One of the privileges that comes with senior year at Portage High School is the opportunity for
students to purchase and paint their own parking spots. This is a fun tradition that allows for
students to exercise their creativity, express themselves, and create something unique that can be
a representation of their senior year.

After purchasing paint, brushes, and supplies, students were free to come at any time during the
two weeks before the start of the school year to paint their parking spots. Many students shared
painting supplies amongst one another to best utilize their resources, which was essential in
contributing to this special senior year memory.

Besides the limitations of space and types of paint students are permitted to use, those who
choose to participate in this activity enjoy almost total freedom in painting their parking spots.
Students find design inspiration from various different sources, including social media and
personal artistic preferences.

Many painters, such as senior Ashley Nemecek, found ideas for their design through Pinterest.
Her parking spot mural included oceanic details such as bubbles and seashells, drawing
inspiration from Nemecek’s love of the beach.

“It is inspired by The Little Mermaid,” says Nemecek, “which has been my favorite movie since
I was little. I have always loved the beach and collecting seashells so this design really felt like
me!”

While Pinterest was a common source of creative fuel for many painters, some students chose to
follow a more unique, individualized path and start completely from scratch. Some seniors, such
as three-sport athlete Ava Kingery, who participated in golf, unified track, and basketball at PHS,
came up with and created their own designs.

“I wanted to do something different,” says Kingery, “so I made my own design up. My parking
spot is special to me because I painted all 3 of the sports I played throughout all 4 years of high
school.”

The parking spot painting tradition at PHS allows students to express themselves artistically and
create lasting memories that will help them look back on their senior year fondly. Just like
students, no two parking spots are the same, and seniors take pride in the uniqueness of their
designs.