. “I was fortunate to have my grandmother, parents, and art teachers who encouraged me to make my own art and become involved in local art guilds. There was a vibrant art community when I was growing up in Rhode Island and my grandmother felt it was important for me to be amongst artists.” However, it was not until her first professor in college helped her realize she wanted to become a high school art teacher. “It was a pivotal moment in my life. That one conversation changed my path, and gave me a sense of purpose and direction. I am so thankful to her for supporting me; her guidance has inspired me to this day.”
Mrs. Grant graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art Education with a concentration in ceramics and art history. It was during her time living in Western Massachusetts in college that drew her to this area to settle and make this her permanent home.
When Mrs. Grant is not in school, she enjoys spending time with her husband and twin sons on their small family farm where they keep cattle, pigs, chickens, a horse, a dog, and a crazy cat. She and her husband renovated the circa 1780s home on their property in 2011. “My husband and I have an appreciation for historic homes, especially their character and sometimes the quirks that come along with living in one.” Mrs. Grant also spends her summers tending to her large vegetable and flower garden or visiting her family and favorite beaches in Rhode Island. “I am grateful each day for having such an incredibly rewarding career and life.”