Pia started off her EXPLO journey at EXPLO at Wellesley, continued on to EXPLO at Yale, and is now back in action as a first-year staff member at EXPLO at Sarah Lawrence, where she's teaching the Intro to Architecture course and Cartooning and Comics elective, on top of being our Art Room Coordinator. A rising college senior focusing on environmental studies, studio art, and architecture, Pia is thrilled to be back at EXPLO and share her love of learning with our students.
Why did you decide to return to EXPLO as a staff member?
I remember EXPLO being a really big part of how I thought about learning back when I was a student at the Wellesley and Yale programs. EXPLO was like the most fun version of school where I could be learning but not have to deal with homework or other stressful things that can sometimes come with regular school. I was excited to be on the other side of that as a staff member and be the one giving that experience to the students.
What's something you're looking forward to about students' arrival in just a few more days?
I’m really excited to see who gravitates toward the art room. I know that was a place I always loved when I was a student, and I'm looking forward to seeing what ideas students will have. We have a bunch of materials and crafts...I can't wait to put work up on the walls, too. I want to fill the whole room with art!
Are there any projects in the course and elective you're teaching that you're particularly excited about?
In the Intro to Architecture course, students will be making models of their dream building. The students are going to be learning so much in that course, and then I think it’ll be cool for them to come out of it with something tangible that they created themselves. I'm so excited to see their models!
In the Comics and Cartooning elective, students will be going through a lot of different drafts of their comic strips, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the different things they come up with throughout that process.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If I could travel anywhere, I think I'd want to go to Japan. Or maybe Australia to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I've actually also heard that Maine has great scuba diving, too...so, I'd go to Japan, Australia, and Maine!
Victoria Lyons