Kay Kuenzel Stenerson

David Hodge instilled the idea in us that anyone can create art. I went on to take art classes in high school and a few in college. Although I don’t consider myself an artist, I still feel artistic. In college, I went the education route and became an elementary teacher. In 1973, jobs were hard to find and, I believe, it was David Hodge who helped me get my first teaching job in Berlin, WI. He did not have any knowledge of this, but I was offered a job teaching 6th grade English and Reading in the morning and Elementary Art in the afternoon! I taught 1st through 5th graders at three different schools! I never would have had the confidence to take that job if I hadn’t had David Hodge as my art teacher at Campus School. He was the perfect role model! I just taught like he taught me. That year, I helped the Art department write an elementary art curriculum and also convinced the school board to hire a full-time art teacher for the elementary grades. I was able to choose continuing as the art teacher or the sixth-grade teacher. I chose sixth grade and moved on to become a Reading Specialist. That first year teaching was one of the best years I ever had!