Sixteen students from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Allied Health Professions in Omaha finished a brightly colored mural along a popular trail over the weekend.
A blue and white DNA strand, accompanied with the words “We Stand Together” is meant to reflect on solidarity, hope and creativity during these challenging times. Charlie King is a student organizer and a second year student in the genetic counseling program, which painted the mural.
"Just feel like a sense of belonging and just know that they're not alone, if they might feel isolated due to maybe the racial or social inequities that have been present in the world," King said. "Just know that there's people that support them and the people that stand with them. As well as those people that are working from home or doing things like that with precautions because of the pandemic, just know that they're not alone. Us as a community as like an Omaha community, Nebraska community, we all stand together."
Since switching the program to online last spring, students weren’t able to participate in the same volunteer opportunities that they typically could. King said the mural brought smiles to people who were biking or walking by on the Keystone Trail. It replaced graffiti on the wall with the positive message and was a way for the students to be involved in the community.