PIXEL
THE DIGITAL MASS MEDIA
DEPARTMENT SHOWCASE 2024
ABOUT US
MEET OUR MASS MEDIA DEPARTMENT FACULTY
CRISTINA SALUP
MASS MEDIA DEPT. CHAIR
BROADCASTING
Mrs. Salup has always seen the value in a visual story. Her background in communications was imperative to the creation of the Digital Mass Media Department. She graduated from the College of Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida in the area of Television Production. She later went on to complete her Master's degree from Nova Southeastern Univesity in Elementary Education. She has been a teacher for 18 years, teaching several subject matters. Mrs. Salup has worked to achieve several certifications to further best practices in education. Amongst others, she is a certified: Apple Teacher; Google Level 1; and, Adobe Train the Trainer. Having students learn the value of their voice and how they can impact the world through visual media is a lasting skillset she hopes they take with them well beyond their middle school years. On her off hours, she enjoys a good Gator game, cheering her children at their respective sporting events, and spending time with her husband.
RICK FUNES
DIGITAL DESIGN 1
DIGITAL DESIGN MYP
Mr. Funes has always had a love for Design and Design Thinking. He believes that design affects everyone in the way they behave and feel about themselves. He also believes that design is innate in everyone and that it can be cultivated when given the proper guidance. To prove this, he will often ask someone if they have ever walked into a room and felt immediately comfortable, or been moved by a photograph or painting, or even felt confident wearing a special outfit - that is the power of good design. You don't know why it affects you positively, but it does. The designer does know, however, anyone can learn these principles.
Mr. Funes graduated from New York City Tech where he majored in Graphic Arts & Advertising before going on to the School of Visual Arts in New York. He began working in New York for large art departments and art agencies before moving to Miami where he has been teaching for over 25 years. Aside from teaching, he is also an artist and a part of the maker community in Miami. He enjoys teaching design because he knows students can easily apply the skills they learn in his class to any other discipline.
CATIE SCHWARTZMAN
JOURNALISM
DIGITAL DESIGN 2
Ms. Schwartzman's passion for expressive design, honest writing and immersive photography started in her days as a student at Gulliver Prep. Through leading as Creative Director and Copy Editor of the Raider Yearbook, building a portfolio in AP Art, or writing novels and short stories in AP Language Arts, she found strength in multimedia production. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with minors in Digital Arts and Science and Spanish. She was excited to impart her understanding of Adobe Creative Cloud, principles of design, AP Style and photo composition upon her Journalism and Digital Design students. She cultivates an environment of student-centered and project-based learning, collaboration, creativity and curiosity. She centers projects around students' interests, which she believes provides the motivation for students to experiment and invest in their work. In her free time, Ms. Schwartzman enjoys watching concerts, exploring nature and trying new local restaurants.