{"id":3047,"date":"2026-09-03T18:03:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/?p=3047"},"modified":"2026-09-03T18:03:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:03:49","slug":"scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3050 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175703\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3008-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"A piece of paper sits horizontally on a desk surrounded by markers, paintbrushes, and the edge of a paint palette. The paper is divided into three sections, each featuring a feminine figure. The left section has a bright orange-red background with yellow and orange swirls and abstract suns. A figure stands in the center with one hand on her hip, wearing blue denim shorts and a white tube top with a red or orange sun design. Her head is depicted as a red sunburst with a lighter orange center. The narrower middle section has a gray background with dark charcoal swirls. An upside-down figure has two-toned denim-covered legs at the top and a moon for a head near the bottom. She holds a yellow star with both hands. The right section has a bright green background with leafy vines. An upright figure near the bottom wears a blue miniskirt and short tank top featuring an Earth-like planet. A larger version of the planet appears behind her, and she stretches her arms upward and outward as if embracing it. Her head is depicted as a rounded bundle of ivy or nettle vines.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175703\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3008-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175703\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3008-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175703\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3008-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175703\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3008-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175703\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3008-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Like other first-year students beginning their Ball State journey, Damariz Noemi Alvarado is settling into campus life. A graduate of Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, Damariz is pursuing a major in Art Education.<\/p>\n<p>Damariz is the next student featured in a Teachers College series highlighting Ball State recipients of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education awards the scholarship to high-achieving students who plan to pursue careers in education. Recipients can receive up to $10,000 each year for four academic years.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ba0c2f\">Finding Her Home at Ball State<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3049\" src=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175655\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_2682-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Damariz Alvarado sits beside an older woman, likely a family member, in a forested area. The pair smile as they sit with their arms intertwined and hold hands in Damariz\u2019s lap. The older woman looks toward Damariz, while Damariz looks at the camera. Sunlight filters through the trees, creating bright spots against the muted forest tones. Damariz has long, slightly curly brown hair that transitions to red at the ends and wears a pale gray or purple dress. The older woman wears black jeans and a white blouse with a black animal-print pattern.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175655\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_2682-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175655\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_2682-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175655\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_2682-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175655\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_2682-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175655\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_2682.jpg 1725w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Damariz knew she wanted a college experience that felt welcoming and manageable. Ball State checked many of those boxes, from its campus community and small class sizes to its strong education and art programs.<\/p>\n<p>The University&#8217;s proximity to home and affordability also played an important role in her decision. Most of all, Damariz said, the campus &#8220;feels like home.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Now that she has arrived at Ball State, she is eager to make the most of her college experience. Her plans include taking art classes, meeting new people, building professional connections, working as a resident assistant, and participating in campus events and activities.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ba0c2f\">Creating a Future in Art Education<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3053 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175718\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4859-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"A handmade mug sits on a white table in front of two partially visible sculptures. A tag in front of the mug identifies Damariz Alvarado as its maker and lists Applied Ceramics as the class in which it was created. The mug is shiny black with a matching black handle. A face is applied to the side, featuring large white circular eyes with red heart-shaped pupils and a simple, curved smile.\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175718\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4859-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175718\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4859-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175718\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4859-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175718\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4859-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175718\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4859-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>For Damariz, becoming a teacher has been a dream since childhood. As she grew older, inspiring art teachers helped turn that early dream into a specific passion for teaching art.<\/p>\n<p>Art has always been an important part of Damariz&#8217;s life, and she enjoys exploring it in many forms. Outside of school, her interests include crafts, photography, baking and cooking, making jewelry, and thrifting.<\/p>\n<p>That creativity will follow her into her future classroom. As an art educator, Damariz hopes to share her passion with students and help them discover their own creative interests.<\/p>\n<p>She also has ambitious goals for her time at Ball State. Damariz hopes to maintain a 4.0 GPA, stay active in her classes, get to know her professors, and continue learning more about herself along the way.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ba0c2f\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3054\" src=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175721\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_Screenshot_20260407_091530_Facebook-239x300.jpg\" alt=\"Damariz Alvarado and an older woman stand smiling at the camera in front of a white backdrop featuring the Decatur Township logo and the words \u201cDecatur Proud\u201d repeated across it. Both wear black tops with white bottoms. The older woman wears a long-sleeved top with white slacks featuring thin black stripes, while Damariz wears a short-sleeved top and a long white skirt with lace along the bottom. Both hold plaques that feature \u201cDecatur Central High School\u201d in an arch across the top, a stylized intertwined \u201cD\u201d and \u201cC\u201d surrounded by wings, and possibly the word \u201cBanquet.\u201d\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175721\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_Screenshot_20260407_091530_Facebook-239x300.jpg 239w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175721\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_Screenshot_20260407_091530_Facebook-768x964.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175721\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_Screenshot_20260407_091530_Facebook.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/>A Record of Leadership<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Damariz arrives at Ball State with plenty of experience in leadership and involvement. In high school, she served as president of her school sorority and was a member of National Honor Society, Book and Bake Club, and Jobs for America&#8217;s Graduates.<\/p>\n<p>She also graduated among the top 40 students in her class. At Ball State, she hopes to continue being active and take advantage of the many opportunities available to her.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ba0c2f\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3051 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175710\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3749-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Damariz Alvarado poses with a woman in front of a bright red curtain, with a red beaded curtain visible on the right. Damariz wears graduation tassels with jeans, a T-shirt, and a partially zipped navy blue sweatshirt. A pile of additional red and blue tassels sits on a table in front of them, along with metallic party favors and a green gift bag. Damariz holds a paper that reads \u201cCertificate of Mastery.\u201d\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175710\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3749-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175710\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3749-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175710\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3749-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175710\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3749-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175710\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_3749-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>A Scholarship That Makes College Possible<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Receiving the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship means everything to Damariz. The scholarship will help her pay for her first year of college tuition and has given her an important opportunity to further her education.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m so honored and grateful to have this opportunity to further my education,&#8221; Damariz said.<\/p>\n<p>As a first-generation college student, Damariz understands the significance of reaching this milestone. The scholarship is helping make her college journey possible while allowing her to focus on pursuing her dream of becoming an art educator.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3052\" src=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175714\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4496-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Damariz Alvarado and another person stand in front of a large blue snail sculpture that towers over them. Damariz, on the left, wears wide-leg jeans with lettering painted on the legs, possibly reading \u201cSenior\u201d and \u201c2026.\u201d Both are laughing and smiling rather than looking at the camera, as the other person playfully holds Damariz\u2019s hair. The other person wears a matching black button-up shirt and pants covered in brightly colored dinosaur patterns, along with a coordinating bucket hat decorated with colorful dots. They are outdoors on a sunny day, with trees and bushes visible behind the sculpture.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175714\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4496-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175714\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4496-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175714\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4496-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175714\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4496-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03175714\/R_1GHXLfL8gK9Celg_IMG_4496.jpg 1919w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>With her passion for art, her lifelong goal of becoming a teacher, and the support of those who have helped her along the way, Damariz is ready to begin creating the future she has imagined for years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like other first-year students beginning their Ball State journey, Damariz Noemi Alvarado is settling into campus life. A graduate of Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, Damariz is pursuing a major in Art Education. Damariz is the next student featured in a Teachers College series highlighting Ball State recipients of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":305,"featured_media":3048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-student-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education - Teachers College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education - Teachers College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Like other first-year students beginning their Ball State journey, Damariz Noemi Alvarado is settling into campus life. A graduate of Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, Damariz is pursuing a major in Art Education. Damariz is the next student featured in a Teachers College series highlighting Ball State recipients of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Teachers College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-03T22:03:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header-1024x576.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Debbie Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Debbie Roberts\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Debbie Roberts\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/832ca94b32339edc2791d6437804532e\"},\"headline\":\"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-03T22:03:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":544,\"commentCount\":1,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/32\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03170812\\\/Blog-Header.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Featured\",\"Student Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/\",\"name\":\"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education - Teachers College\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/32\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03170812\\\/Blog-Header.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-03T22:03:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/832ca94b32339edc2791d6437804532e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/32\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03170812\\\/Blog-Header.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/32\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03170812\\\/Blog-Header.jpg\",\"width\":8000,\"height\":4500,\"caption\":\"Damariz Alvarado lays on a grass covered soft hill posing in a traditional senior picture pose with her elbows on the ground, and her head propped up by her hands. Her chin is situated where her two hands meet, and her fingers are on either side of her face, pointing upwards. You can see one of her feet behind her head, as she has at least one knee bent. She is wearing sandals. She is wearing pale purple, silver bracelets, and her long, decorated fingernails have jewels on them. In the background you can see where the edge of the lawn meets some shrubs and a tree. There are flowers, a birdhouse or bird feeder that looks like a gazebo, and a statue of a figure.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/03\\\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/\",\"name\":\"Teachers College\",\"description\":\"Building Community, Inspiring Excellence\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/832ca94b32339edc2791d6437804532e\",\"name\":\"Debbie Roberts\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ffe6d17d978be0365929a5f6bdfb34c1f59fe0f2f9eb669887a5fc7df6fa6fbc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ffe6d17d978be0365929a5f6bdfb34c1f59fe0f2f9eb669887a5fc7df6fa6fbc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ffe6d17d978be0365929a5f6bdfb34c1f59fe0f2f9eb669887a5fc7df6fa6fbc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Debbie Roberts\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.bsu.edu\\\/teachers-college\\\/author\\\/dabranscome\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education - Teachers College","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education - Teachers College","og_description":"Like other first-year students beginning their Ball State journey, Damariz Noemi Alvarado is settling into campus life. A graduate of Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, Damariz is pursuing a major in Art Education. Damariz is the next student featured in a Teachers College series highlighting Ball State recipients of the Next Generation Hoosier Educators [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/","og_site_name":"Teachers College","article_published_time":"2026-09-03T22:03:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header-1024x576.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Debbie Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Debbie Roberts","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/"},"author":{"name":"Debbie Roberts","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/#\/schema\/person\/832ca94b32339edc2791d6437804532e"},"headline":"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education","datePublished":"2026-09-03T22:03:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/"},"wordCount":544,"commentCount":1,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header.jpg","articleSection":["Featured","Student Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/","name":"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education - Teachers College","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-03T22:03:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/#\/schema\/person\/832ca94b32339edc2791d6437804532e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header.jpg","width":8000,"height":4500,"caption":"Damariz Alvarado lays on a grass covered soft hill posing in a traditional senior picture pose with her elbows on the ground, and her head propped up by her hands. Her chin is situated where her two hands meet, and her fingers are on either side of her face, pointing upwards. You can see one of her feet behind her head, as she has at least one knee bent. She is wearing sandals. She is wearing pale purple, silver bracelets, and her long, decorated fingernails have jewels on them. In the background you can see where the edge of the lawn meets some shrubs and a tree. There are flowers, a birdhouse or bird feeder that looks like a gazebo, and a statue of a figure."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/2026\/09\/03\/scholar-spotlight-damariz-alvarados-path-to-art-education\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Scholar Spotlight: Damariz Alvarado\u2019s Path to Art Education"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/","name":"Teachers College","description":"Building Community, Inspiring Excellence","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/#\/schema\/person\/832ca94b32339edc2791d6437804532e","name":"Debbie Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ffe6d17d978be0365929a5f6bdfb34c1f59fe0f2f9eb669887a5fc7df6fa6fbc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ffe6d17d978be0365929a5f6bdfb34c1f59fe0f2f9eb669887a5fc7df6fa6fbc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ffe6d17d978be0365929a5f6bdfb34c1f59fe0f2f9eb669887a5fc7df6fa6fbc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Debbie Roberts"},"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/author\/dabranscome\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/09\/03170812\/Blog-Header.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/305"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teachers-college\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}