At The New Century School, students in the primary program are fortunate to work with an educator who brings a unique creative perspective to the classroom. Brenda Lane, a visual development artist, seamlessly balances her role as a teaching assistant with an emerging career in animation. If that surname is ringing a bell, it should—Miss Brenda is the daughter of none other than TNCS Preschool Coordinator Terriann Lane!
Miss Brenda Gets Animated!
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Miss Brenda (and family) moved to Columbia, MD when she was in high school. But it wasn’t until college that her passion for the arts began to bloom. She majored in fine arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she discovered her true calling in her final year. “I knew I didn’t want to be a gallery artist. Then, in my last year, I suddenly realized I want to work on movies and TV shows. That was my ‘it-all-came-together’ moment,” she reflects.
Unfortunately, the pandemic curtailed networking opportunities, so she sought other fulfilling post-graduation employment in the interim:
I really wanted something while I was waiting for that big job opportunity that would be helpful to the community. I didn’t want to work in customer service anymore, which I did all through college. I definitely wanted to do something that was more impactful, so I started at my mom’s last school as an aftercare teacher, and they soon pulled me in to be a floating assistant.
The interim turned out to be more than a temporary stopgap, as we’ll see. But, back to the early 2020s, Miss Brenda saw an opportunity and seized it. She traveled to Los Angeles to attend an animation industry conference, sensing that the animation industry on the East Coast was not very robust. This decision proved pivotal, leading to her current role as Creative Production Director at Black-n-Animated, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Black artists and animators enter and thrive in the industry. “Everything kind of fit into place,” she says of the serendipitous connection.
Two years on, her artistic career continues to flourish. She’s currently working on “Assassinista,” a 3D animated short film through a Pixar co-op slated for release on Disney+ in 2027. “It’s comparable to the ‘Spider-Verse’ kind of animation style,” she explains. “It’s only 7 minutes, but we’re going to get it there.” In this project, she serves as both assistant producer and color key artist (as part of her visual development expertise), marking her first official credit in the animation industry.
“I’m really into concept art, such as what Pixar and other studios do, which shows the process of how you get to a design,” explains Miss Brenda. “Concept art and visual development are really one and the same. So, basically, if someone needs a shelf or a window in a scene, for example, I can design that.”
Bringing Art to the Classroom
Miss Brenda’s exciting work in The Arts has not dampened her enthusiasm for educating. At TNCS, she is Ms. Pozo’s assistant in one of the primary Montessori classrooms for children ages 3 to 6. In addition to her main responsibilities of “supporting teachers, supporting students, and maintaining an optimal classroom environment where students can grow their learning,” she collaborates with Montessori teachers to create educational materials, putting her digital art skills to practical use. “If you need something with Photoshop or Illustrator, I’m able to make it,” she says. “I helped make illustrated step-by-step instructional materials to help children learn how to read, for example.”
Her complementary roles have even deepened her appreciation for children’s content. “being in the classroom has exposed me to so many things that I now enjoy,” she reflects. “I really do love doing it, and it also pushes me more toward children’s content and animation . . . and maybe I’ll consider pursuing children’s books.”
Looking to the Future
Despite the animation industry’s current uncertainties following recent strikes, Miss Brenda maintains a balanced perspective. She appreciates the stability her teaching role provides while pursuing her animation career through remote work. Her days are long—she spends all day in the classroom then goes home to join remote meetings in L.A. and work on her art—“but this is where I enjoy being,” she says of her position at TNCS.
Miss Brenda’s passion for both education and art is evident in her interactions with students. “I’m passionate about what I do, and it brings me joy to be around the students. I hope that I can bring them some joy as well,” she shares. She particularly enjoys encouraging young artists, loving it when her budding student artists ask her for drawing and painting advice.
Making an Impact
Beyond her roles at TNCS and in animation, Miss Brenda continues her work with Black-n-Animated, which recently achieved nonprofit status. “We just had our first career summit in L.A. with really big industry names coming to talk to all of our people trying to break in,” she said. “I’m really excited about the new year!”
Whether she’s supporting young learners in the classroom or pushing creative boundaries in animation, Miss Brenda exemplifies how diverse passions can enrich both personal fulfillment and professional impact. Her presence in the primary Montessori program reflects TNCS’s commitment to nurturing creativity and bringing real-world artistic expertise into the classroom, enriching students’ early educational experiences.