Named after legendary college basketball coach Pat Summitt, the venue in Arcata serves as both a creative hub and a gathering place for women's sports fans, fostering connection through shared experiences.
“There’s something powerful about watching women’s sports with a community that truly supports them. The rush of adrenaline, the excitement—it's pure joy. Seeing that same energy come alive at The Summitt has been incredibly special,” Cartier says.
Cartier believes in the power of shared experiences. This belief stems from her time at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she discovered the value of creative exploration and community.
Cartier was drawn to Humboldt because of its natural beauty, climate, and unique creative environment. Initially a Zoology major, she soon realized her passion lay in film, and the Humboldt International Film Festival — the world’s oldest student-run film festival — solidified her decision to switch majors.
The Film program at Humboldt emphasized hands-on learning with strong roots in experimental and analog filmmaking. Cartier worked with Super 8 and 16mm film, optical printing, and other techniques that shaped her understanding of the medium. Cartier witnessed the film program’s shift from analog to digital filmmaking. She values that Humboldt continues to embrace both traditions today.
Faculty played a pivotal role in her development as a filmmaker. Professors like John Heckel pushed her and other students beyond their comfort zones, while staff members like Art Zipper and Glenn Nagy provided technical guidance. Cartier also worked as an equipment technician assistant at what is now the Film Center at Gist Hall, gaining hands-on experience with filmmaking tools and equipment. She says she learned to be a scrappy, resourceful filmmaker that seeked to push the boundaries of her craft while at Humboldt.
Beyond academics, she embraced Humboldt’s creative community, attending house parties, and music events, and organizing multimedia film screenings. One of her most memorable experiences was hosting a multimedia event at a firehouse in Samoa, featuring live music and film projections. During her third year, Cartier studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, earning a minor in French. This experience broadened her perspective and cultivated her adventurous approach to life.
“Humboldt teaches you to trust your exploration,” Cartier says. “Even if people don’t totally understand you, that’s okay. Humboldt teaches you to figure it out, and have fun while trying.”
Encouraged by mentors, she pursued graduate school despite initial doubts.
“I never thought I’d go to grad school. Traditional academia seemed daunting, but that’s why you have mentors—people who push you,” she says.
This led her to the European Graduate School, a university renowned for its advanced intellectual inquiry and inventive approaches in art, philosophy, and critical thought, where she studied under renowned thinkers and artists, including John Beaudry, Chantal Akerman, Claire Denis, Jean-Luc Nancy, and Angela Davis. These experiences reinforced her commitment to challenging norms, rethinking community, and using art and philosophy as tools for change in places like the Summitt, a space for people to create, be inspired, think, and be.
“The very most special thing that I've experienced with The Summitt is witnessing the connections made, the conversations that take place. It’s an intrinsic connection,” Cartier says.
Through teaching, filmmaking, and The Summitt, Cartier continues to push boundaries and foster creative communities. She embodies the resourcefulness and innovation she honed at Humboldt.
Cartier joined Cal Poly Humboldt as a film lecturer in 2013 and now teaches full-time and continues to employ conceptually driven approach that has greatly influenced her artistic vision.
“One of the things I love about teaching here is when students see ‘Dr.’ on my nameplate and realize they can go for it, too. Seeing students trust themselves and embrace their full potential is really cool.” Cartier says. “Humboldt was my foundation. It gave me space to figure out what I wanted out of life. That’s what I want for my students—to know they can figure it out, too.”