For Ms.Luttrell, becoming a teacher wasn’t always the plan, but looking back, she sees it as the perfect culmination of everything she’s worked for throughout college and graduate school.

“I feel really proud of myself and lucky to have ended up in this position,” she shares. “I’m proud of my degrees, but the confirmation that I can be here teaching art every day makes every struggle of the past few years worth it for me.”

Ms. Luttrell’s passion was sparked at a young age by her grandmother, who was an art teacher and a huge inspiration in her life.

“She was the best person I knew. There was no topping her legacy in my eyes, and I grew up wanting to become an artist that would make her proud,” she recalls.

Since she was five years old, her grandmother introduced her to the works of Picasso, Van Gogh, and all the other “greats”, shaping her artistic dreams. However, when her grandmother passed away during Ms.Luttrell’s senior year of high school, it was a devastating loss that left her feeling lost.

She pursued art history in college and graduate school, hoping to find her place in the museum field, but soon realized that working behind a desk wasn’t for her. “I started teaching art lessons at a local art studio in Maywood and realized how much I enjoy being around students and connecting with them,” she explains. Teaching brought her closer to her grandmother’s legacy, and she decided to pursue an alternate route to teaching certification.

After acing her Praxis exams and gaining experience as a freelance artist, she received the call for a teaching position at Emerson. “It changed my life,” she says. “I know I have big shoes to fill as the second art teacher to use the name Luttrell, but I’m so grateful to be an art teacher and hopefully will live up to the name.”

Outside of teaching, Ms. Luttrell leads an active and creative life. “I play volleyball in an adult recreation league, and I enjoy working out/being active. I usually spend my free time with family and friends, and also enjoy reading,” she says. Reading is another favorite pastime , and she is a big fan of Sarah J.Maas’s books. “I’m almost finished with her Throne of Glass series and I get very emotionally attached to fictional characters,” she admits. She’s also a huge Marvel fan, with a special love for Wanda Maximoff and Bucky Barnes.

She even took her love for storytelling a step further by writing and publishing a children’s book last year. “I wrote a children’s book last year and got it published through Kindle Direct Publishing. It’s on Amazon, and it’s called Smudge Learns to Paint!”

A goal she’s currently working on, she revealed her creative writing outside of school hours. “I’ve been writing a coming-of-age fiction novel for a year now in my free time that I’ve become increasingly proud of,” she says.

When it comes to traveling, London holds a special place in her heart. “I’ve always been drawn there for some reason,” she says. “I went two years ago to visit a friend and see Paramore in concert at the O2 Arena. It was amazing!” She also excitedly says, “I’ll be in Scotland this summer to visit a friend, so I’m looking forward to seeing Edinburgh and Glasgow as well.”

The best advice she’s ever received comes from Aristotle: “One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too does one day, or a short time, not make a man blessed and happy.” She first read this quote in a college philosophy course, and stuck with her. “In other words, Aristotle is telling you good things take time and how important it is to remember the bigger picture. Know your limits, but try not to let anyone else limit you.”

When I asked if she has any special talents or hobbies, Ms. Luttrell shared that she enjoys singing, though she doesn’t get to do it as often as she’d like. “I enjoy singing but don’t get to do it very often beyond belting a song or two in the car driving home from work,” she said. However she has mentioned that she may possibly be performing someday, “Maybe Cavopaloosa…”

She continues to learn and improve as a teacher by taking ceramic studio courses explaining, “I take ceramic studio courses at a studio in Demarest called the Art School at the Old Church.” She also learns from other artists, saying, “ I sell pottery with other artists and craftspersons over the summers at fairs, and try to network with those groups to learn from them.”

She is working toward her certification, sharing, “I have about a year left in completing education courses for my Alternate Route to Teaching Certification, so I’m really immersed in everything teaching and art!”

We are extremely grateful to have a teacher like Ms.Luttrell here at our school. She is so passionate about her job, and continues to love teaching the ins and outs of art itself.