From humble beginnings in the midwest to working as an Arts Educator at the SAM, Craig van den Bosch has come a long way to become the adviser to the Highland Piper, but he brings with him experience as both a cartoonist and a writer working on his own school newspaper.

Working as a sports writer, he soon found himself at a newspaper camp in Muncie, Indiana at Ball State University where he trained as an illustrator, just in time for his senior year. “As an artist for my senior year the experience with those artists helped me gain the skills that transformed my work into something more like you find in Mad magazine or political cartoons.”  Following that, he pursued a career as an artist, educator, fabricator and graphic designer, though it has been a long road to where he is now.

“I got my associate’s degree in my home town, and then I got my bachelor’s at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo Michigan,” van den Bosch said during an interview, “I got my bachelor’s in Art Education, with a minor in English, so I was maybe two classes away from a major.” van den Bosch admitted that he had originally intended to become a lawyer, with a minor in Political Science, but had abandoned those plans in pursuit of a bachelor’s in Art Education and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts. He has now come full circle to his original goal of becoming an educator. “I wanted to come to the classroom with some life experience, and I’ve done everything from working for artists to architectural restoration,” said van den Bosch, “I wanted to bring experience as a practicing artist to the classroom.”

Now he’s set his sights on bringing new life to the older newspaper model, citing his willingness to change, his belief in the power of the news, and his experience as the adviser to the Loch, Shorecrest’s Annual, among his top credentials. “Just because I produced a newspaper a certain way, 25 years ago, doesn’t mean it has to be that way now. It can really flex to the needs of the community and the school.”