Dr. Aspensen’s Story
Dr. Aspensen has a BFA in Drawing from Mississippi State University, a MA from Montana State University in Native American Studies, a PhD from Montana State University in American Studies (Contemporary American Indian Art), and a teaching license in the state of Montana. In addition to working as a practicing visual artist, she taught art full-time in grades 9-12 in Baltimore City Public Schools in Baltimore, Maryland for five years from 2006-2011, as an adjunct instructor at Montana State University in the Native American Studies Department teaching graduate students from 2009-2015, and has taught middle school and high school art in Montana since 2016. She owned and operated BozeArts after school art and summer camp in Bozeman from 2013 to 2016. Prior to all of that, she taught art as a volunteer and served as an art mentor in the Bozeman area for many years before earning her PreK-12 Art teacher certification. Ceilon was awarded the College of Letters and Sciences Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for her outstanding teaching in May 2006. She continues to enjoy teaching art to high school students in grades 9-12 at Laurel High School, where she has taught since August 2020. She recently completed her PhD in American Studies, but has no intention of leaving the public school system. She loves teaching high school, and also loves teaching in Laurel.
The previous paragraph outlines what qualifies me as a teacher, but I live by the adage “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I LOVE teaching. I love kids. I love art. It is the joy of my life to help students learn how tap into their own creativity and help them achieve their personal, academic and artistic best.
Because I teach teenagers, I also live by the following credo: “Every day is a new day with Dr. Aspensen.” We all make mistakes, and in my classroom we all get do-overs. There is no mistake in the classroom that is so big that it can’t be overcome. I do my best to help students realize and remember that no one is a failure if they keep trying.
It is my pleasure and joy to teach your children. I’m here for you. My contact information is in the syllabus. I hope to hear from you and see you this school year. ?