A long-term substitute last year but now making Oakland Mills her permanent home, Ms. De Leon is the newest art teacher this year!

Ms. De Leon grew up in Maryland and attended Howard High School, so she’s not new to the area. She went to Howard Community College for two years to get her associate’s degree, then later attended Towson University to finish her bachelor’s. Originally, Ms. De Leon wanted to be a professional artist, so she got a degree in painting. However, a friend at Towson convinced her to start teaching and she found her passion. “While I was at Towson I had a friend who was in the teaching program and she was the one who really convinced me to try this out and I fell in love with it,” she stated. 

Ms. De Leon first discovered her interest in art because of her high school art teacher. She said, “…in high school, my art teacher was the most influential person in my life… It wasn’t until high school that I saw myself as someone who could do that professionally.” Her teacher was a great inspiration to her artistically and personally, and I believe that she strives to give that same feeling to her students. 

Her favorite part about Oakland Mills so far is the staff and students she meets. She says the staff are all nice and make her feel very welcome here. “Being new, everyone has been very welcoming,” she said. It’s not always easy for someone to create art, but watching her students overcome their obstacles in the creative process, and having a final product that they are proud of is very rewarding for her. Ms. De Leon recognizes that art can be challenging for some, so she loves it when she gets to see her students excited about something they create themselves.

Outside of school, Ms. De Leon spends her time meditating and practicing yoga. She also loves going to concerts, the most recent one she attended being Pierce The Veil. Ms. De Leon enjoys going to rock concerts because it allows her to experience the music in a different environment.  “Concerts are like a different experience than listening to it normally,” she states. 

A hard worker, Ms. De Leon tries always to put her best effort forward and devote 100% to her work. Valuing her students highly, she wants the best for her students and hopes they know they can come to her if they need support. Ms. De Leon is a passionate, inspiring, and caring individual and we are happy she’s a part of our community this year.