2008 Woodie Awards
Theater Arts is Brought to Life
Hoyt-Heydon combines teaching and talent inspiring FC students.
Jessica Chen
Issue date: 9/27/06 Section: Local
Like an able chef, Pamela Hoyt-Heydon combines the ingredients of structure and creativity to produce exquisite masterpieces. Hoyt-Heydon, more commonly known as "Mela," is chairman of Fullerton College's Theatre Arts Department and instructor of theatrical costuming and stage makeup at FC. On the side, she works with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera and is a professional costume designer.
Even with a masters of fine arts and multiple award-winning costumes, Mela points to her students as her greatest accomplishment.
While teaching is her passion and costuming is her dish, inspiring students is her specialty. She shows students that they are capable of accomplishing any feat, in costuming and in life, as long as they are willing to be taught, make mistakes and most importantly, try.
The Hornet: When did you decide to be a teacher?
Pamela Hoyt-Heydon: I never decided. I was a Union costume designer for the entertainment industry. I taught a class here, a class there and I was freelancing for almost 10 years… I enjoy teaching, but I was at turning point where I really had to make a decision [about] what I was going to do.
I had a student that came into my costume class here, with sort of an attitude of, "You send things to the dry cleaners to be hemmed." It was the last week of school, finals week, and I was hooking her up. She picked up the skirt, rushed out of the costume shop, down the stairs… and she rushed out of there, down to the patio area, and she twirled around, she threw up her arms and said, "I made this!" And I knew at that moment that there was no way you could touch people in any better way than that. And I don't care how many times your name is on a screen in a movie theatre, I don't care how many awards you get, that moment meant more to me than anything. I knew that this is where I belonged.
TH: Do you feel you give students the chance to be creative?
PH: Yes! But there's still structure...My philosophy is that if I can teach you that you can do anything, as long as you're willing to listen, be taught, and try, then I'm successful.
Even with a masters of fine arts and multiple award-winning costumes, Mela points to her students as her greatest accomplishment.
While teaching is her passion and costuming is her dish, inspiring students is her specialty. She shows students that they are capable of accomplishing any feat, in costuming and in life, as long as they are willing to be taught, make mistakes and most importantly, try.
The Hornet: When did you decide to be a teacher?
Pamela Hoyt-Heydon: I never decided. I was a Union costume designer for the entertainment industry. I taught a class here, a class there and I was freelancing for almost 10 years… I enjoy teaching, but I was at turning point where I really had to make a decision [about] what I was going to do.
I had a student that came into my costume class here, with sort of an attitude of, "You send things to the dry cleaners to be hemmed." It was the last week of school, finals week, and I was hooking her up. She picked up the skirt, rushed out of the costume shop, down the stairs… and she rushed out of there, down to the patio area, and she twirled around, she threw up her arms and said, "I made this!" And I knew at that moment that there was no way you could touch people in any better way than that. And I don't care how many times your name is on a screen in a movie theatre, I don't care how many awards you get, that moment meant more to me than anything. I knew that this is where I belonged.
TH: Do you feel you give students the chance to be creative?
PH: Yes! But there's still structure...My philosophy is that if I can teach you that you can do anything, as long as you're willing to listen, be taught, and try, then I'm successful.
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