Cathy Chapin has been involved in education for over 30 years. After receiving her dual University degree in English and Education, she began teaching kindergarten in a private school. Quickly she became involved in designing art programs for children in junior kindergarten through grade 8. Arriving in London in the late 1980's, she took up her first love, art, and became a partner in a craft store in the London Market and enjoyed doing watercolour paintings of homes in London and the surrounding area. Combining her love of teaching and art seemed natural and she went back to teaching art from kindergarten to Ontario Academic Credit (OAC) level at Matthews Hall and Weldon Park Academy.
In 1990, Cathy's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The silver lining in her father's illness, for her, was seeing the need of others enduring a similar experience. Leaving her academic teaching position, she began to design and deliver art programmes for Seniors at varying levels of care in homes in Strathroy and London. Two years ago she returned to Weldon Park Academy as Director of Admissions, where she utilized her administrative skills. She is now looking forward to the challenge of designing nurturing and stimulating programs for the residents at INSPIRIT.