LAYTON—Students in Kyle Guymon’s ceramics classes at Northridge High had a special visitor last week from Alfred University, one of the nation's top undergraduate ceramics programs. Maria Bentley, Assistant Dean came to Guymon’s classes to see what he has been doing to have students who produce the work they do year after year.

“This past year I had one of the most talented, driven and hardest working students I have ever had,” said Guymon. “They entered pieces into the Eccles Northern Utah state show, Springville state show and the K12 National show. Northridge High ceramics students last year won 18 awards, seven scholarships, a kiln, and pottery wheel, with a total monetary value of $282,744.”

Guymon has been teaching ceramics at Northridge for 15 years. “Over those years my students have gotten into district, state and national shows, winning awards, scholarships, being published in a national magazine, being state sterling scholar finalists and one student winning state sterling scholar.”

He has also received several awards; the Richard Notkin teaching award, the Daniel Rhodes teaching award, Superintendent Recognition of Excellence in Visual Arts award, the NCECA Board Regina Brown K1 National show national ceramic educator of the year award, Diamondcore tools teaching award, and the Utah Art Educator of the year award for the 2022/23 school year from UAEA (Utah Arts Education Association).

At the K-12 National show Northridge had eight pieces out of the 150 pieces selected into the show, he said. “Northridge had the most pieces selected into the show out of any school and we won the most awards and scholarships.”

Guymon said he first met representatives from Alfred University at the NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts). “Over the past five to six years I have had five students win $130,000 scholarships to Alfred University totaling over $650,000. I have heard about and known about Alfred University ever since I was in college.”

The school was founded in 1863, he said. “It has been around longer than Utah has officially been a state. It is in upstate New York a little ways outside of Buffalo.”

The legacy, foundation and alumni that have come out of that school stretches centuries, said Guymon. “It is the number one program for undergraduate ceramics in the nation. This is the first time that they have ever come out to do an official visit here.”

“I’ve known Kyle for three or four years,” said Bentley. “I’ve kept a connection and followed his students, seeing how they’ve progressed and also the awards they’ve won. Watching that progression has been fantastic.”

What makes a program special is the educators, she said. “You can have a top-notch program and equipment but if you don’t have an educator to pull inquisitiveness out of students it’s just equipment.”

That’s what Kyle brings to the classroom, Bentley said. “He’s really challenging his students to go larger and think about who they are and how they want to go about sharing their voice. The students are also challenging each other.”

“I have been very fortunate to have as talented students as I have, they make my job easy at times but also very challenging because they keep pushing me to help them achieve their end goals,” said Guymon. “This is an amazing opportunity for my students, Northridge high and Davis School district to have her come here from New York for an official visit like this.”

“For the last seven years I have visited schools throughout the country,” said Bentley. “I would say this one is one of the top schools I’ve visited.”