Fifth-year Oxford Schools Early College (OSEC) student Lauren Miller, along with a group of elementary students, are turning a Lakeville Elementary hallway into an avenue of literature by painting the 83 lockers found in the fifth-grade hallway to look like the spines of popular books.

Miller’s four volunteer assistants are Lakeville fourth-graders Olivia Bristow, Kaitlyn McFadden and Alex De La Fuente; along with fifth-grader Freddie Shepherd.

Each of the students volunteered to help Miller paint the lockers for her OSEC Capstone project.

Miller has been working with the students twice a week since mid-January to complete the project.

The once-blue lockers now feature the spines of popular books like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

According to Miller, while she has always been interested in art, it wasn’t until about a year ago that she began taking art classes at Macomb Community College through the OSEC program.

“I pretty much live and breathe art now,” she added.

She wanted to share her love of art with local students through the project.

“One of the things I love about art is it’s a universal language. You don’t need to have the same language or share the same culture to appreciate a work of art. That was something I really wanted to get across to the kids that are working on it. It’s interesting seeing these blank lockers turned into these amazing works of art that the kids are all doing,” Miller said.

Miller plans to attend College for Creative Studies in the fall, where she will study illustration.

Principal Kristy Gibson-Marshall said she’s been excited to see the students’ months of hard work coming together to brighten up the school’s hallway.

“One of the big things that we talk about here is leaving a legacy. I love the fact that these students are getting a chance to leave something behind. Every time they walk by, they’ll be able to say ‘I did that.’ I think this will inspire these students to take action in the world,” Gibson-Marshall said.

Miller said she expects the project to be completed in May 2018.