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An Okanagan College student has donated a beautiful piece of artwork which she hopes will inspire others as much as the instructor who inspired her.

While it might not be uncommon to find a periodic table adorning the hallways of a post-secondary institution, Okanagan College’s Vernon campus is now home to one unlike any other in the world.

The unique piece of artwork is in honour of former instructor Donna Leigh Goodman, who taught Adult Basic Education (also known as Adult Upgrading) programs including science and mathematics courses for 26 years. She passed away in May of 2018.

Kendra Scarrott is the artist behind the painting, a former student of Goodman’s from the 2016-17 school year. Scarrott completed her Math 11 and Chemistry 11 and 12 requirements at Okanagan College and spent nearly every day on campus, seeing Goodman on a regular basis. The piece is titled Palimpsest and will hang in the hallway adjacent the chemistry lab where Goodman taught.

“I began the painting artwork shortly after I finished upgrading at Okanagan College,” said Scarrott. “I was very inspired by what I had learned about the universe and the physical world – particularly the way that humanity's understanding of the universe has changed over time. The idea with Palimpsest was to create a visual representation of this evolving understanding of truth and facts.”

Scarrott hopes the painting reminds people of Goodman and inspires faculty to do their best to make an impact every day.

She added, “I also hope it sparks discussion. There are lots of meaningful little aspects to the piece that I threw in and I hope people can talk and maybe even debate about them.”

“This addition to our campus is a beautiful way of honouring Donna Leigh,” said Jane Lister, Regional Dean for the North Okanagan. “Donna Leigh was dedicated to her students and she made an indelible impression on colleagues and students alike through her passion for teaching.”

“Her work was such a huge part of her life as she strove to teach her students how to solve complex science and math concepts so that they could advance their educational pursuits. On behalf of Okanagan College, we thank Kendra for her thoughtful contribution to our community and for reminding us all of Donna Leigh.”