Art: Celeste Pierson
Robert College is once again welcoming returning art teacher Celeste Pierson, who is incredibly glad to be back at RC. This marks her third time teaching at our school, and as the saying goes, the third time's the charm!
Originally from New Jersey, Mrs. Pierson was born into a very artistic family, with both of her parents as well as her sister being artists. During her childhood, she says she had a rebellious period in which she decided not to pursue the arts, wanting to be different from the rest of her family. Ironically, however, she later discovered art on her own terms and found her passion for it after all.
Mrs. Pierson knew from a very early age that she wanted to be a teacher, though she didn't know the field that she wanted to pursue. In fact, it wasn't until college that she discovered her true passion for art, despite the childhood rebellion. She has been pursuing it ever since, inspiring many students along the way.
The story of how Mrs. Pierson eventually came to teach at RC is quite interesting. Back when she was living in Miami, Florida, she already knew Mr. Downs and Mr. Rowlings from grading AP Art portfolios. She was surprised to find out that they both taught in a school in Türkiye and was drawn to what made this school so special. A few years later, she received an email from Mr. Downs saying there was an open position at RC. Mrs. Pierson then applied for the position and came to RC for the first time in 2012.
When she came to Türkiye for the very first time, she faced a completely different culture and language. Mrs. Pierson says she hadn't even heard any Turkish being spoken before she came to Türkiye, so it was tough for her at the beginning as she adjusted to a new way of life in a completely different country. "Despite all the struggles," Ms. Pierson says, "it was a wonderful experience that truly expanded my awareness."
Before she came to RC, she was a college professor and taught at a Miami high school called "New World School of the Arts." Since the school specialized in the arts, her students had the background that she could really build on. Naturally, there had to be a change in her expectations of students once she came to RC. Despite not having the background, she noticed that students in RC picked up skills quite readily. As a result, she says she tries to offer a challenging art curriculum while trying not to overwhelm the students since she knows that for many of them, art isn't the main focus.
Besides art, Mrs. Pierson is interested in Tai-chi, a traditional Chinese martial art. In her past years at RC, she used to teach it to people on the campus during the weekends. Hopefully, she plans to pursue this passion once again on her return.
Overall, Ms Pierson is happy to be back in Turkey and in RC. There is no doubt that her loving students will give her the warmest of welcomes once again!
