Theresa Willis Peters makes space for art – and joy

Theresa Willis Peters grew up in a family of teachers and thought she wanted to be one, too. After starting college on the teacher track, she quickly realized it wasn't for her. Luckily for the Bruin community, she transferred to UCLA and earned an English degree instead. It was here that she discovered the Student Committee for the Arts - the student branch of UCLA Center for the Art of Performance (known then as UCLA Live) - and it changed her life. Her eyes were opened to a wider world of arts: She became the committee's chair and has remained dedicated to our campus ever since.

Weeks after graduating in 2003, Willis Peters started a role as an assistant in CAP UCLA's Design for Sharing K-12 arts program, answering phones and sending out event invites. Since then, she has advanced to performing arts education program coordinator at CAP UCLA and considers herself "very lucky" that each time she has sought a new career challenge, she has been able to find one within Design for Sharing and CAP UCLA.

Newsroom sat down with Willis Peters to hear more about her role and contributions to UCLA Arts. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Tell me more about the work you do with K-12 students at CAP UCLA.

I work with dozens of schools across the city, bringing K-12 students to see free matinees by the international music, dance and theater artists who perform throughout each CAP UCLA season. The artists share selections from their work and then spend time with our students sharing what their piece is about, how they created it or their journey to becoming a professional artist. The kids get a glimpse into their creative process and get to know them as a human being - not just a performer.

I also work in classrooms through multiweek residencies or through intensives at the Robert F. Kennedy UCLA Community School in Koreatown, among others. We spend time with fourth, fifth and sixth graders in their classrooms for four to six weeks doing hands-on work.

We show up in classrooms with rolling carts or tote bags full of art supplies and work with students on visual arts and creative writing projects. Students also attend one of our free matinees on campus. The content of the performance they see is typically the thematic anchor for the intensive work they are doing in the classroom.

You've been with UCLA a long time. What keeps you motivated day to day?

It's my job to create space for professional touring artists from all over the world who make all kinds of art to engage with young people - so they can discover each other and reflect. These interactions create memories that people carry with them for a lifetime, and it makes my work a joy machine. For the artists, students and staff, it never gets old! I can't believe I have been doing this for such a long time.

I feel so inspired by the honesty and creativity of our K-12 students. They are open to the work, and it's a gift to see how they view the world through their questions and their creations. When I see them in the RFK Community School classrooms with our amazing UCLA-trained teachers, I know that even amid so much uncertainty in the world, we are going to be alright.

What do you love about working here?

UCLA is its own universe, where you couldn't possibly do everything there is to do, and I love listening to artists, creators and experts talk about what they love and have spent their life doing - it is infectious!

I also love it when things come full circle. Sometimes, former K-12 students who have gone through one of our programs attend UCLA and track us down. And they are all amazing. Some have taken on internships or volunteer roles with us, and others have become professional artists or attended elite schools all over the U.S.

What would you say is the best advice you have gotten from a mentor that impacted your career here at UCLA?

I would say that sometimes, you just have to ask for what you want. Be willing to articulate what it is that you're looking for, what brings you joy and what you'll succeed at. Say aloud, "This is the part of my job that makes me shine. And how do I get to do more of that?"

Is there any advice you would give to someone who's just starting their career at UCLA?

I would say to stay tuned in. Stay connected to what's happening on campus and be present. You can come to work every day, do your job, stay in your department and never know there is so much happening here. Connect with all the incredible things that are going on around you! Make sure you get out of your bubble.