Baschon discovered mandalas as an art teacher. Discovering her inner artist happened early, and she takes special joy in sharing mandala magic.

“At pivotal times in my life, I’ve gotten encouragement and confidence to keep going. When I teach, I try to give that,” she said.

Baschon has been an artist all her life.

“As a second grade student, I saw a print of Andrew Wyeth’s ‘Turkey Buzzards,’ in a textbook, where it’s as if you’re looking down at them in flight, and that’s the moment when I decided to be an artist,” Baschon said. “Many years later, I saw the actual painting when I shared a museum trip with my students.”

Baschon found opportunities to share original art with students whenever possible. She would like art to be incorporated into every aspect of the school curriculum.