Part of our mission and vision is to provide an exceptional learning environment for all San Marcos students. This can mean a lot of different things, like upgraded technology in the classroom, better safety features on campus and it can also mean improving the surroundings. With a generous grant from Deckers Brands, we were able to bring life and hope to a drab and dreary area on campus and create a BIG and BEAUTIFUL mural! 

For more stories on the mural, click here for the KEYT segment and click here for the Noozhawk article!

RPF collaborated with local artist and SMHS alum Michael Matheson, art teachers, students and the greater community to make our dream a reality! Michael began working with SMHS art teacher, Katie Garibay, and together they created a Royal Time program for students that met twice a week during the second term to discuss fonts, colors, designs and how to create a mural. Michael brought the ideas together and they all landed on the message, “The Future is Ours.” There were about 20 students in this group and many of them were able to spend hours each day, for almost two weeks, painting alongside Michael and other community volunteers to complete the large 16-by-185-foot mural.

This project was overseen by RPF board member, Peggy Reagan, and RPF board president, Julie Strand, and each were able to use their community connections to bring in more collaborations to this project. For example, local painter and SMHS alum Prospero Sotelo donated his time to powerwash, prime and paint the base coat to the wall - this saved a great deal of time and money. Prospero worked with Dunn Edwards Paint and they donated most of the paint for the project! There were also many local restaurants that pitched in to provide lunches for all of the student volunteers including: Rudy’s, Southcoast Deli, Local, Dave’s Dogs and Jersey Mike’s.  

San Marcos High School has never looked better! We hope you come to campus to see for yourself and feel inspired and be filled with lots of royal pride! The Future is Ours.