🌿✨Hi Friends! Welcome to my site!✨🌿
Willow Chamblin is an New York State Certified Art and Biology teacher, biologist and illustrator/artist from Queens, New York. She graduated with her Bachelors in Visual Art Education and a minor in Biology from Molloy University. She is currently completing her Masters in Special Education.
Her artwork is colorful, whimsical and fun. She is inspired by science, nature, and folktales. She is also inspired by artists such as Radhia Rahman and Sha'an d'Anthes. Willow loves illustration and storytelling and incorporates it into all of the mediums she works with. She shares her art online under the name 'Salicyn.Willow', a creative wordplay using the scientific name of the willow tree.
Through her educational career she has been trained in drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics and studio art education. She particularly excels in ceramics, working under mentorship of teacher and artist Tim Roda. She has also continued her education outside the classroom in topics such as needle felting, glass making, and laquerware.
Willow also loves animals, science and biology. She virtually worked along her University professor Dr. Mary Kusenda, during the 2020 pandemic to analyze the ever-changing information pertaining to ACE 2 and PTGS2 and its connection to Covid-19 amongst 24 different species. She is skilled in bioinformatics and knows how to navigate programs such as Genome UCSC and Phyre2. Her senior research thesis "A Bioinformatic Study of the Characteristics of PTGS2 in relation to Covid-19 and Inflamattion. A computational model to identify which animal susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection." combined all her passions. Willow is also educated on New york State science class instruction for grades 7-12 and basic animal husbandry, having extensive experience with animals in a veterinary setting which lends to her teaching.
Willow's goal is to inspire with her students through art and science. She especially aims to uplift all her students share to their stories through art.
Outside teaching Willow enjoys dog sports and training. She is training her dog, a great dane mix, in dock jumping, agility and for therapy uses in the classroom.
Moon at 6 months
Extra Curricular Field Experience
One of the ways Willow is working to better cater to her students is through travel and academics to experience learning outside the classroom.
US| Nassau County Council of School Superintendents - “Symbols and Speeches of Hate, Peace, and Love"|
March 2024 [3 sessions over the month]
Invited to represent Molloy University by East Williston superintendent Dr. Danielle Gately, for county wide curriculum writing project
Collaborated with 50 other teachers on K-12 curriculum addressing cultural awareness, bias and addressing both the positive and negative impacts of language
Lessons planned with overarching goal of equipping students with the skills necessary to foster an empathetic and global citizen worldview
Costa Rica| "Mi casa es tu casa: la tierra, y tú y yo"- My home Is Your Home: The Earth and Me and You|
March 9th-18th 2024
Seminar and International Trip Offered through Molloy, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), and Maximo Nivel in Costa Rica
participated in 2 week spanish immersion with local host family
Discussions on the importance of community service with a focus on indigenous ways of knowing
Worked with local daycare to care for local children
Painted murals for local rec center in Quepos, Costa Rica
On site examination and exploration of the biodiversity of Costa Rica
France| Stained Glass Windows, Religious Art and Prehistoric Art: The Art Of Southern France |
June 1st- 14th 2023
On site examination and exploration of the making of stained glass windows, and the importance of stained glass windows in religious artwork
On site examination and exploration of prehistoric cave art of the Piscaux Caves and conservation of caves and other artworks
Discussions on the Prehistoric- Modern art history of Southern France. And examination of how each time period evolved and related to the the past and present.
Molloy University| Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Art Education |
March 1st, 2023
Organized Molloy University's first conference for art education students
Conference titled ‘Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Art Education’ with invited Keynote Dr. Joni Boyd Acuff from The Ohio State University
Created a space that centered voices of women of color in art education and healing through community
Vietnam| Reconciling the Vietnam War and Internalizing the Vietnamese Perspective |
Dec. 27, 2022 - Jan. 9, 2023
Seminar offered through Molloy University International Education
Traveled to Vietnam to visit significant historical sites of the American-Vietnamese War
Learned about the American-Vietnamese war through a Vietnamese lens
Sites visited include: Chu Chi tunnels, The mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, The Memorial Pagoda of Thich Nhat Hanh
Ireland | Honors Conference on Migration, Global Ethics, and Sustainability |
Jun. 2022
Traveled to Ireland to attend a conference at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick
Attended lectures regarding Irish-Nigerian relations and Inter-Disciplinary approaches to Sustainability
Resume [updated September 2024]
WORK EXPERIENCE
Kindergarten Teacher Saturday STEM Enrichment
October 2024- Current ⏐Planned lesson and taught STEM lessons for Saturday students in Westbury School District.
St. Josephs University Universal Pre-K Co-Teacher
August 2024- Current ⏐Planned lesson and taught plans for Pre-K students alongside lead teacher.
Yoseka Stationery Fest 2024 Event Photographer
August 6th + 7th 2024 ⏐Captured and edited photographs for Yoseka Stationery's first ever Stationery Festival.
Friends Academy Substitute Teacher
April + May 2024 ⏐Fulfilled substitute teacher plans for Pre-K and Kindergarten students at an independent quaker school.
Robert Seaman Elementary Student Teaching
March - May 2024 ⏐Planned lessons and taught art to K-5 students.
Westbury High School Student Teaching
January - March 2024 ⏐Planned lessons and taught art to 7-12 students.
Wheatley High School Student Teaching
September - December 2023 ⏐Planned lessons and taught art and biology to 7-12 students.
Molloy University Conference Organizer
March 2023⏐Organized the schools first art education half-day conference titled ‘Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Art Education’ with invited Keynote Dr. Joni Boyd Acuff from the Ohio State University.
Ceramics Teacher
January - March 2023⏐Leave replacement for senior center ceramics teacher. Aided senior-age learners in ceramics and clay art activities.
Molloy University Media For Student Engagement - Editor In Chief
June 2023 - June 2024⏐ Captured and edited photos, as well as mentored and managed a team of creatives to create content for Molloy University's Department of Media for Student Engagement and Office of Advertising and Marketing.
Molloy University Rising Star - Camp Counselor
June 2022 - August 2022⏐ Supervised and planned summer activities for Molloy University’s Rising Star Summer camp for rising 5th graders.
Molloy University Media For Student Engagement - Editor
June 2021 - May 2023⏐ Captured and edited photos and wrote and proofread articles for Molloy University's Department of Media for Student Engagement and Office of Advertising and Marketing.
Children’s Theatre Company - Intern + Chaperone
June 2021 - September 2021⏐Supervised children’s cast and aided in stage management.
North Shore Animal League - Medical Intern
June 2019 - June 2020⏐ Worked with the veterinarian team to provide medical care and socialization to recently rescued dogs and cats.
Horseability - Barn Intern
September 2017 - September 2022⏐Aided certified coaches with riding lessons and hippotherapy for kids with special needs. Performed and tracked basic horse husbandry tasks and basic medical care for 22 horses onsite.
EDUCATION
Molloy University
Masters of Education - Special Education PreK-12 (projected finish May 2026)
Bachelor Of Science – Visual Art Education PreK-12 + Biology Minor, May 2024
CERTIFICATIONS
NYS Visual Art Education PreK-12 (2024)
NYS Biology 7-12 (2024)
NYS Educating All Students (2023)
SKILLS
French Conversational
International traveller
You can contact Willow here! You can check out her art on instagram as well as her youtube channel.