A Bennington student's colorful, animal-inspired artwork is now on display on one of Metro transit's 40-foot-long buses.
Avery Hightower, 15, was announced as the winner of Metro's Wheel Appeal contest Monday. The contest asked Omaha-area students to submit designs representing what public transit meant to them.
Hightower, a freshman at Bennington High School, was joined by family and friends as her design was unveiled at Metro's headquarters.
Hightower's design features an array of animals, including cats, dogs, a bird and a snake, along with the messages "Differences matter" and "All the pawsiblities." She said she wanted to showcase animals with features like a missing eye or leg to bring awareness to disabilities.
"Sometimes people with disabilities have to use public transit, and we shouldn't judge them for it," she said.
Hightower said she was surprised when her mom told her she had won the contest, and it was exciting to see her design come to life.
"It's kind of overwhelming, and it just means a lot, because I never expected this to happen," she said.
Hightower said she drew the design by hand and then used markers to color it in. She said she started focusing more on improving her drawing skills during the pandemic.
"It shows my creativity, and it helps me get my feelings out in a different way," she said.
Hightower's mom, Tabitha Hightower, said it felt unreal to see her daughter's design on the bus, but she thought the design was fitting.
"It's so bright and cute," she said. "She loves animals, and I think this is a perfect representation for something she would create that would be going around the city."
As she spoke during the event Monday, Metro CEO Lauren Cencic said she thinks the Wheel Appeal contest is a way to encourage creativity and help connect youths in the Omaha community with public transit. Cencic said she hopes the artwork inspires everyone who sees it.
"It serves to remind us that we all have possibilities to bring to the table, we can all be vibrant, and we can all celebrate what makes us different and what makes us shine," she said.
The unveiling of the Wheel Appeal design was part of Metro's celebration of Nebraska Public Transit Week. As he spoke at the event, Daniel Padilla, the vice chair of Metro's board of directors, said he thinks the designated week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of public transit.
"It's really about more than getting people from one place to another," he said. "It's about access, opportunities and making connections along the way."
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