Thirty-three years ago, a young Angela Melde walked the halls of Texas High for the first time, anticipating her junior year. Last Monday, Melde roamed the hallways again, looking forward to her “second first day.”

“This time, I am very excited to be joining the visual arts team,” Melde said. “I have watched how the arts can give purpose to learning and provide tools for interpreting life’s experiences, developing self-worth, and a sense of identity.”

Melde is the new head of the art department. She has a strong passion for the arts, and said she is happy that she has the opportunity to share this love with her students.

“I believe the arts serve as one of the primary signatures of a school, carrying our individual and collective images and ideas across the campus,” Melde said. “Art education is about getting students to understand themselves as artists and how they can impact others while encouraging self-discipline.”

Before the school year began, the art department met together to discuss the upcoming year.

“We have set goals to strengthen our AP programs, become more visual in the school environment and maximize art participation and interest on the school campus,” Melde said. “I have learned as a teacher is that students learn best when they are engaged and enjoy learning.”

Melde feels that the arts play a vital role in a student’s education.

“Author Claudia Cornett wrote, ‘The most important aspects of civilization are preserved not in percentiles, stanines, or grades, but in imaginative literature, art, drama, dance, and music,’” Melde said. “I feel honored to be teaching at Texas High School where students can know and understand their heritage and the world around them through the exciting world of art.”