Susan DeWitt

What do playing the drums, creating art, taekwondo and teaching elementary students all have in common? The answer actually isn’t all that difficult. The common denominator in all these things is Saltsburg resident Susan DeWitt. Susan’s energetic personality has enabled her to branch out into a wide variety of things, while maintaining a high level of quality in each.

Susan has always loved art, and while her four children were young she began doing pencil portraits for individuals and families. She also worked in the medical field as a chiropractic assistant. Once her children were in school, she decided to go back to school and pursue her first love. Graduating IUP, she got a full-time position as an art teacher in the Apollo School District and after two years moved to the Kiski Area School District where she taught art to elementary students. She now teaches kindergarten through sixth grade at Washington Township and Vandergrift Elementary Schools.

One of the projects that she has done for the past two years at Vandergrift Elementary is painting the windows at Oliver’s IGA. She chooses several students and takes them to the store after school and spends about two hours painting a seasonal scene. She has also taken students to paint the concession stand at the baseball field in Apollo in the past. Her students also make about 100 placemats at the holidays for the local Meals On Wheels program.

Out of the art arena, Susan plays the drums in a Christian rock band called “Captive Heart”. The group is a family band started about four years ago when they were doing the weekly music for the church that they belonged to. The group plays at various church and community functions. Her husband plays the guitar, her daughter sings, her son-in-law plays keyboard, and her 18-year-old plays base. This past year they also performed at the Pittsburgh Performing Arts Ministry. They are hoping to increase these years’ performances. If you would be interested in finding out more or booking them for your event you can call 724-639-9759. Don’t be surprised at the answering machine; her husband is also a part-time ventriloquist. Susan also takes taekwondo lessons along with the rest of her family and has attained the status of brown belt.

As if this wasn’t enough Susan hopes to throw a little more into the mix. She would like to some day have a ceramic studio and take additional art courses at IUP.

To watch the video, go to http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1432