Giant Mural Depicts Careers Taught at ECC

From left, Edgecombe Early College High School students Maria Mosso, Jo’Mya Tillery, Katy Williamson, and Taylor Joyner stand in front of a mural they painted at Edgecombe Community College that represents the various careers for which students can prepare at ECC.

People who visit the Edgecombe Community College Tarboro campus may be surprised to see seven images of people nearly eight feet tall on the side of the Fountain Building.

These images represent the college’s present and future.

A mural depicting a teacher, welder, nurse, law enforcement officer, firefighter, IT professional, and hair stylist overlooking young people “is a visual representation of our mission statement,” explains Dr. John Enamait, vice president of instruction.

“The mural represents not only our current mission, but also where we want to grow,” he says.

For one of four student artists who helped paint the mural over the summer, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I think it’s a great image,” says Edgecombe Early College High School student Katy Williamson. “I’m happy to have my work up there.”

The Early College is located in the Fountain Building, along with the offices and labs of College and Career Readiness, formerly known as Basic Skills.

ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm proposed the idea for a mural a year ago, and she was clear that she wanted the work done by students as a way to “bring more cultural opportunities into our service area,” Dr. Enamait says.

There was no art class in place to help implement the project, so the college added two classes to the existing curriculum to put the mural in motion, according to Dr. Enamait.

About 20 students, primarily from the Early College, signed up for the initial class in January, and the students began learning about the artistic process. By the time the actual painting began in the summer, enrollment had decreased to four students: Katy Williamson, Taylor Joyner, Maria Mosso, and Jo’Mya Tillery.

“Art is one of my hobbies,” says Joyner, 17. “I usually do paper and pencil, so this was a big change. It was an adventure.

“I’m really proud of the mural. I’m glad it turned out like it did.”

Joyner says she eventually wants to study veterinary medicine at North Carolina State University.

Williamson, 17, says she’s interested in a cosmetology degree and later an English degree.

Regardless of what the future holds for the students, the mural will stand as a testament to their hard work as well as the opportunities available at Edgecombe Community College.

“This is a community college, and the mural depicts the community,” says Williamson.

“I think it shows what you can achieve and become when you go to Edgecombe Community College – a firefighter, a welder, a hairdresser – just about anything.”