Yolanda studied art at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where she is originally from. She has taught art for more than 20 years at both the elementary and high school levels and has also taught at her studio in Gaithersburg. The world of art has brought Yolanda much happiness and has allowed her to have wonderful experiences, including meeting and painting a portrait of former South African President Nelson Mandela in 1998. Yolanda illustrated the book “Christmas Rose,” by Dalton Delan, which published in 2012. In 2011, she began teaching a popular extracurricular art class at St. Raphael School. The following year, Yolanda officially joined the staff as the art teacher for all grades, where she is passing along her love of art to her students.