I asked my grandsons to draw me a picture of anything they wanted to draw.  A.J., age 5, drew pictures of all four seasons. The picture of summer has a nice rainbow. Owen, age 2, drew lines and circles. I wonder what teenagers would choose if they were asked to draw or paint anything.

I'm in the parking lot of Warren Area High School, admiring the artwork of some of the students who drive here.

Artwork in the parking lot? 

Students at Warren, once they become seniors, are given the honor of painting their own parking space. They can paint anything they choose as long as it's tasteful.

Josh Vincent, school principal, implemented the idea three years ago.

"Kids are really excited about it,” he said. “Every year it has grown. We started out with 18, and I believe this year we're at 64 painted spots."

Leyna and Meea Irwin are twins. They are also soccer players at the school. They incorporated a soccer field into their painting.

"We grew up playing soccer, and we're committed to play at a collegiate level,”  Leyna said. “So we decided to just go along with the Edinboro and Point Park logos and do something with our future."

The painting of parking spaces is a big deal at this school and not just for the seniors.

The families of the students are invited to pitch in and help. Adon Meier's family was excited to help with Adon's painting that honors his soccer and track career.

"We had a plan and we set it all out. We were up here for a good six or seven hours or so,” Meier said.

"It kind of brought us all together as a school,” Meea Irwin adds. “We kind of shared paint and also enjoyed the activity."

Parking lots are kind of bland and boring. Not at this school.

The colorful works of art really liven up the space. Alas, some of these paintings will be gone at the end of the school year. Jacob Retterer, a football player, hopes his space will live on.

"Who knows, maybe somebody from football will get this spot next year and keep adding on to it,” he said.

While a lot of the spaces deal with sports, Emma Gray’s parking space is devoted to a lifelong dream.

Emma has wanted to be a police officer since elementary school. She knew years ago how she would paint her space.

"My dream career is to go into law enforcement,” she said. “I respect our community a lot, so I decided to do a law enforcement flag."

Hmm...I wonder how I would paint my parking spot if given the opportunity? Maybe the logo of The Last Word.

Principal Vincent said he was inspired to start the activity at Warren High after seeing similar projects at other schools.

Only seniors who purchase a parking permit can participate. School administrators approve the designs.  However, a proposal rarely has to be turned down.