Hi! I'm Samantha Greyson.

I'm an educator and instructional designer with a background in Biological Science Education. My journey into learning design began not just in the classroom, but through the deliberate application of educational principles to master complex skills myself.

Early in college, I started teaching myself illustration—not just as a hobby, but as a practical experiment in applying the learning methodologies I was studying. I systematically broke down the skill of drawing into components, created my own practice sequences, and measured my progress. This self-directed learning project confirmed a fundamental belief: with the right structure, any complex skill can be mastered.

From Self-Teaching to Professional Application

During student teaching, I faced a practical challenge: the demanding schedule made traditional employment difficult. I turned my self-taught illustration skills into a freelance business, creating character illustrations while managing my teaching responsibilities. This parallel work in teaching and freelancing strengthened the same core muscles: breaking down complex tasks, managing projects from start to finish, and adapting to new challenges.

Building Agile Teaching Skills

After graduation, I intentionally chose substitute teaching for its flexibility, allowing me to continue growing my illustration business while staying in education. This combination proved unexpectedly valuable. Because of my teaching license and demonstrated capability, I was often placed in emergency situations where I needed to develop and deliver lessons with little to no preparation. This honed my ability to:

• Rapidly analyze learning needs

• Design engaging content on tight deadlines

• Adapt to diverse audiences and environments

Finding the Right Fit

For years, I successfully balanced both substitute teaching and freelance illustration. However, the development of carpal tunnel syndrome made the long-term physical demands of illustration unsustainable. This prompted a necessary pivot.

I asked myself: what did I love most about both of my roles? The answer was clear—it wasn't the drawing itself or supervising a classroom; it was the architecture of learning. In teaching, I loved designing the lesson and the learning process. In illustration, I loved the collaborative process of defining a client's abstract vision and turning it into a clear, engaging visual.

Instructional design is the focused destination for my combined skills. It allows me to fully invest in my core passion—designing structured pathways for growth—in a sustainable and impactful way.

I am eager to bring my background in educational theory, agile problem-solving, and visual communication to a full-time instructional design role. My portfolio demonstrates my commitment to creating learning experiences that are grounded in learning science and are deeply engaging.