Hendrick Hudson Senior Leaves Legacy with History Mural
Hendrick Hudson High School senior Rachael Anderson has literally turned history into art in American History teacher Michael Witkowich’s classroom, completing a floor-to-ceiling mural that illustrates key moments from the AP U.S. History curriculum.
The massive work, which spans the length of the back wall, grew out of a final “choice project” in her Advanced Drawing & Painting class last year and soon evolved into a passion project that stretched across two school years.
“I’m very happy with how it turned out,” Rachael said. “I like that this is the legacy I’m leaving behind.”
She began by creating a digital sketch focused on major events from the nine periods of AP U.S. History, then projected the design onto the wall, traced it in chalk, and painted in the details over many months, often giving up free periods and lunches to make progress.
The idea for the mural originated in art teacher Jessica Nash’s Advanced Drawing & Painting class, where students were encouraged to pursue a final project that reflected their personal interests using techniques and materials from the course.
“She was very into U.S. History and often talked about the class,” Mrs. Nash said. “She made a digital design that she wanted to turn into a large wall mural. I gave her feedback on her design and helped her get started in Mike’s class, but because of the scale, we knew it would take longer than the original four-week timeline.”
Rachael’s commitment was evident—and appreciated. Witkowich said he was “thrilled” when Rachael asked to use his room for the project, especially since the back wall and the area near it, previously covered by a large flag, needed to be refreshed. He noted that she designed the concept herself, selecting a major event, figure or theme for each AP U.S. History time period and transforming the wall into a visual timeline that draws students in the moment they walk through the door.
“This process would have broken other students—the level of detail, the size of the wall and the time necessary to complete it was daunting,” he said. “She did this all while balancing an extremely demanding schedule, scoring a 5 on the AP U.S. History Exam, and being involved in multiple clubs and sports teams. To say that I’m proud of her wouldn’t do it justice. Instead, she literally transformed my room. More importantly, she brought history to life for future generations in my classroom.”
Rachael, who is headed to BYU in Utah to study exercise science on a pre-med track, said the mural was about combining two interests—art and history—and leaving something meaningful behind. She carefully selected events that offered strong visual storytelling while avoiding topics she felt might be too controversial, aiming instead for topics that would resonate with students for years to come.
She said those who have seen the finished wall have been surprised that one student completed the entire mural. The reaction has been “very sweet and supportive,” she added.
For Mrs. Nash and Mr. Witkowich, the mural is more than a striking backdrop; it is a daily teaching tool and a model of student initiative.
“Mike was so supportive of her continuing the work into this school year, and I was happy to see her follow through and complete it,” Mrs. Nash said. “She set such a great example of what it means to share talents through art.”
Mr. Witkowich added that students now routinely comment on the mural and will use it as a jumping-off point to talk about the historical moments it depicts for years to come.
“It’s something that they not only appreciate,” he said, “but will talk about in terms of the history behind it. That’s the whole purpose of the mural.”