We’re so sad to be saying goodbye to Lora Cawelti as she begins pursuing a Ph.D. at UC Irvine full-time. Lora first joined our family as an Artist Leader in 2014, when Inside Out Community Arts merged with P.S. ARTS. From there, she took on the program management of our newly rolled out Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District programs and quickly became an integral part of its growth and success. She was promoted to Associate Director, Classroom Studio and has been providing our in-school and teacher training programs with leadership and support. We want to thank her for her unwavering passion for equity in arts education, her professionalism and for helping us grow. She will be missed by all and we wish her the best of luck in her return to school! Congratulations Lora Cawelti!
I can recall many moments during which Lora demonstrated exceptional kindness, thoughtfulness, professionalism, and fortitude, but when I stop to think what most fundamentally distinguishes her in my mind, it is her unbridled intellectual and heart-driven curiosity.
I can recall many moments during which Lora demonstrated exceptional kindness, thoughtfulness, professionalism, and fortitude, but when I stop to think what most fundamentally distinguishes her in my mind, it is her unbridled intellectual and heart-driven curiosity. I clearly remember when Lora embarked on her master’s degree. She shared what she learned with enthusiasm, and sought out help and feedback from her colleagues with genuine respect and a dogged interest in seeing from multiple perspectives and discovering what she hadn’t seen before. I watched her evolve over time as a scholar and, more importantly, a scholar-practitioner. Lora didn’t end her pursuit of knowledge when she graduated. She consistently challenges herself, the programs, staff and faculty, and me to learn and revise our program paradigm, practices, and materials. Continuing her education feels like the natural and inevitable evolution and, while I am sad there will be a pause in the direct positive impact Lora has on our students, I am glad and so heartened when I imagine the someday-impact she will be able to have on children and families after she’s had a minute to totally immerse herself in solving some of the most persistent problems educators and social justice advocates (one and the same) face as a field. You don’t need luck, but, Lora, I wish you purpose and fulfillment as you climb yet another mountain.
-Dr. Kristen Paglia, Chief Executive Officer
We often listen to music during staff lunches or activities so we’d occasionally get to see glimpses of Lora’s Disney obsession and her talent as an opera singer! I will miss her renditions of every song from every Disney movie soundtrack ever made. She knows ALL of them. Lora, I dedicate this snippet of “Let It Go” from “Frozen” to you and your new adventures. Imagine me singing badly…
“It’s time to see what I can do
To test the limits and breakthrough
No right, no wrong, no rules for me,
I’m free!
Let it GOOOOO! Let it GOOOOO!”
-Elda Pineda, Deputy Director
Lora, you made every meeting better with your kindness, honesty, consideration, empathy, enthusiasm, respectfulness, and marvelous sense of humor. Your easygoing laugh and the way you really listen has endeared you to us all. Best of luck to you — hope our paths cross again soon!
-Johanna McKay, Teaching Artist, Theater
Lora was instrumental in helping me understand the nuances of all P.S. ARTS does. When I first started, I turned to her for guidance and she deftly explained our programs in a way that made our impact come to life.
-Madeline Miller, Associate Director, Institutional Giving
Lora is the only person I know who gets positively giddy over workshop planning. That, along with her incredible ability to understand what a community of educators wants and needs and the desire to provide exactly that, made her the most incredible collaborator and mentor.
I have many memories of working with Lora going all the way back to our Inside Out Artist Leader days. Of the many (many) things I’ll miss about working with her, collaborating on professional development workshops is right up at the top. Over the last four years, Lora and I have co-presented and facilitated for our faculty and beyond– traveling as far as Hoopa Valley. Lora is the only person I know who gets positively giddy over workshop planning. That, along with her incredible ability to understand what a community of educators wants and needs and the desire to provide exactly that, made her the most incredible collaborator and mentor. To say I will miss working with her is an understatement. But we are so excited for all that is to come for Lora and can’t wait to call her Dr. Cawelti!
-Jaime Reichner, Senior Program Manager, Educator Training
Congratulations, Lora Cawelti! Here’s a throwback to Lora’s first blog post with P.S. ARTS: Meet Lora!
