Stephanie Prewitt

Digital Arts & Design Teacher
Head Coach Volleyball Team
Independence High School

“My name is Stephanie Prewitt. I spent six memorable years on the beautiful UTM campus. I attended UT-Martin from 1999-2003 on a full volleyball and academic scholarship. During my time as an undergraduate, I spent hours working in the studio and design lab with seasoned professors experimenting with various mediums and learning software. ¬After four memorable and informative years in the Fine Arts program, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA and an emphasis in Graphic Design. I ended my four-year athletic career with a team that earned two conference championships and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

After graduation, I enrolled in the Master’s Degree program at UT-Martin. I spent two years working toward a teaching license. I was hired to teach both Digital Arts and Visual Arts classes and serve as Head Coach of the volleyball team at Independence High School in the Williamson County School system. I am in my 13th year of teaching at Independence. Throughout my teaching and coaching career, I have guided players to be AAA Volleyball State Champions and students through SkillsUSA State Championships, Scholastic Art Awards, and high scores on AP Art Portfolios. I also teach a Dual Enrollment course through MTSU so my students can receive additional college credit.

UT-Martin laid the foundation for the successes I have found in my life, allowing me to provide the same opportunities for greatness to my own students. I will be forever grateful for the relationships I had with my professors and the lifelong friendships, memories and connections I made as a student. UT-Martin prepared me to be a great teacher, artist, coach, leader and mentor, but most importantly, a lifelong learner.”

Victoria Falcon

Ceramic Studio Intern/Teaching Artist
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Art
Instructor at Shadyside Boys & Girls Club

"I began my academic career at UT Martin as a transfer student planning on majoring in business and an art minor. I left UT Martin having earned both a BFA and a BSBA, having been accepted into a top 25 school in the south for graduate school and having a job starting two days after graduation.

While finishing my art minor I met with my professor at the time, David McBeth, Dr. Carol Eckert and the head of the VTA department, Doug Cook. Each of these individuals encouraged me to continue to pursue the path that I wanted to, assuring me I had what it took to be an art major.

I left the art department having shown my work nationally, as well as having it published, and having organized several art exhibitions myself. These experiences well prepared me to leave Martin, TN and continue in the art world. The VTA department becomes like a second family where we encouraged each other to pursue our dreams "

Carly Hill

Instructor
Nashville Ballet
Centennial Youth Ballet and Rejoice School of Ballet

"The dance program at UT Martin gave me both the confidence and the academic fortitude to push through grad school and become the best possible dance teacher I can be. Sarah McCormick really helped me find that passion for teaching that I didn't have before I came to UT Martin. I'm infinitely grateful for my time with her."

Carly Hill recently completed her MA in Ballet Pedagogy from New York University where she graduated summa cum laude and is now fully certified in American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum. Her choreography was showcased in NYU's master works concert. She recently moved back to Nashville to teach for Nashville Ballet and is now teaching for Centennial Youth Ballet and Rejoice School of Ballet.

Cody Jarman

Fulbright Scholar/Graduate Student
University College Cork, Ireland

"I genuinely look back on my time pursuing a BFA in Theatre Arts at UT Martin as consisting of some of my most foundational personal experiences. The program’s intimate structure encourages students to quickly breakout of their comfort zones, and the advice and support provided by faculty and fellow students makes for a first-class learning environment. I have used the communication and presentation skills I gained from coursework in every job I have held since, and it has been particularly helpful as I spent the past year pursuing an MA degree on a Fulbright scholarship at University College Cork, Ireland. An arts education requires a high degree of flexibility, hard work, and focus, and there is no knowing what will happen next when you are on stage. My time studying in the department of Visual and Theatre Arts gave me the skills and confidence to handle the unexpected on the Vanguard stage, and has been helping me meet the often unpredictable demands of graduate study and life abroad ever since."

Carly Christiansen

Creative Assistant
Discovery Park of America

"As a student in the Visual and Theater Arts, I learned more professional skills than I ever could have imagined. A student in that department is given every opportunity to succeed in their field. Now as a working professional designer, I'm not only using art and design skills developed from my classes, but also leadership, work flow management, and interpersonal skills on a daily basis. I wouldn't have my professional success without my education from the VTA."