Megan Persinger, Instructor, North Carolina School of the Arts University

“Her consistent professionalism, her ability to treat all students with equal respect, her dedication to students in and outside of the classroom, her dedication to developing rigorous and relevant coursework, her high level of expectations – all of these frame who she is as a teacher.” Chris Shannon, former graduate student.(our fight instructor) asked me to introduce the students to the Archetypes work as a means of finding new layers to their characters and scenes. It was wonderfully inspiring for them and for me. I’m always inspired by (but never surprised by) the freedom, sense of play, and hunger that my students bring to each project. They dove headfirst into the “mini-journeys” that we worked through. They found many images and new perspectives to work with, and new experiences to enrich their characters, scenes, and selves. The Huntress was an especially joyous experience. By the time we got to the Huntress’ journey, it was dark out, but it felt unjust to experience her journey indoors when we had a grassy space just outside our door. We went outside and howled at the moon, smelled the night air, and probably woke up the neighborhood. We each had a small moment of grieving as we trooped back inside afterwards. I thought of you, and how much you’ve inspired me and supported me through the years. I hope this makes you smile, because it certainly made me smile. It was one of the most joyous experiences I’ve had here (which is saying a lot, considering how much I love it here!).

Thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the years; your wisdom, love, and support have made a huge difference in my life. Megan Persinger, Instructor, North Carolina School of the Arts University