For Mrs. Nicoleta Masouris, art isn’t just a subject—it’s a lifelong passion that has shaped her journey as an educator, mentor, and community advocate. From the soccer field to the ceramics studio, her story is one of creativity, connection, and giving back.
Glendale High School ceramics teacher Mrs. Masouris is a California native, and she knows a thing or two about the arts, something she’s always been passionate about. “I think I started early,” she said. “I did a lot of art and I played a lot of sports. In high school, I played volleyball and soccer, and I was in an art class every year.”
Her fire for art really kicked off during her junior year of high school, when Mrs. Masouris began exploring career options. “My junior year was when I actually wanted to look into teaching as a career,” she recalled. “So, I sat down with my ceramics teacher and we…had a really long lunch conversation about…what it is like to teach and what that kind of life looks like.”
She explored many options and went through many different careers, even in the restaurant business, but she specified that GHS is her favorite place to work. “I’m lucky that my passion can be my job,” she claimed.
Mrs. Masouris ended up teaching on our campus through an open opportunity, and she expressed her gratitude for how much our school supports its ceramics program, which are rare for public schools. She said, “I would say, in the whole LA area, there’s probably only about fifteen high schools left that offer some sort of ceramics program. Usually it’s only offered at community colleges or universities. So we should be grateful that this program exists.”
Mrs. Masouris has played a big role at GHS, teaching many different types of art classes over the years. She had graduated with her Master’s in Education and finished her teaching credentials in 2008. She was eventually ready to find that dream job, and she recalled her job interview, which was held by the previous ceramics teacher, who was also the VAPA department chair. “She actually wanted me to take over her program,” she said. “So I was…her pick to fill in her shoes, because she was going to retire the next year. It was an honor.”
“So basically they created a position to keep me on this campus and to train under Mrs. Rose for a year,” she said. “I had three sculpture classes, and two Art 1-2 classes. I was also coaching volleyball and soccer. The next year, Mrs. Rose retired, and I’ve been the full-time ceramics teacher at GHS for seventeen years.”
Although difficult at times, teaching has its own rewards. “The main part about teaching is giving back to people,” Mrs. Masouris said. “So basically, it’s nice to do good for others, and it’s nice to work with young people, because adults are kind of boring, and not that much fun. They usually aren’t in good moods and have lost their spark. You know, kids are just a lot more fun to be around than adults are.” I think we can all agree with that.
But Mrs. Masouris’ work doesn’t stop outside of school. Both she and her two daughters are “very devoted” to their community. “I live in Glendora, so they do a lot there,” she said. “And also with our church community in Pasadena, we do a lot of things to give back, so we’re always trying to just do something for people in need.
“Even right now with all the fires, our focus is…trying to get people back into their houses or trying to get people food, clothing and essentials. So there’s always a place to give your time, which is more important.”
Mrs. Masouris has also been involved in other aspects of school beyond the classroom. “I coached soccer for years and I coached volleyball,” she said. Along with being the advisor for the former GHS Ceramics Club, she was also a class advisor and the chair of the VAPA department.
Speaking of VAPA, Mrs. Masouris wants to encourage all Nitro students to take a chance at an art class. She said, “Even if you’re not an art person, just try it out. We do a bunch of stuff, like showcasing, field trips to the Getty Museum, the Huntington Library, and more. You never know what interests you have if you don’t explore your options.”
Mrs. Masouris a well-involved, and coordinated teacher, mother and citizen to her community. She hopes to see students get motivated and changed through art, and to discover the pieces of themselves that they never knew existed.
