Leesburg High mural, a community effort, will honor students past, present and future

Students returning to campus this fall at Leesburg High School will see a new vision for their future marked in bold colors.

Work began Tuesday on a school mural created by their fellow students and members of the Leesburg community.

"Our principal has been really supportive," said art teacher and organizer Mel Padilla. "He looked at me and said 'Mel I trust you, go paint a wall.'"

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The effort began when the Florida Education Association obtained a grant from the American Federation of Teachers for a mural project at three schools in Lake, Polk and Okeechobee counties. The program, known as We Paint Our Path, aims to "empower school communities to come together, co-create a vision for their school, and design and execute a public mural inspired by their vision."

"During COVID, what really came to light is the inequities of our schools," said Mary Proud with the FEA. "So how do we build up our students? How do we let them process it? How do we let them talk to us about the schools they want to create?"

Principal Michael Randolph said he is proud of the partnership with the FEA.

"It's a testament to the work that we do with our union and that our union does in Lake County," he said.

Two visioning sessions were held that involved students, faculty and members of the community. People were asked to think about what Leesburg High School represents and what it should be like in 20 years. Padilla and other organizers used those meetings along with surveys sent via social media to gather community input. They also interviewed students on campus and held discussions with faculty and staff. Finally, area muralists Drake Arnold and Andrew Raymond met with the art faculty and students to come up with ways to visually represent their collective vision

"Most of the truly great mural pieces are based in symbolism. As we started to roll through the data and the heaps of the things that were very specific, we tried to find the overall concepts," said art teacher Gary Wesolowski.

Some of the central themes of the mural are the school's history, positive change and dreams for the future. The artists drew imagery from the school's history and architecture as well as more universal symbols of community and growth.

"I think it will add some spirit. It will give that extra pep in your step," said student Mia Cuellar, president of the school's National Art Honor Society. "It will make Leesburg seem a little more bright. I think this is really bringing people together."

Randolph's favorite section involves a chain of yellow jackets that becomes flying birds, symbolizing change and student growth. The birds then become paper cranes, a symbol of dreams and wishes fulfilled, before finally becoming a new yellow jacket. The school's clubs and other organizations will find their logos through the mural.

"I love that it's inclusive, down to how we honor our Yellow Jackets from 1927 all the way to our current Yellow Jacket — and then our future Yellow Jacket as well," Randolph said. "Those little touches really make a difference in unleashing who we are and what we want to be."

Tuesday was the first of several planned community painting days, when anyone who wants to join is invited to help paint the mural. Padilla stressed that no experience is necessary, just a desire to beautify the school. She said the goal is to finish work before the start of the school year, so all are welcome. The next painting day will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 1.

"Look at the kids," Randolph said. "How cool is it to see the community come out and really leave their mark on Leesburg High School?"

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: New Leesburg High mural will honor school's history and future