Chapel Hill High School has hired a familiar face to teach students the art of ceramics.
A 2016 Tiger graduate, Aliyah McAllister, in February, returned to Chapel Hill High School, where she “fell in love with art and music.”
McAllister replaces Michelle Fairholm, who was hired last August, but McAllister said it was her tutelage under former ceramics teacher Kristen Morgan that inspired her to study art after graduating from Chapel Hill High School.
“Kristen Morgan pushed me to pursue art in college, which made me make sure I kept art in my life,” McAllister said.
McAllister earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education with a focus in sculpture and ceramics from UNC-Greensboro in May 2021.
McAllister said her experience at Chapel Hill High School as a student of color in a largely white school also steered her into the field of education.
As a student, she said she was subjected to “pressure, implicit biases, and racism. I knew I wanted to change the system in whatever way I could.”
Ceramics, she believes, can help students calm their minds while expressing themselves and tapping into their creativity.
“I want my students to realize who they are as independent artists. When working with clay on a wheel, you must concentrate, be patient, employ strength, breathe deeply and move slowly,” she said.
Senior Ashley Suarez Rivas, who is enrolled in Ceramics II, said that she appreciates the way McAllister differentiates instruction.
“She’s very open to the ideas we want to do; based on the different levels the students are at, she’s accommodating but at the same time challenging,” Suarez Rivas said.
Senior Jadyn Malawski said that McAllister has brought a welcome change to her ceramics class.
“I like that we have a new teacher. It’s interesting to hear the different techniques all of our teachers have while working with clay,” Malawski said.
With only a few more weeks remaining in the school year, McAllister said she “plans to continue to learn and grow as a teacher and artist!”
