Dedication ceremony welcomes new mural to College Station

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - There’s a brand new mural in College Station thanks to the hard work of a Texas A&M University senior.

A dedication ceremony Sunday morning welcomed the new mural that spans the wall at the A&M United Methodist Church Annex on Tauber Street. It features some of the defining characteristics of both the school and the church.

Artist and member of the congregation Kaitlyn McCollum says it was fun painting. She hopes anyone who sees it, whether they be a student, alumni, or just a visitor, they feel like they’re a part of the town and the traditions of Aggieland.

”I was trying to find a mix of how to combine the church community and A&M and Aggieland as a whole, and what has really spoken to me during my time at A&M,” McCollum said. “What means a lot to me and every Aggie that comes through this college and comes to the university, what are they impacted by as well.”

She says the part she enjoyed even more was all the Aggies who stopped by to share their experiences on campus with her throughout the process .

“I got to see College Station’s best” McCollum said. “I was never alone for more than 15 minutes at a time because whether they were just neighbors living in the area, people walking around town, people going to Northgate on a Friday night, everyone wanted to stop and ask me about the process and tell me where they’re from. We just got to relate on why they love A&M as well.”

McCollum says it took her about six weeks to finish and painted for 8 to 12 hours on some days. She says the most difficult parts were handling the Texas summer heat and one instance of vandalism.

McCollum got to be a part of something bigger than a mural, she says.

“It’s really humbling, and I’m just really proud of it to be honest,” McCollum said. “I have wanted to go to A&M since day one of life, I feel like. It has always been my dream to be here, and I wanted to do something big. I wanted to leave my mark on this campus. I wanted to give back to the university that has given to my family for so many generations, and a church that’s been a part of our family for forever as well. To give just a little part back and tell the story of people in a community that means so much to me is just a really incredible experience.”

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