When Michael Healey first encountered YES Prep in 2009, it was not through a recruitment campaign or formal introduction. It was through proximity, energy, and people.

At the time, YES Prep was temporarily sharing space on the third floor of Lee High School in HISD while the future Gulfton campus was under construction.

What Michael noticed immediately was the atmosphere. “I loved the positivity and drive of the staff and the students,” he shared.

That first impression turned into a career spanning more than a decade at YES Prep, where Michael helped build and shape high school art programs, mentor young artists, and leave a permanent artistic imprint across Houston communities through murals, public art, student showcases, and service projects.

Now, as he retires from the classroom, Michael leaves behind years of teaching and a creative legacy still visible on school walls, city streets, and in the lives of the students he inspired.

Building Programs, Creating Spaces for Student Voice

Throughout his entire career at YES Prep, Michael remained committed to the high school art teacher role. For him, art was never secondary to the work. It was the work.

“My role as a High School art teacher has been the role of a lifetime,” he said. “Being able to start the high school art programs at both East End and Northline has been a huge honor.”

While he briefly served as a Grade Level Chair and participated in campus and district committees, Michael intentionally centered his career around both teaching and his own art practice, believing students benefit most when teachers remain connected to the craft they teach.

That philosophy shaped classrooms where creativity was treated as a form of expression, confidence, and community building.

Over the years, Michael’s students created art that extended far beyond classroom walls.

At YES Prep East End, students designed and built art cars that participated in Houston’s iconic parade tradition. They contributed to community art shows, service projects, and fundraising efforts that used creativity as a way to strengthen neighborhoods and support local organizations.

Among the projects Michael remembers most proudly was YES Prep students’ participation in Avenue CDC’s annual Art on the Avenue event, where student-created artwork helped raise funds to better the surrounding community.

“These experiences became a huge part of my teaching life,” he reflected.

Turning Houston Into a Canvas

For Michael, some of the most meaningful student experiences happened in public spaces, where students could see their creativity become part of the city itself.

He recalls projects like the mural on Quitman and Fulton, the Barrio Dogs mural on Lawndale, the Egypt Street mural for iPadel, and the traffic control box mural at 75th and Canal as defining moments throughout his career.

“I was able to facilitate and help the students show their skills in a way the whole community still enjoys,” he said.

Those murals became opportunities for students to see themselves as artists with something valuable to contribute to the world around them. “Watching them grow as people and artists has made me a better person and artist,” he shared.

Through each project, Michael watched students gain confidence in their technical abilities and in their voices, ideas, and identities.

A Career Shaped by Students and Colleagues

Over the years, Michael witnessed tremendous growth across YES Prep.

He remembers visiting an early Home Office located in a small hallway office inside a mid-rise building in Sharpstown — long before the system expanded into the network of campuses and programs it is today.

“I had no way to envision what it would become,” he said. Yet despite the organization’s growth, one thing never changed for him: the sense of connection.

“Even though the system has physically grown, I feel the same connection and pride as I did when I first started.”

Throughout that journey, Michael credits many colleagues and leaders with shaping his experience, including Kyrlyn Chatten, who hired him in 2010, along with Mark DiBella, Leah Peters, Nella Garcia-Urban, Brittany McGruder, and Zi Ussery.

But one leader stands out most prominently in his reflection.

“The person that shaped me the most was my longtime DOA and wonderful Director of Academics at Northline, Megan Gibbs,” he shared. “She truly has seen me through so many years of growth and change.”

Michael also credits students themselves for sustaining his passion for teaching year after year.

“The students and the art they created,” he said. “They just kept surprising me with their love, care, and talent.”

Creativity That Continues Beyond Retirement

As Michael steps away from teaching, he is honest about the uncertainty that comes with retirement. “I have no idea what I am in store for in teacher retirement,” he said. “But I do know I will never retire as an artist, so I will continue on in my studio and be open to new opportunities.”

For current educators, his shares, “Stay the course and enjoy your time teaching and learning. The days can be long and difficult at times, but the years really do fly by.”

He also encourages educators to define success on their own terms.

“Define your career in the way it works for you,” he said. “Being a classroom teacher and becoming the best art teacher I could be was my goal. I am so glad I found a place at YES Prep and am very grateful.”

As YES Prep celebrates Michael Healey’s retirement, the impact of his work continues to live on — in murals across Houston, in student artwork displayed proudly in homes and galleries, and in the generations of students who learned that creativity has the power to transform both themselves and their communities. We wish you the very best, Mr. Healey!