Apex High opens its doors to Tia Wallace, the new interior design teacher, who is sure to renovate the department. But before adding new touches to a space, it is important to understand just how they fit in. Likewise, it is important to get to know new staff.

Wallace hails from Central New York, more specifically the Cortland area, and is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. Previously, she worked as a project manager and interior designer for a construction firm working on custom homes, and also remodeled hotels. 

Wallace has always had a creative spirit and loves to draw and sketch designs. She was inspired to teach by her high school art teacher, “He made class fun, and I love the idea of being able to help someone. I feel that instead of going to work at a 9 to 5, it is more valuable to be able to have an impact.” 

In her time at Apex, she hopes to make interior design classes more interactive and engaging by adding more up-to-date design techniques to the curriculum that students will find more relatable. 

When asked what she would like her students to know about her, she says, “I really want them to enjoy learning something different… because it makes it that much easier to learn. And eventually I think that they’ll see how it connects to the real world.”