Her Story
About Gina
Gina Russo dedicated 37 years to the field of education before retiring. She worked as a visual art teacher and graphic art teacher in public schools for 35 years, teaching every grade level, and later served as an art enrichment instructor at a private school for 2 years on a part-time basis. Russo earned a bachelor's degree in art and a master's degree in art, then pursued additional studies to obtain a sixth year certificate in educational leadership. She also holds a certificate in art education, a mentoring certificate, and an educational consultant certification. Russo is a member of CEA, NEA, CAEA, and NAEA. She attributes her success to her personality, which allows her to understand people, recognize their behaviors, communicate easily, and act as both an excellent listener and speaker. Russo values honesty and genuine connections with others. In addition to her teaching roles, she worked as a lead artist for Paint Social Art and Paint the Town. She advocates for people with MS through the MS Society and participates in walks supporting MS, heart disease, and cancer causes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think that I have my personality because I can understand people. I have a good sense of who they are, how they act. I can recognize certain things about people, and it's very easy for me to talk to people. And I'm also an excellent listener. People bounce things off of me all the time because they know I'm a great listener. Great listener, great speaker.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
To stick with the profession. When I started the first month, I hated it. I hated teaching. I wanted to quit. And somebody said, you're not giving it a chance. You need to give yourself a chance. And I didn't want to, but I did. I stuck with it. Come 3 years in. Then I felt more comfortable, and I was glad that I stuck with it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you don't love children then don't go into this field. And also know that you're not just a teacher, you're more than a teacher, and you have to be prepared for that because those are things I wasn't prepared for. Be a good listener, empathize with others, whether it's a teacher or a student or any faculty member.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is the most important thing to me. If you are not honest with me, we're gonna butt heads. I'm blatantly honest myself. I value honesty and genuine connections with people.
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