Brookdale Students to Create Large-Scale Mural Celebrating College Values Through New Mentorship Initiative
This semester, five Brookdale Community College art students will help leave a lasting mark on campus, literally.
Selected through a competitive application process, the students will collaborate on creating a large-scale mural inside MAN 114 as part of the Open Doors Mentorship, a new initiative from Brookdale’s Whyman Center for Transformative Learning designed to connect creative learning with real-world professional experience.
The project will be guided by adjunct faculty mentor Justin DeMattico, who will lead students through the process of designing and producing a commissioned public artwork that reflects Brookdale’s values of Courage, Collaboration, Creativity, and Compassion. Art & Design Department Chair Amy Faris is collaborating on the initiative, offering guidance and mentorship to DeMattico while supporting the students and the overall vision of the project.
The student artists selected for the project include:
- Sarah Badgley
- Michael Piereth
- Adamaris Valverde
- Rose Bednarski
- Danni Sterman
Together, the team will design and paint a mural on the far-right wall of MAN 114 that visually represents the college’s mission, vision, and values. The project will be developed in collaboration with Brookdale’s President’s Task Force on Mission, Vision, and Values, ensuring the artwork reflects the ideas and identity of the Brookdale community.
Beyond creating a meaningful campus installation, the initiative also provides a professional development opportunity for students pursuing careers in art and design.
“This project gives students the opportunity to step into a real-world creative commission,” said said Angela Kariotis, Director of the Center for Transformative Learning. “They will not only create something meaningful for the campus but also develop leadership, collaboration, and professional artistic skills.”
Throughout the semester, students will work closely with DeMattico while also helping lead community paint sessions that invite the broader Brookdale community to participate in the creative process.
The collaborative sessions are designed to reinforce the very values the mural represents, bringing together students, faculty, and staff in a shared act of creativity and expression.
The mural initiative grew out of conversations with the President’s Task Force and the Whyman Center for Transformative Learning, which is dedicated to creating innovative, healing-centered educational experiences rooted in creativity, courage, collaboration, and critical hope.
Through programs like Open Doors Mentorship, the center provides students with immersive opportunities that bridge classroom learning with leadership, professional practice, and community engagement.
Once completed, the mural will serve as a permanent visual reflection of Brookdale’s values and the voices of the students who helped bring them to life.
The project will conclude with a formal unveiling celebration scheduled before June 30, 2026, recognizing the student artists, their mentor, and the community members who contributed to the work.
Students will also document their artistic journey and reflect on their experience through interviews to be featured in a future edition of the Brookdale Bulletin.
As the paint goes on the wall and ideas come to life, the mural will become more than just a work of art; it will stand as a lasting reminder of the creativity, collaboration, and courage that define the Brookdale community.