Hi, I’m Shaina Horstmann! Welcome to my site.

I grew up in the performing arts and was always interested in the ways the theatre and music can be used to improve learning, as well as youth “edutainment” media in general. My experiences in the arts were invaluable to my education and personal development, and as a teen I decided I would pursue a career in youth theatre to provide more opportunities for children to learn beyond the classroom in creative spaces. I then attended Boston University to study Advertising and Arts Leadership, using the lessons I learned in classes to produce theatre extracurricularly. However, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in my plans; I graduated in 2021 and then fell into a series of graphic design roles as theatres struggled to re-open.

From November 2021 through August 2025, I worked as a graphic designer for a podcast network focused on producing shows educating the public on democracy and political news, providing news and pop culture commentary, and mobilizing communities to vote. Throughout my time, I studied visual storytelling and how design serves as a communication tool while working on promotional campaigns and infographic guides to make complex topics more accessible for audiences to grasp. These experiences especially encouraged me to consider how I could more directly get involved in the literacy cause.

In the summer of 2025, I enrolled in California State University San Marcos’s Reading, Language, and Literacy (RLL) Masters program to learn more about how I can best leverage the arts to promote a love of literacy with students of all needs and backgrounds. My experience was life-changing; throughout my time in the RLL program, I gained countless strategies to engage readers and promote deeper understanding of texts. Moreover, it was incredibly affirming to be in a community that confirms the importance of literacy of all forms. For my Culminating Project, I launched the Dramaturg Diaries: a resource guide for theatre educators to learn more about the histories of popular works of musical theatre and spark greater conversations.

Now, I hope to work in arts education spaces to help the next generation of storytellers find their voices and make their marks.