The gift of mentorship through art was on display in Fort Worth as middle and elementary school students painted murals highlighting their diverse neighborhood.
A table outside Kirkpatrick Middle School in Fort Worth on Thursday was covered in cups of bright-colored paint, waiting for students to make a mural outlined on the wall come to life.
"Which one should I get?" eighth-grader Jocelyn Diaz asked. "I want it to be nice."
The mural is a reflection of the student body. The theme is one of diversity.
"We have so many students that come to Kirkpatrick Middle School from across the world," Principal Jeffrey Bartolotta said. "We represent 15 to 20 different countries of students that come here to Kirkpatrick."
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The mural features some of them in bold letters: Iraq, El Salvador, Rwanda, and United States.
College students with the National Collegiate Honors Council chose Kirkpatrick Elementary and Middle Schools for a mural community service project. They also helped paint.
"Making sure the kids know that they have a place where they're welcome," Indiana University of Pennsylvania pre-law student Milady Lagunas said. "I think that really emphasizes what I'm trying to tell them, that they can go to school (college) even though they're from a different background."
The message is in bold bright color: "YOU BELONG HERE."
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"That anyone can come to this school," eighth-grader Edith Gomez said.
"It makes me happy to see that so much people are coming together as a community," Augusta University pre-med student Karen Aikhionbare said. "Just working on something and having a common goal."
That goal is to beautify the neighborhood and encourage students to dream.
"There's some people that are nice," sixth-grader Abinael Munoz said. "Grateful that we're painting the wall to make the world better."
