My name is Janine Olshefski and I am a future educator, artist and dog lover. When I was younger, people would always ask what I wanted to be when I grew up. As someone who had been drawing since I could hold a pencil, I would enthusiastically answer “I want to be an artist!” However, as I got older, I have been faced with determining what that will actually look like. Most of the time I would simply tell those who asked that I want to be a freelance independent artist, but deep inside I knew that would not fully satisfy me in life. It wasn't until the summer of 2023 when I discovered my love for teaching art to a younger generation. That summer, an encounter with a camper finally helped me to understand what being an artist truly is for me. Dylan, who was known to be quite the trouble maker, was moved to my group. Everyone warned me about him and my camp director told me to send him down to the office if he was interrupting the class. Even though I already had a preconceived notion of Dylan, I chose not to let it get in the way of how I taught. I could clearly tell that there was something going on in his personal life due to the way he acted, so I decided to take a different, calmer approach. During that week, I saw my younger self in him. I too had issues when I was at summer camps so I could empathize with him. When I heard him say “You are my favorite counselor because you are actually nice to me” that made me realize that my own experiences could provide a positive impact on others. This was the final piece to the puzzle of what being an artist and future educator would be for me. When I returned to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, I knew I wanted to pursue teaching in some manner in addition to my BFA in Drawing. I found a course titled “Community Based Internship” which I could take as an elective. I was placed one day each week in an after-school arts program at a local public school and it turned out be to one of my favorite courses. I was a teacher’s aide and created my own lesson plan. The students enjoyed it so much they asked to do it again the next week! I continued to work each summer as a counselor at art camps and my determination to teach art continues to grow. Many of my friends graduated in 2025 and they are struggling to find jobs in the art field. While I know that I still want to teach after I graduate in 2026, I also know I need to further my education to make that dream a reality. This summer I decided to take the leap and started looking into programs that offer a masters in art education with a teaching certification. I feel like this will provide me with the training and structure required to be successful in whatever teaching role I pursue. I have always considered myself to have an empathetic soul which I believe will be a benefit in pursuing a teaching career. I often put the feelings of others before my own because I know what it is like to feel anxious, sad and/or scared because I struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder. Although there are many different types of OCD, it is generally described as overthinking which leads to certain compulsions to soothe the brain, like checking locks over and over or constantly ruminating. While it is extremely draining for me, my experiences have helped me to understand others better and I have a sense of compassion that the world has been lacking for quite some time. More than ever the world needs compassionate teachers. Being a kid is tough nowadays. I have seen this firsthand as a camp counselor when the campers are so stressed because they believe their artwork is not good enough. It absolutely breaks my heart because I have been there myself and honestly still sometimes lack self-confidence even in my 20’s. Becoming an educator will allow me to slow down this cycle and make sure no student feels unworthy. (To see my work check out my Instagram! thatcraftybean.)

I was unsure of my career path when I started at Pratt Institute of Art, but after three summers working at an art camp and completing an internship in the afternoon arts program at a Brooklyn public school, I now know that I thoroughly enjoy teaching elementary school-age children. Teaching young artists allows me to share my passion. I love to see the excitement when they create a piece that they are proud to show off, or work with a medium they have never used before. Art has always been my own form of personal therapy, although when I was younger, I did not understand it that way. I just knew that when I was drawing, painting or creating, I felt calmer. I have dyslexia and OCD, so when I had a hard time with anything, whether it was a school project, an emotional situation or anxiety, using my “words” in the form of art helped me through. Art has helped boost my self-confidence, so I know that art can help young children in so many ways. One summer, a camper was moved to my group after causing too much trouble, so I decided to take a different, calmer approach. During that week, I saw my younger self in him. I too had issues when I was at summer camps so I could empathize with him. When I heard him say “You are my favorite counselor because you are actually nice to me.” That made me realize that my own experience could provide a positive impact on others. I graduate in 2026 and plan to pursue my Master of Art Education and teach art in the public school system. I know this means I will have to take additional courses which will require more tuition, but I am ready for it because teaching will bring me fulfillment. At camp I saw many children who reminded me of myself at that age … not too athletic, lacking confidence or feeling anxious. If having an artistic outlet during the school day can help them to bring some inner calm or a sense of accomplishment, that will be my reward. If I were to receive the WCEJ Thornton Scholarship, I would make it my goal to spread art to everyone no matter what struggles they have.

My mom always assumed she would get married and have children, but life doesn’t always work out the way you envision, so she took matters into her own hands and as a single mom, adopted me from Russia when I was 14 months old. She was not going to let anything stand in the way of making sure I had every opportunity to succeed, despite no one to help make crucial life decisions, acting as both mother and father, dispensing discipline but always there for a hug, and all done without a single day off. I remember her viewpoint that since I was adopted, there was no pre-conceived notion of what I could achieve. I was an open book and we tried everything! Turns out that academically I was average, I was not good at sports, but when it came to art, I flourished. She said that I knew my colors before I knew the alphabet. My mom has no artistic ability, something we laugh about often, but that did not stop her from figuring it out, helping me to pursue my passion and being my biggest cheerleader. I am now a rising senior at one of the top art schools in the country. However, this did not come without financial, medical and emotional struggles, but she made sure that I could focus on my goals in a safe, secure and loving environment. During my early years, we dealt with a job loss, then academic and emotional issues from anxiety, adhd and dyslexia, then 6 years of private schools for smaller class sizes so that I could thrive. In high school, my mental health took another turn and I was in therapy and treatment centers for many months. I was always worried about the cost, but mom assured me that it would be okay and that’s what insurance was for. She was going to get me the help I needed. As a sophomore in college, I discovered I have a chronic medical condition which is now manageable. Then I took a medical leave of absence during my junior year when I got an official diagnosis of OCD. Mom didn’t blink. She found a treatment center in another state, packed up her office and the dog and continued to work while I received therapy. Taking the semester off meant another full year, so I will graduate a year later than anticipated. With all of my medical issues, my mom always tells me how strong I am because most people my age do not have to deal with so much. But I think she is the strong one. She has had to figure this out on her own, not knowing if she is making the right decisions for me and our little family. I have complete trust in her decisions because she researches everything and has taught me that I am very capable. Some might find it hard to understand the bond that we have since she is not my birth mom, but I have never felt that way. She’s my mom period. I know about her sacrifices and I try to use her example of unconditional love to support others going through mental health issues and I have learned about deep empathy and compassion from her. I have often thought that I would adopt a child when I am able to and will use my mom’s strength and resilience as an example of how to be a parent. She’s the reason I keep striving to be successful as I pursue my art degree and teaching opportunities.

Name: Janine Olshefski Age: 21 School: Pratt Institute of Art (BFA) (emphasis in drawing) Art has always been my own form of personal therapy, although when I was younger, I did not understand it that way. I just knew that when I was drawing, painting or creating, I felt calmer. When I had a hard time with anything, whether it was a school project, an emotional situation or anxiety, using my “words” in the form of art helped me through. Art helped me with my academic work. When I struggled at school, I was better able to absorb and retain the information if I could draw while the teacher was talking. I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia in seventh grade which is why writing book reports or papers would cause great frustration and anxiety, but when I was allowed to submit part of the project in art form, I was able to express my knowledge of the content. Having an art component with any writing project made me more excited about the subject matter and improved my grades. I was willing to do the reading so that I could express my conclusions in art form in addition to the written words. Art helped with my self-confidence. I was never an athletic girl, although I tried many sports, and academics were difficult, but with art, I felt confident. I knew I was more skilled than the average student and had been since an early age. I received national recognition for a picture I drew when I was six years old. When I started to get noticed by my peers and teachers, I knew I had found my passion. Several teachers asked to keep my academic art projects to use as examples for their future classes. I also realized that drawing pet portrait commissions for friends and family provided me with some income. Art gave me a path forward to college. I graduated from high school during the pandemic, so visiting colleges was not possible. I finally had the academic grades to attend a liberal arts college, but I knew that listening to lectures and writing term papers for another four years was not for me, so I chose to go to an art college. Although liberal arts classes are still required, they are taught with an art focus and typically require an art component in addition to written content and I knew I could do that. I was not sure of my career path when I started college, but for the past two summers I worked as a counselor at an art camp and discovered that I enjoy teaching elementary school age children. Teaching young artists allows me to share my passion. I love to see the excitement when a camper creates a piece they are proud to show off or works with a medium they have never used before. Art education is what I was meant to do and higher education is required. I am planning to take my passion and what I have learned in art school and supplement it with teaching credentials. I know this means I will have to take additional courses which will require more tuition, but I am ready for it because teaching will bring me fulfillment. At camp I saw many children who remind me of myself at that age … not too athletic, lacking confidence or feeling anxious. If having an artistic outlet during the school day can help them to bring some inner calm or a sense of accomplishment, that will be my reward.