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Miranda Kent

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Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Art
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Ceramics And Pottery
  • Learning
  • Drawing And Illustration
  • Taekwondo
  • Martial Arts
  • Painting and Studio Art
  • Teaching
  • Art History
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Self Care
  • Sculpture
  • Volunteering
  • Comedy
  • Reading

Reading

  • Art
  • Contemporary
  • Crafts
  • Cookbooks
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Self-Help

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

My name is Miranda Kent and I am a 2020 graduate from SUNY New Paltz. After receiving my Bachelor's Degree and NYS Teaching Certification, I immediately started teaching during the unprecedented 2020 - 2021 school year. At my current low-income district, I teach Pottery, Advanced Pottery, Sculpture, and Studio Art at the High School level. My passion resides in providing my students with inclusive, modern art education practices, topics, and art history and diversity in being the only openly Non-binary and Queer teacher in my district. In addition to this, I started going by my true name and pronouns this school year (i.e. Mx. Kent and they/them pronouns) which has been scary but extremely meaningful and inspiring to my fellow LGBTQ+ students. I cherish being an adult in my students lives that sees value in them, no matter their background or skill sets, as that is a strong pillar of my teaching philosophy. In my free time I create and sell a lot of the artwork I make to earn extra money and for therapeutic, fun purposes. I like to make everything from paintings and drawings to jewelry to pottery and beyond. Since this does not bring in a consistent stream of money however, financial assistance will be necessary for me to afford getting my Master's Degree this year. I'm hoping to find some financial support so I can afford the MSEd in Visual Arts Education Master's program I've been accepted to at SUNY New Paltz!

Education

State University of New York at New Paltz

Master's degree program

2022 – 2023

Majors:
  • Visual and Performing Arts, Other
GPA3.9 GPA

State University of New York at New Paltz

Bachelor's degree program

2016 – 2020

Majors:
  • Fine and Studio Arts
  • Education, Other
Minors:
  • Psychology, General
GPA3.8 GPA

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Boston University, State University of New York at New Paltz
Majors of interest:
Fine and Studio Arts, Education, Other, Educational Administration and Supervision, Special Education and Teaching
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Club President

    Arts · Art Education Student Association at SUNY New Paltz

    Jan 2018 – Jan 2021

  • Barista

    Food & Beverages · Starbucks

    Jan 2016 – Jan 2022

  • Camp Pottery Specialist

    Childcare · Boys & Girls Club of Schenectady

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2021

  • Art Teacher

    Education · Glens Falls City School District

    Jan 2021 – Present

  • Camp Counselor

    Childcare · TSL Adventures

    Jan 2019 – Jan 2020

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Arts
Dream career goals:
Continuing to further my Art/Art Education career as an inclusive art educator and practicing artist online while I teach full time.
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Bold Be You Scholarship
"Be so completely yourself that everyone else feels safe to be themselves too." - Unknown When I think about how I try to stay true to my most authentic self in my daily life, I always think of this quote. Despite not being a very liked person growing up, I've learned the best way to live my truth is to be my full self even when it is not always received well. Although I understand that lesson now, it was not always like this. In the past, I felt bogged down by others' expectations and opinions of me. The society of today puts heavy pressure on young people to fit a specific mold or construct that is typically very limiting. With the weight of handling a specific, falsely positive presence on social media and in person, growing up and finding my place in the world felt almost too difficult to do. Through the many phases I went through on the tough decade long journey to really knowing who I am, I got very mixed reviews from those around me. It took me until my final year of High School to actually begin to understand that I do have worth, even if I'm treated by others like I don't. Flash forward to today - I'm a full time High School Art Teacher that is openly non-binary and queer. Despite my hiring fears relating to being openly who I am, I fought against my past instinct to fold to someone else's will. Now that I'm actually living my truth, I know I've been able to help countless students of mine work towards finding themselves too. Being able to help my students stay true to themselves just by being who I am is truly one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life!
Bold Empathy Scholarship
Empathy is arguably the lifeblood of the human experience. The constant routine of mundane life provides an internal struggle sometimes that can be hard to break. But even with these challenges, dismantling this cycle and prioritizing others above ourselves is truly the formula to shaping a more peaceful and loving world. Ever since I was little, I've always been interested in the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others. This fascination with appreciating all the little things that make us different and how one good deed at a time can create larger change has been a constant mantra in my life. Although I experienced significant, sometimes violent bullying through my upbringing, I never lost sight of my belief in others. It was a hard lesson to keep consistent in my mind when I felt like no one else felt empathy for me the way I did for them, but it was necessary for my well being and development. Today, I am an art educator, artist, and lover of psychology and all things personal to those around me. My empathetic soul has led me through some of the best experiences and people I've had the pleasure of knowing and for that I am eternally grateful. Without my constant pool of feelings for those around me, who knows where life would've taken me. Even at my lowest points mentally, my love and hope for other people in the world kept me sane and convinced that being alive is probably better than the alternative. Connecting with others through conversation, sharing of emotions and experiences, and commonalities we all share is genuinely my favorite thing in life. Transcending past social barriers and realizing we're all people that deserve love, appreciation, and support is necessary for true happiness. And in that sense, I am truly happy.
Bold Hobbies Scholarship
As an artist, I've picked up many hobbies over the years. Although many of these relate back to art and creation, they all have provided me with different products, outcomes, and growth. When I was little I knew I always wanted to be an artist and an art teacher, but didn't know what types of art materials I liked. Throughout my childhood, I absolutely loved drawing and coloring. The joy coloring within the lines and creating ombre effects with colored pencils gave me was almost addicting. This eventually manifested into me creating my own characters and even selling some of my drawings for fancy pencils and other materials (until the school found out that is). Traversing through Middle and High School proved to be very challenging for me, so art was genuinely there for me when nothing else seemed to be. I stayed in at least 1-2 art classes throughout my upper levels of grade school and strengthened my observational drawing, painting, photography, and creative problem solving skills. Once I got to college, my entire art career and preferred hobbies drastically changed. Just like my dad, I'm an art educator that in general preferred working with 2D mediums. Through my dad's advice, I took my first Ceramics class after learning his first job was teaching with clay despite having zero experience with it. By the end of that first semester, I had an artistic epiphany where I felt like I finally found my calling as an artist. Flash forward to today, I have been working with clay and other 3D mediums including jewelry-making and metalsmithing for over 4 years and have never looked back. As a current Ceramics teacher, I can't put into words how thankful I am for my art journey - without it who knows where I'd be!
Miranda Kent Student Profile | Bold.org