2019 FALL LYCOMING COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Jolene “Joey” (Hall) Sloter ’80 (biology major) Chair of the Board, Rocketship Charter Public Schools, Washington, D.C. “Several years ago, Stan [Sloter ’80] and I decided that our philanthropic efforts would focus on education in low-income communities. We believe education is key to the success we have achieved. Unfortunately, schools in low- income urban communities have been failing minority students for generations. We decided that working to expand the number of high-quality schools in low-income areas of D.C. would have the greatest impact. While volunteering for Teach For America in D.C., I learned about Rocketship Public Charter Schools. I arranged a tour and came away impressed by their belief in the potential of ALL children and their partnership with families and communities, as well as their ability to innovate and personalize learning for individual students. Our mission is ‘to catalyze transformative change in low-income communities through a scalable and sustainable public school model that propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community’ with a vision to ‘eliminate the achievement gap in our lifetime.’” Michael Bell ’94 (art major) Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts, World Languages, and Media, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools; Founder of ArtQuest and ArtScene “I recently made the jump from a storied career teaching art over the past 23 years to becoming a supervisor. I enjoy championing teachers across all my vast and unique content areas to strive for the levels of success I was fortunate to have achieved while teaching. I founded ArtQuest in my third year of teaching. I created the show so students had a greater motivation for wanting to take art, as well as excel in art. It grew into one of the largest shows in the state. I recently took my blueprint for that show, shared it with my new dynamic cadre of art teachers, and ArtScene was born. This became not one, but two professionally juried art exhibitions held at both high schools in my new district. ArtScene includes all elementary and middle feeder schools K-12, National Art Honor Society induction ceremonies, art awards and scholarship presentations, live painting and wheel-throwing demos, and fun for every family! I plan to help those shows grow to become two of the largest, not just in the state, but in the nation. Lycoming, for me, was more about the relationships I formed than any one thing I learned. I owe a lot to professors like Rog’ for seeing something special in me and helping me become who I am today. It prepared me to want to pay it forward and to empower everyone I work with. As an artist in education, I always tried to catch kids before they fell, and help them to fearlessly tell their stories in their own unmistakable voice. As a supervisor, I’m inspiring my teachers to do the same. Be that beacon of light. Be pioneers. Be authentic champions.” (L to R) Converge Gallery owner John Yogodzinski, Michael Bell, and mentor and art professor emeritus Roger Shipley at Bell’s art exhibition Joey Sloter (center right) at the Rocketship Legacy Prep ribbon cutting in 2018 with board members, staff, parents, students, and special guests including Andre Agassi 17 www.lycoming.edu