This summer, the gymnasium at Riverside Middle School is undergoing a transformation, one brushstroke at a time. At the heart of the project is retired educator Lauren Espinoza, who, after 13 years at Riverside and a 32-year career in education, is leaving behind more than memories — she’s leaving a masterpiece.

Espinoza is painting a mural featuring a Viking ship cutting through waves, framed by a fiery sunset and soon to be crashing through a wall of broken bricks. The bold imagery isn’t random — it’s rooted in purpose, symbolism and love. It nods to the school’s mascot, the Vikings, but more than that, it’s a message of motion, courage and belief.

“I love to paint, but I also love this school,” Espinoza said. “Riverside’s always been a second home to me. The people, the kids — this is a way that I can give back.”

She’s giving back more than art — it’s emblematic of a message. Espinoza said she has often shared her story of discovering her artistic potential later in life. She didn’t pick up a paintbrush until she was 40.

“I one hundred percent believed I had zero artistic ability,” she said. “I didn’t take art in high school. I avoided it. I thought everything I made looked awful compared to the kids around me. I was afraid of being laughed at.”

That changed one afternoon when her daughter asked her to paint alongside her for a school project.

“I laughed at first, but she didn’t want to paint alone, so I said yes,” Espinoza recalled. “We went to Walmart, grabbed a cheap board and acrylic set, and sat down to paint. I absolutely fell in love.”

The experience awakened something in her she hadn’t known was there.

“I painted that first picture and thought, ‘Holy cow, where did that come from?'” she said. “Honestly, I still feel that way most of the time I’m creating.”

She comes by it honestly. Her great-aunt Nell was a watercolorist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the early 1900s and created more than 700 commissioned botanical illustrations for the University of California system.

“I’ve never seen her work in person, just online,” Espinoza said. “But I’d love to.”

The Riverside mural is a visual gift, grounded in passion and purpose. It’s a reminder to students that growth doesn’t always follow a straight path — and that it’s never too late to discover something extraordinary inside yourself. While the Viking ship is the visual centerpiece, it’s the meaning behind the waves, the movement and the bricks yet to be painted that bring it to life.

“My students know the story,” she said. “I’ve shared it with them for years: You have to believe in yourself. Get out of your way. Focus on your growth. You never know what’s inside you until you give it a shot. Quit comparing yourself to everyone else and just grow.”

She hopes that Riverside students, staff and families will feel that message when they walk into the gym — and that Riverside opponents will feel just a bit intimidated by the 10-foot Viking ship bearing down upon them from above.

“I hope when the kids and staff walk in, they think, ‘That’s pretty cool.’ And I hope my former students — especially the ones I had just last year — take some pride in knowing their teacher did that.”

Espinoza may have officially retired, but she’s far from finished. After completing the mural, she’s working on two art commissions from former students, with more to follow.

“My plan?” she said with a smile. “Just more art for me.”