“Art is everywhere, and I want [my students] to learn to see the world artistically.”
-Jessika Feltz, from her Career Center instructor introduction
Jessika Feltz didn’t just teach. She didn’t just put lessons into a syllabus. She didn’t just assign projects to keep students busy.
She embodied the role of advocate, artist, teacher, mentor, and visionary. She considered each student individually and worked to ensure that her Graphics Design courses helped them achieve their life and career goals.
Jessika taught students to envision the world through artistic eyes. Her students and all who knew her only wished that her time in this world would have lasted longer. Jessika passed away on February 10 after a year-long battle with appendix cancer.
Though her tenure at the New Castle Career Center began in 2022, the depth of her influence suggests a lifetime of devotion. It is hard to find a corner of the Center that Jessika didn’t touch. She helped students create graphics and signage that line the Career Center hallways. She taught students how to take professional photographs and documented important milestones for the Career Center with her photographs. She worked alongside the Culinary Arts program to co-lead the Restaurant Wars event and led the re-launch of the Career Center’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter.
“Jessika didn’t believe in one-size-fits-all anything. She didn’t let obstacles stop her – or her students. She didn’t lower the bar,” noted Mackenzie Jackson, New Castle Career Center Director. “She believed that with persistence, creativity, and heart… anything was possible… And if we kept tweaking and doubting and changing things, she’s gently remind us, ‘Don’t get lost in the sauce.’”
Jessika’s vision was equally practical and poetic. When she stepped into the Graphic Design instructor role, she didn’t just want her students to create art; she wanted them to own their futures. Under her leadership, the program expanded to offer more certifications and college credits. The program now offers dozens of dual credits in partnership with Ivy Tech and Adobe Professional Certifications. She advocated for upgraded equipment and software and worked with the facilities management program to create a large project table for the Graphic Design classroom.
If you asked Jessika about her credentials, she would likely point you toward her students instead. In an article about the Graphic Design program, she shared: “My students are the absolute best part of my work! I enjoy meeting them, learning about their personalities, and helping them create a career path that will allow them to support themselves as professional artists after high school. They are funny, creative, and sweet. Watching their skills grow throughout the year is awesome.”
Jessika’s pride in her students was undeniable. She leveraged her extensive knowledge and network to help them find internships and career opportunities. She cheered them on as they developed their own knowledge and found their creative voices. She boasted about them in professional and personal settings.
The legacy of her vision continues through the lives of her students, and fellow instructors recognized Jessika’s unique gift of connecting with students:
“When you entered her classroom, you could tell she had created a warm environment where her students felt welcome and accepted. She wanted them to feel seen and heard - suspecting that some of them may not feel that way in other aspects of their lives.”
“Jessika's creativity and dedication to her students will always be remembered, as well as her infectious smile and kindness. She will be greatly missed by all.”
“Jessika and I worked many hours together on creating a revamped Restaurant Wars. She loved that this project was a great stepping stone for her students to see the process of going from a thought/concept, to creating the drafts, to printing and showing off a final project. Throughout the years, we worked together on fundraising logos, t-shirts, party decor, and more. She was always willing to create whatever I needed. Jessika will always be remembered as a great friend and co-worker.”
Forever the giver, Jessika asked for memorial contributions to go to the New Castle Career Center Graphic Design Program, 801 Parkview Drive, New Castle, IN 47362. All contributions will go toward furthering the vision Jessika had for her students to have the tools and software needed to thrive in their artistic endeavors.