Five amateur art students from Jackson High School worked for nearly a year to complete a 40-foot mural that now decks the hall of the new engineering building on the Baker College of Jackson campus. The large painting, resulting from a competition for mural concepts conducted by the College last year, depicts a narrative of technology and engineering. The all-female art team also received a $500 prize to assist in purchasing the necessary supplies to complete the artwork.

The engineering facility contains over 8,000 square feet of mechanical lab space and an additional 6,000 square feet of instructional and student space, including common areas for study and relaxation. Housed within the building are a wide range of equipment – computer numerical controlled (CNC) mills and lathes for industrial applications, fully outfitted thermodynamics setups and electrical, fluids, hydraulics and structures labs. The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Jackson Commercial Contractors Association, awarded Baker College of Jackson its 2017 Brick Award for this facility. The award honors the owner(s) of a building who have substantially upgraded the physical façade and facilities by improving the interior and/or exterior of an existing building or a new building that has been built from the ground up.

With projected growth in the fields of engineering and manufacturing within the community and elsewhere, this building is a significant step toward investment in and support of these industries in the Jackson area.