Alicia Wright, the new digital and media arts instructor at Andros Karperos School in Yuba City, is pictured in her classroom surrounded by student-created artwork. Photo by Shamaya Sutton

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Andros Karperos School has launched a new media and digital arts program this school year, introducing students to creative and technical skills ranging from photography and graphic design to journalism, animation and even voice acting.

The program is led by local educator and artistic entrepreneur Alicia Wright, whose background spans theater, broadcasting, education, nonprofit work and agriculture — a blend that school leaders say makes her a natural fit for the campus and its community.

“I would say the program has been a huge success,” said Greco Rocco, principal of Andros Karperos. “It offers skills that are useful in life but also serves to give back to the school community by covering events, providing connections across the grade levels and building increased school culture.”

Students at Andros Karperos in Yuba City use cameras and take surveys to complete a Yearbook assignment, part of the school's new digital and media arts program. Photo courtesy of Alicia Wright/Andros Karperos

Since its launch in August 2025, Wright’s students have produced educational posters, contributed to the school newspaper, and created videos focused on kindness and moral decision-making for younger grade levels. Her classes currently include digital arts, journalism and yearbook.

“This is probably my favorite class,” said EverLynn, a sixth-grade student at Andros Karperos. “There’s so many things that I’ve done, but I’ve really enjoyed learning some video editing skills.”

Looking ahead to the 2026 portion of the school year, Wright is also developing a theater program that would further expand student opportunities, incorporating acting, technical theater, set construction and design. Her after-school drama club is currently planning a spring production of “The Wizard of Oz,” with additional details expected later this year.

A student practices photography techniques on the Andros Karperos campus as part of the school’s new media and digital arts program. Photo courtesy of Alicia Wright/Andros Karperos

About Alicia Wright

Wright brings more than 20 years of classroom experience to Andros Karperos, having spent much of her career teaching students in grades four through eight within Marysville Joint Unified School District. A mother of two teenagers, she said the opportunity to help build a media arts program from the ground up felt like a dream come true

“My biggest influences were my theater teacher and my art teacher,” said Wright. “They were my big mentors in life, so being able to give that back to kids was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, so I took a chance and did it.”

Wright’s path to education began in theater. She grew up in San Jose and attended San Jose State University as a theater major, later managing theaters in both San Jose and San Francisco while acting onstage and working in radio.

“I was doing rehearsals and shows till 10 p.m. and then a radio shift from 2 to 6 a.m., so I had just a little bit of time to do my studies,” Wright said. “By the time I graduated I was just kind of exhausted.”

Students work on digital design and media projects during a media arts class at Andros Karperos School in Yuba City. Photo courtesy of Alicia Wright/Andros Karperos

Instead of relocating to Los Angeles with her fellow graduates, Wright took time away from the industry, moving to Colorado to work at a guest ranch and teach children horseback riding.

“I really needed to decompress,” Wright said. “I knew that if I went to L.A. I would find myself doing too much. So I took some time off and found that I loved working with kids.”

That period led her into nonprofit work with organizations including the Humane Society of Silicon Valley and the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, as well as barn management — experiences that eventually guided her toward education. Wright completed a teaching internship alongside her mother, later relocating to the Yuba-Sutter region to find a better balance for her family and lifestyle.

“I got my four-minute commute, got to watch my kids grow up, I’ve just been lucky that I’ve ended up right where I needed to be at the right time,” said Wright.

Outside the classroom, Wright remains connected to both the arts and agriculture. She keeps horses, raises livestock, and continues to work selectively in commercial acting. She also produced the locally filmed independent movie “North Central,” based on the true story of a Center High School track student, which is currently streaming on Tubi.

At Andros Karperos, Wright said the biggest challenge so far has been launching a media arts program in a space where one did not previously exist, though infrastructure needs are actively being addressed. For her, the role represents a rare intersection of creative arts, education and community.

“This was the place to have the best of both worlds,” Wright said, “I’m excited to see where things go from here.”