Step into Dorothy Hambright’s art class at Enka High School, and you will be immersed in a room full of talented young artists.
Ms. Hambright cultivates a love and passion for art with each and every student. Talent and creativity flows in each piece of work. Her class has become a place for students to take a break from the rigorous classes offered at Enka High.
“Kids need an outlet, and I love that my classroom can become a place in which students can feel at ease,” she said. “Arts education teaches students to experiment and explore, to make mistakes and power through. That art is not always about the finished product but the process of creating, at least that's the stuff I am pushing.”
Students say that Ms. Hambright’s art class is just a stepping stone to their future success.
“This is a passion project for me,” said senior Mykyta Bochevar. “Art is prevalent in the design of video games. My passion is to create video games, and this class is preparing me for that career.”
“Ms. Hambright is an amazing teacher,” said senior Sydney Hoppensteadt. “She has helped me with scholarship opportunities, and submitting my artwork for competitions. Art is my outlet between advanced placement classes and sports to unwind and express myself.”
Ms. Hambright is celebrating her 20th year of teaching at Buncombe County Schools (BCS). She was the North Carolina Art Education Association Secondary Art Educator of the year in 2019. Her passion not only for art, but her students, can be seen on a daily basis.
“I absolutely love my job,” she explained. “I like to teach and communicate to all of my students. They can attribute their incredible work as evidence of risk-taking, failure, perseverance, practice and mastering techniques through hours and weeks of hard work.”
