If you’ve seen a “new student” walking around the art wing always wearing an apron and having clay on her hands, you have probably been seeing Ms. Campbell. Ms. Frazer Campbell is a new addition to the faculty in our art department as of this year, and she teaches ceramics and art. 

Although being a younger teacher at Saint Stephen’s has caused her to be mistaken as a student a few times, her age and youthful personality has really benefited her teaching style, making her classes easy to understand and stress free.

Ms. Campbell went to school at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, and believe it or not her intended major wasn’t art. She first set out to earn a degree in Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt’s version of business, and she minored in art while she was there.

“I am glad I majored in HOD,” Campbell said, “and feel I gained a lot from it, but if I could do it all over I would have done a double major with art instead of just a minor.”

Ms Campbell added that she didn’t realize, at first, how much art meant to her.

 “I think I underestimated how strong my passion for art actually was while in college.”

After she found her inner passion for art, she has also found a passion for teaching the subject as well. 

“It’s really exciting for me to get to share my passion with others and hopefully inspire them. I also really enjoy the relational aspect of teaching. Getting to build meaningful relationships with students is something that brings me a lot of joy, and inspires me to keep teaching!”

Although Ms. Campbell is not “the new student” everyone thought she was, she did only graduate high school six years ago.  So the proximity of her age to that of her students has proved helpful.

She believes that her youth has worked to her advantage when it comes to making these relationships with students. 

“Some of the memories of what highschool life was like are fresher in my mind which impacts how I interact with students and the lens I view them through. High School is a time full of newness, excitement, loneliness, confusion, laughter, insecurities, anxiousness, and more complicated emotions.”

When you talk to any of Ms.Campbell’s students, it becomes clear that she truly uses her own experience from high school and her own interests to make her classes more fun. 

Junior Ali Ramsey who was just awarded for her improvement in the class added her thoughts about her latest assignment. 

“I really enjoyed actually using the ceramic cheese boards we made by having a charcuterie party in class,” Ramsey said.

Ms. Campbell also mentioned that outside of art and school, she loves to do things outdoors.

“I love going to the beach, backpacking, camping, and traveling. I see nature as a form of art itself so getting to spend time in it really inspires a sense of awe and gratitude in me.” 

Whether Ms. Campbell is taking her class to Yogurt Mountain, the beach, for a walk around campus, or throwing small classroom parties, it is obvious that she inspires them to be creative. She has helped her students realize that art is useful in the real world and it can be found everywhere.

If you haven’t yet earned your art credit, consider taking ceramics or art with Ms. Campbell. She’s sure to help you find your creativity, give you good advice, a stress free workspace, and for me; a really fun sixth period.