"When I'm having a bad day I can come to this class, see my mentee, and the day gets better," Marshall County High School student Brianna Stinnett said. The class brightening certain student's day is the new art mentor class at Marshall County High School. Kelsey Whaley teaches the class made up of 14 pairs of students, one being the mentor and the other a mentee with special needs.

"When I started teaching here, a few students were combined into my advanced art class and I was having to teach two different classes in one so I asked for a class specifically for those students and I brought in 14 other students who would be able to be a mentor to those students," Kelsey Whaley said. Each of the special education students was paired with a mentor who would help guide them through the class for the entire semester. "Not only were they mentors, they were also a friend they could sit with at lunch or talk to in the hallways," Whaley continued.

Throughout the semester, students created projects such as sugar skulls to celebrate the day of the dead, tie-dye shirts for homecoming, and a box sculpture that is placed at the front of the school. Through these projects, the mentors and mentees learned art history, perspective, shapes, lines, forms and color.

"I think both groups of students have grown tremendously. There is definitely improvements in social behaviors and interaction with one another," Whaley said. "I think it's also helped students outside of this class to see what we're doing and the difference it has made," Whaley continued.

Whaley says she hopes to continue the art mentor class every semester.

Students like Johnny McCanddles will be anxiously awaiting the class for the school semesters to come. "I love my classmates, I have a great time here," McCanddles said.