Sam Ahmed, who he introduces himself as, otherwise known as WebsterX, is a Milwaukee-based artist, musician, and teaching artist. He has received 15+ local music awards, including Local Artist of the Year and Wisconsin Artist of the Year, his music has been featured by Complex, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, AFROPUNK, Billboard, Apple TV, Microsoft, VICE, Aston Martin, and in Super Bowl advertising.
Sam attended UW–Milwaukee for three years before leaving to pursue music. He co-founded Freespace, a five-year all-ages showcase creating opportunities for North and West Side high school students, and served as Vice President of the Board for The New State, an all-ages music venue and community space on Milwaukee’s Near West Side. In 2020, he co-founded Black Is Beautiful, producing three events that donated $50,000+ to local Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ organizations.
As a teaching artist, Sam brings his experience as a working musician, creative director, community organizer and love for kids into the classroom.

Omari Fleming is a performing artist, public speaker, model, and educator based in Milwaukee, WI. In 2024, he graduated from Kentucky State University with a BM in Music Performance. Since then, he has built experience teaching classes including, but not limited to, general music, piano, ukulele, percussion, drama, and non-cognitive skills. He has taught all grades from 4K to high school and has also given adult lessons. His love for music comes from the passion that his music teachers once shared with him. As a teaching artist, he hopes to deepen his connections with students so they, too, can appreciate and find healing through the arts.

Annika is a recent graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where she studied vocal performance and theater. Music directing, directing, and choreographing from Madison to Milwaukee, she is a true triple threat and arts advocate. Being a teaching artist for the past three years, she's loved getting to work with her students on using the arts to encourage empathy, play, exploration, and finding spaces where they feel they belong. She is incredibly excited to join the Kids from Wisconsin team and teach all of its wonderful students!

Dystince Robertson is a local performing artist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a proud graduate of Milwaukee High School of the Arts. She has a passion for music, with over 5 years of experience in project management. Dystince has successfully led multi-functional teams whilst maintaining a focus of efficiency and collaboration. In her personal time, she is an avid explorer of the communities local history and enjoy contributing to community-led initiatives.

Aya joins us from Milwaukee, WI and is the newest addition to the RYD team! She has been interviewed with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and performed at Summerfest, on USA Today Acoustic, and on PBS Rhythm Cafe. When she is not teaching, she is a fitness enthusiast and loves spending time with her two cats.

Justine Royster has worked in education for the past ten years alongside her work with Wellpoint. Justine holds a foster care license specializing in special needs care, a field about which she is deeply passionate. Justine is also a proud graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools.

This year with her start at Realize Your Dream, she looks forward to working with the students, leading with love and understanding, and creating an engaging environment for them.

Justine has three daughters and a nine-month-old Morkie named Archie. In her spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, participating in community events, and creating art with her daughters.

Baila Weiss was born in the Ukraine and grew up in Australia where she started dancing at 5, quickly understanding that this would be her passion for life. After graduating The Victorian College of the Arts, and dancing at The National, she moved to Los Angeles, performing, teaching, choreographing, and directing musicals for many years. Now in Milwaukee, Baila is excited to impart the beauty of performing arts to the next generation.

A native of beloved Milwaukee, WI, as it sits on the shores of Lake Michigan The Great, Steven
F. Hunter is a proud Milwaukee Public Schools graduate of Riverside University Prep. After
serving in the US armed forces, Steven became a certified and licensed Wellness practitioner,
founding Beans & Cornbread Wellness for African Americans, serving and educating in various
modalities of Health, fitness, wellness and natural healing. He has also trained and performed
with a number of Arts organizations such as Ko Thi Dance, City Ballet Theatre, Dance Circus,
Milwaukee Public Theatre and Express Yourself Milwaukee, blending Arts Education with
Wellness practices teaching Mind/Body Actualization for healthy self expression in youth
development for 25 years. Steven recognizes the very real need to reconnect African Americans
to the healing power of Nature and is happy to have served in the position of Program Director
to do this needed work with Nearby Nature MKE. He works on various committees and task
forces to include the Community Advisory Committee for the EPA River Cleanup, Rails with
Trails Conservancy, Friends of Washington Park and Red Bike & Green MKE. Steven is
currently working and seeks to help broaden the importance of Empowerment through active
Stewardship for those conventionally under-represented in the conversation, much less
engagement, around Blue and Green concerns with Blue & Green MKE, llc

Stacy Pagac's education is in Early Childhood and Infant/Toddler education through MATC, and Dance through UWM. Stacy has worked in childcare for over 20 years.
Stacy works as a Teaching Artist, helping students express themselves through music and dance. This is also her passion. She's witnessed that children who learn to express themselves through music and theater arts have shown success with balancing their emotions.
Outside of her Teaching Artist profession, she enjoys spending time with my husband Nicholas, whom she's been married to for 17 years now. They have three boys who we are raising in Franklin, Wisconsin. Their weekends are filled with soccer, baseball, and all sorts of other extracurricular activities.
Stacy is a Certified Massage Therapist since 1994, specializing in Neuromuscular Therapy for pain relief and Sports Massage for athletes. This trade is very complimentary to her as a dancer, as she is always aware of her own body aches, injuries, etc. Having three boys involved in sports, Massage Therapy has also helped them with their muscle strains, and growing pains.
She also work as the After School Program Coordinator at St. Alphonsus, Franklin. She manages and oversees the after-school program, creating various activities for students, handling student behavioral concerns within the program, and the hiring and management of the staff.
Working with children teaches her patience and compassion. It also reminds her that not one child is like another. We all learn differently. We all grow differently. But, we are all special. We are all unique.