My art journey began at a young age, and although I did not pursue a degree in art, I have committed to using my talents to make a positive impact. As a freelance artist, I have had the privilege of inspiring young minds and fostering community pride through public murals, exhibitions, and philanthropy. Now, I am at a major turning point in my career, having navigated many twists and turns, where I have become a public educator. My heartfelt gratitude and deepest appreciation go out to my teachers, who empowered me, a behavioral child from a disadvantaged background, to envision a brighter future through their lessons. This has ignited a burning passion for education within me and driven me to create the same life-changing empowerment for others.
My current position as an art teacher has already met a lot of challenges. My classroom has a leak before I even started teaching in 2024. Mostly, the ceiling tiles were replaced. Over time, the leak has gotten worse because of adverse weather. Multiple issues caused the leak, and even now it has not been fully repaired. As a result, I’ve had to travel between 25 classrooms on a cart.
I have already spent a large amount of money, time, and effort in the classroom, lesson plans, and behavioral management. My personal life has also been jeopardized by Hurricane Helene and the ice storms. I still face the difficult task of obtaining the teaching certificate on my own as a requirement to continue my teaching career.
Nevertheless, my passion for teaching shall not extinguish because of these challenges. I set a positive mindset and maintain resilience, the same way that I have taught my students. I remain steadfast in my commitment as a rising teacher. I firmly believe that education has the power to transform lives, and I am eager to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of my students.
I am currently working as a non-traditional art teacher, who is looking to obtain my certification. My current employer does not offer any financial support through the journey, and thus, I am requesting funding for the mandatory tests, classes, and materials as follows:
Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE)
The Art Education assessment consists of two subtests; a combined version of the tests is also offered.
Test I (109) 5/20/2025 – $123
Test II (110) (TBD) – $123
Central Savannah River Area – Regional Educational Service Agency – Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (CSRA -RESA – GaTAPP)
TAPP is set up as a two-year program but could be expedited to one-year; The tuition for the program is pay $1500.00 per semester at the beginning of each semester or $4,500.00 for the year. Monthly payments of $375.00 will begin the month you enroll in the TAPP program and continue each month until the completion of the TAPP program.
The application fee for the program is $40.00. Official transcript $10.
There are three semesters each school year. Each semester is four months in length:
May – August
September – December, and
January – April
If I didn’t have to retake my GACE tests and could finish the program in 1 year, I would be looking at a minimum of $4,786. If I had to retake tests and finish the program in 2 years, I would be looking at upwards of $9,542.
Foxsilong Studio 