Thumping music echoed down the hallway as each volunteer entered the room. They crowded around a table to gather their supplies and carefully pick out their paints.
Ceramic boots lined another table; the number slowly dwindled as more volunteers spread around the room to get to work.
The Crafty Jaguars Club of Texas A&M University-San Antonio hosted a painting event Nov. 5 in the Science and Technology Building to help raise money for the Dream Maker Scholarship.
The scholarship is given to one student who has faced adversities. It is meant to provide them with financial support in continuing their education and achieving their dreams.
The president’s office collaborated with the Crafty Jaguars to bring the event to life; the event is set to happen every fall semester.
“This was going to be a yearly thing… even after I have left. So hopefully this becomes a traditional thing,” said Crafty Jaguars President Neveah Mendoza.
For the event, the president’s office provided the art supplies for the Crafty Jaguars and volunteers to help paint 50 ceramic boots. They will be sold at the 17th Annual Dream Maker Scholarship Celebration Nov. 21. Mendoza said the funds earned will be added to the money already donated by various A&M-San Antonio sponsors.
The boot-painting event was inspired by Jordan Burbank, an athletic and annual giving officer at A&M-San Antonio, Mendoza said.
The theme, boots and boa scarves, was chosen by one of the sponsors, attorney Jane Macon. She will be honored Nov. 21 at the celebration for helping fund A&M-San Antonio. It will be in the Mays Family Center at the Witte Museum.
The Crafty Jaguars brought the theme to life in the Science and Technology building. Tables were brightly decorated, posters were hung on the walls and drawings of boots covered the whiteboards of the classroom they used.
“It’s very pink. Very Vegas vibes,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said the boot-paintings don’t have to follow the theme. She encouraged anyone to stop by, whether they had painting experience or not.
“They don’t have to be perfect artwork because there’s always going to be someone out there who likes them,” Mendoza said. “We’re just here to get people to paint, relieve their stress off of it…”
Sophomore biology major Angelica Castoreno and senior business managagement major Shelby Cardenas were among the volunteers for the event.
They said they had limited experience with art besides taking one art class. They decided to sign up when they came across it on Jagsync because they enjoy painting.
“It seemed fun. It was something to do,”Castoreno said.
Castoreno and Cardenas decided not to follow the theme. Each of them had their own brightly colored boot, one pink and one blue, and were painting whatever came to their minds.
Other volunteers were scattered around the room. Some came alone, quietly vibing with the music and focused on their boots
Some volunteers were paired up with friends, like Castoreno and Cardenas.
At the end of the event the boots were collected in preparation to be sold.
Mendoza said the Crafty Jaguars were expecting about 10 volunteers to show up, but they can reach up to about 30 people depending on the day. Any boots that were left over were finished by the Crafty Jaguars and student workers.
Mendoza said while the event was fun and relaxing, it was for a good cause.
“It gives an opportunity to those who are not at the lowest point in their lives, but are kind of at the bottom and struggling to keep it together… It can help you achieve your goals to continue your dreams. That’s why it’s called dream scholarship. It’s a dream maker.”
Asenath De Leon contributed to this story.
