Berkeley High School arts teacher Candiss Youngblood discovered her love for art in college, where she also used it as a tool of stress maintenance.
“I started using (art) as a strategy to help my mental health. So when I was in college, feeling very overwhelmed and stressed in school, I started taking art classes as a dedicated time in my week to decompress and have some time for myself,” Youngblood said.
Youngblood grew up in a small town south of Salinas called Gonzales. “There’s not even a stoplight in town, it’s very tiny,” Youngblood said. After getting a degree in art from San Francisco State University, Youngblood started teaching in Gonzales. Youngblood explained how she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do after college but knew she wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives.
“Teaching did not seem like something in my near future because high school was so challenging. But after going to college and only really enjoying my art and ethnic studies courses, I decided to continue just pursuing those two disciplines,” Youngblood explained, “I graduated with an art degree, and didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to help people.”
The advice Youngblood has for students after graduation, no matter where they end up, is to stick with their values and stay aware of how they impact others. “As a young person going away to school or whatever path you choose, I would just always keep in mind, who benefits from the narratives you’re learning? Who is supported and held at the center of the work you’re doing? And to be mindful of your position within the systems and how you can continue to uplift others,” Youngblood said.
Youngblood makes a point in her classes to present herself as a role model and example for upholding integrity. In her words, “I’ve always been very opinionated and outspoken on what I believe is right, and even if a system is against you, sometimes you have to stand up for what’s right,” Youngblood said. Throughout her now 10 years at BHS and 14 years teaching overall, Youngblood hopes her students remember that there was a safe and community-based environment in her classroom.