The Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon, Charity Relay, and LA BIG 5K are less than six weeks away. Follow #MarathonMonday to learn more about our amazing runners and why they are running for Team P.S. ARTS! This week, meet the dedicated P.S. ARTS staff members who have joined our team.
Allison Schaub
Why are you running the LA Marathon, and why did you choose to join Team P.S. ARTS?
I completed my first LA Marathon when I was 16 with Students Run Los Angeles. 10 years later, marathon training feels just as daunting as it did then (if not more on most days), but I’ve found that running with a charity team gives me the motivation needed to get out there. This will be my third time running with Team P.S. ARTS and thanks to the generosity of friends and family, I’ve been able to raise over $2,000 for P.S. ARTS’ programs!
Why do you think it’s important to support arts education in our schools?
Arts education deserves a place during the school day because it provides students with the tools to be successful both in the classroom and in life. Like running, art and creativity build confidence and teach us how to overcome obstacles to keep moving forward.
How are you training for the race?
I’m running a few days a week, taking group fitness classes and trying to stretch every day. Stretching is a constant struggle for me.
Clarissa Hampton
Why are you running the LA Big 5K, and why did you choose to join Team P.S. ARTS?
Choosing Team P.S. ARTS was a no-brainer once I convinced myself that I could run a 5K. My coworkers at P.S. ARTS are the best teammates, and I feel inspired by them and their dedication everyday I come to work. Running this 5K is another way working for P.S. ARTS has inspired me to challenge my own limitations and get creative about my service to others.
Why do you think it’s important to support arts education in our schools?
I think artist Ana Mendieta most beautifully explained the connection between art, expression, and empathy when she said, “My art is the way I reestablish the bonds that tie me to the universe.” It is my belief then that when arts programs are eliminated, students are deprived of a means of communicating with others and connecting to the world around them.
How are you training for the race?
Let’s just say I’m really focusing on the carb-loading right now…
Nikki Manibhai
Why are you running the LA Big 5K and why did you choose to join Team P.S. ARTS?
Joining the P.S. ARTS staff in 2016 was turning a new page in the professional chapter of my life. The environment here at P.S. ARTS is welcoming, engaging, empathetic, and fun! So, I wanted to join Team P.S. ARTS and participate in the LA BIG 5K to build camaraderie with my coworkers and fellow P.S. ARTS supporters.
Why do you think it’s important to support arts education in our schools?
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
I believe the arts and arts integration takes education into the third dimension and makes learning a participatory experience. Arts education has the power to increase student achievement, engagement, and motivation while also building creative and critical thinking, collaboration skills and self-confidence. Because the arts are versatile it takes the stresses of standardization away. By supporting arts education in our schools, I support all-inclusive learning that celebrates uniqueness and embraces creativity.
How are you training for the race?
I am getting in the habit of working out and doing some light running about three to four times a week. My main focus is building stamina and being self-aware of progress.
Support Allison, Clarissa, Nikki and Team P.S. ARTS!
