When Mount Clemens High School resumes classes in the fall students will be greeted by an inspiring work of art created through a collaboration between Anton Art Center and muralist Wendy Popko.

It’s nothing like what Principal Dennis Veal II imagined.

But Veal and all of the other guests, including teachers, parents and community leaders who attended Tuesday’s unveiling of the public art mural done by this year’s graduating senior class were impressed by what they saw.

“I love it,” said Veal, whose first thought on the subject was to create a mural that illustrated how the school district was rising from its previous self and improving its graduation rates and overall experience for students. To that end he suggested maybe a phoenix rising out of the ashes.

“When I presented this idea to the students they said, ‘No way. We are not phoenixes and we’re not rising up out of the ashes. We’re Bathers,’” said Popko, referring to the name of the school’s athletic teams while recalling her initial meeting with the students.

It was then that Popko — who was asked by the art center to guide the students in their creation of the mural — learned a little history about the high school that was built in 1924.“The Bathers come from the days of Bath City,” said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, who, being a wrestler in his youth, remembered the historic logo for the school’s wrestling team was a battling Bather holding his fists up.

“That’s how that became their mascot,” said Hackel, who was among the community leaders who came out to see the new mural.

Also present for the event was Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp who believes when a person walks into a school it should feel inviting. She said what the new mural says to visitors is that this is a beautiful place and you’ll want to be a part of it.

“The world needs a lot more art to make it better,” said Kropp.

Matt Matthews concurred.

“We know the impact that art has on the health and well being of a person and we felt it was important that Mount Clemens Community Schools’ students have access to opportunities like this,” said the director of Anton Art Center, who applied for the $5,000 grant from the Michigan Arts and Cultural Council and National Endowment for the Arts that made it possible to create the mural and several other projects including a field trip to the art center and poetry workshop.

Among those who appreciated his efforts were 52 high school seniors who were given time from their usual classes to help draw out the imagery and paint sections of the mural that stands 10 feet wide and 12 feet high.

At its center is a bather, swimming through a kaleidoscope of colorful waves and images illustrating the demands, adversity and joys that a student experiences in order to rise to the surface and receive their diploma.

“We’re really grateful to the art center,” Veal said, noting the high school building is in need of updates but there is no money in the budget for aesthetic improvements. “This was an opportunity to update the building and create a point of pride for the students.”

“I really like to paint,” said Cheyenne Jefferson and among the students who attended the mural unveiling.

She also loved the idea of not having to go to class but spend the hour with her fellow graduates.

Kyra Span said being with her friends and working on the project together was her favorite part.

“I don’t really like to paint. I mean, it’s not like it’s a hobby or anything but it was really nice to get to know my senior class,” said Mikala Brown.

Besides insisting their mural should feature a strong bather, the seniors also made a point to include a math sequence that added up to their graduating year of 2025 and the number one to the Bather’s jersey as a memorial to Don Williams, a Mount Clemens High School graduate who was killed in 2020.

“I didn’t know him personally but I knew of him,” Jefferson said, of the student known to be a remarkable football player and inspiring leader to his classmates and peers. “He was somebody that kids looked up to.”

The senior class also insisted on pointing out their favorite teacher was Melissa Marino.

“It’s amazing that they advocated this for me,” said Marino, who has been a teacher in the school for more than 18 years. “It just fills my heart.”