Labeled with a Learning Disability in third grade, LeDerick Horne defies any and all labels. He’s a dynamic spoken-word poet. A tireless advocate for all People with Disabilities. An inspiring motivational speaker.
Have you heard of the accomplished freelance photographer who has fostered advocacy and awareness for inclusion in the Philippines? Her name is Andrea G. Zubiri and at just 29 years of age she is a role model who is making a difference in the lives of so many children in the Philippines.Â
SENIA became aware of Andrea in 2012, when her teachers nominated her for the inaugural SENIA Student Award. Andrea was a senior attending Brent International School Manila at the time and her personal statement of advocacy for herself and others within her school and community, secured her the prestigious SENIA Student Award.Â
After graduating from Brent International School, Andrea pursued her dream of photography and attended De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde. At college, she learned how to speak in front of large audiences and how to advocate for accommodations in order to pass her exams. She also gave a presentation to the college student body about special education as an advocate for students with special needs.
Upon graduation, she spent a year in New York City, USA at the New York Film Academy graduating with her certificate of photography. This is where she began her freelance photography work as she was inspired by the local art and gallery scenes. She returned to the Philippines and began her freelance work photographing families and various clients.
In 2018, Andrea had a one month internship with Collabtive, a digital and creative agency in Singapore. Here she was able to develop her photography skills and business. She gained experience on how to expand her business and was able to acquire her own clients.
Additionally, she worked with One World School’s Nilay Exhibit, photographing the artists and the art works of students aged 2-30+ of all abilities. This was a fundraising event for the school’s expansion program. One World school is unique in that it caters for a full range of students of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, gifted and talented students and those who just learn differently.Â
With the pandemic, Andrea has had to figure out how to promote her freelance photography business as she was no longer able to meet face to face with clients or do family events and portraits. Here she pivoted to developing clients to photograph their products. She was able to photograph products in the Beauty and Wellness industry – such as Grounded PH, and a collaboration with Cray cosmetics. She is still trying to promote her product photography work.Â
Andrea has also found time to work as an online photography teacher for Vanguard Academy during the pandemic. She works with grade 10 students of varying abilities and supports them in setting up the photography for their instagram businesses. She draws on her knowledge of setting up her own photography business to inform her instruction and support her students. She is also developing a grade 7/8/9 scrapbooking class for students. Vanguard Academy is an innovative school in the Philippines that is open to and accessible for all students by providing equitable opportunities to develop their skills, interests and talents.
Andrea is an accomplished young adult who is a role model to her students not only as a gifted photographer but as a talented Filipina businesswoman. She shares with her students the importance of being able to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic and find innovative solutions. Also, she shares who she is and how advocating for yourself is an important skill to develop.Â
Andrea Zubiri is a truly remarkable woman and SENIA is so proud to be part of her incredible journey.
You can contact Andrea at andreagzubiri.photo@gmail.com and access her website https://www.andreazubiriphoto.com/ for an appointment or more information about her photography work.
Autumn has arrived and brought cooler weather and beautiful colors. With it, the time for collaborating and supporting one another is here! While our meetings are virtual these days, we can still encourage our colleagues and share resources.
SENIA Korea’s October meeting is coming soon.
We look forward to
- planning for the SENIA 2021 Conference watch parties
- sharing “what works for us” with others
- asking and answering questions
- being a support system
Happy Fall!
Learn more about the conference at SENIA Int’l
Sara Larrington, a learning support coordinator at Dresden International School.
My name is Trinidad Vásconez; I was born and raised in Ecuador and pursued my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). During my career and time in Chicago, my main emphasis was Art Education and Arts Administration within different contexts such as schools (private, public, suburban), museums, and other learning spaces.
I have been working as an ES Art teacher for the past five years in Ecuador (American School of Quito and Academia Cotopaxi) and have contributed to the public and private sectors through Art Education projects.
As both an artist and an Art Educator, I find myself navigating through worlds with an open-minded perspective on the essence of Education and its impact on our daily lives. I see Art Education as a practice that intends to discover our voice, which is imperative during childhood.
Maria Gribensk is a High School English teacher with a Masters in Multidisciplinary Studies. She has been an educator for more than 15 years. She believes educators’ greatest responsibility is to create empathetic human beings who understand and value differences to form a society rooted in equity and inclusion.
Chelsea Toller has been an educator for over 25 years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, English Language Development Coordinator, Vice Principal, and Principal. Her favorite role so far is serving as the Director of Student Support Services which combines all of her passions: Counseling, Learning Support, and English Language Learning at Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador. She holds a BA in Community Studies and a MA in Educational Leadership. She believes that making the world more inclusive benefits everyone and she loves working alongside her SENIA Ecuador colleagues to grapple together as we move from “inclusion in theory” to “inclusion in practice”.
Devon Hehl is starting her fourth year, and 22nd year in education, at Academia Cotopaxi American International School as an Inclusion Coach and Inclusion Lead. Prior to that, she worked at NIST International School for 8 years where she was an Elementary Learning Support Specialist and 3-year SENIA Representative. She has also worked and lived in Zambia, Switzerland, and the United States. Devon holds a Masters of Science in Special Education and a Bachelors of Arts in Education. She is committed to embracing diversity and is thrilled to be a part of both small and large inclusive communities. Devon is inspired by her family, colleagues, and the students she works with.