Stephanie Brown has been an art teacher at the Fair Grove High School for 15 years. Over these years, Brown has grown her relationships with students, leading to last year’s class of 2025 choosing her to be the staff speaker at their graduation ceremony.
Brown explained that she teaches Art I, Drawing and Painting, Ceramics, Mixed Media, and Advanced Art. She added, “I also sponsor the Art Club, where we take on small, themed projects. It’s a relaxed space where students can be creative without overthinking things, just a chance to enjoy making art.”
Brown stated that she became a teacher because she always valued the importance of art, and wanted a career that was meaningful and fulfilling. “I wanted to help students get excited about it and to understand that the world around us is shaped by visuals, all created by artists,” said Brown.
Kezia Price is Brown’s fellow art teacher. Price said Brown is silly, funny, and can get the most reserved students out of their shell.
Price stated that she has many middle school students who are scared to take one of Brown’s classes. “…once they do they realize how amazing, funny, and loving she really is. She is their biggest supporter and cheerleader as well as one of the best art teachers,” declared Price. She added, “Truly, Fair Grove is so fortunate to have her as a teacher!”
English teacher, Joseph Florez, explained that he has been working with Brown for as long as she has been at Fair Grove. Florez stated, “Mrs. Brown seems to be an awesome teacher. I’ve never sat in her classroom, but I have seen a lot of her student’s art and I’m often super impressed. She is also very funny and brings a good vibe to our school.”
Math teacher, Michael Van Cleave, explained that his first impression of her in 2014 was that she was very cool, kind of sassy, but actually very sweet. “My favorite thing about Mrs. Brown is her sassiness. We enjoy teasing each other a lot. One of my favorite memories of Mrs. Brown happened during a pep assembly – she was racing Hannah Maxwell and ended up running over Hannah. It was very funny to watch,” stated Van Cleave.
Van Cleave added, “FGHS is lucky to have someone as fun and caring as Mrs. Brown. She cares about her students as much as any teacher I have ever met.”
