A Labor of Love

On the outside wall of Tulsa Tech’s Children’s Learning Lab at the Peoria Campus, a vibrant mural now greets students, parents and staff. Bursting with color and symbolism, the mural tells a story much deeper than paint and brick. It’s a tribute, one rooted in memory, resilience and personal passion.

Lemley Memorial Campus Director and former art teacher, Dr. Sam Ramsey, created the mural after learning about the longtime dream of the late Becky Cunningham, a former instructor at the Children’s Learning Lab, to have a mural painted.

“Becky had talked with Randy Craven, the Executive Director of Student Affairs & Partner School Relations, about painting a mural because that wall looked like a prison wall,” Ramsey said. “It was supposed to be a joyful place for kids.”

When initial plans for a vinyl wrap were ruled out due to the wall’s rough texture, Ramsey offered a solution from the heart and the brush.

“I reminded Randy that I was an art teacher and offered to do the mural,” Ramsey said.

The project quickly became personal. Not only was it a way to honor Cunningham, but it also paid a quiet tribute to Ramsey’s wife, a breast cancer survivor.
“My wife went through breast cancer 12 years ago and has been cancer-free ever since,” he said. “Becky loved sunflowers, and if you walk into the CLL office, you’ll see sunflower paintings everywhere. That became the theme.”

Ramsey began planning the mural two years ago while completing his doctoral degree at the University of Oklahoma. Balancing work, school and family, he carved out time during early summer mornings to paint.

“I’d get there around 6:00 am and work until the sun made it too hot,” he said. “It was hard to find time during the school year with my daughter in volleyball and weekends always busy.”

Though he had painted murals before, mostly in children’s bedrooms, this was his first outdoor project.

“The heat definitely made it challenging,” he said. “But it was worth it.”

The mural took between 50 and 60 hours to complete. Layers of paint, especially on the sunflowers, bring depth and life to the wall. Still, Ramsey admits to a perfectionist streak.

“Every time I look at it, I think, ‘I should’ve done this differently,’” he said. “That’s why I rarely display my own work even at home.”

Ramsey’s journey from art teacher to campus director may seem unlikely, but he sees it as a natural evolution rooted in the same core passion—helping students.
“Back when I taught art at Union High School, I loved the one-on-one interaction,” he said. “As an administrator, I still get to help students and staff identify their strengths and work toward their goals.”

That passion for education runs deep in his family. His wife is a reading specialist at Foyil Public Schools, and their two daughters are both pursuing careers in health care—one already a registered nurse, the other on a volleyball scholarship at Northeastern Oklahoma with plans to enter the medical field.

Eventually, Ramsey hopes to paint a sunflower field on the other side of the wall.

“I love doing this stuff,” he said. “It was a win-win. I got to do something I enjoy, and it honors two people who mean a lot to me.”

In a quiet corner of campus, one man’s brush strokes have transformed concrete into a lasting tribute to legacy, love and learning, while bringing joy to the children in the Early Care and Education program too!