By Kyle Poccia

Beautify EGHS is a school club composed of students with the united objective of making the high school an aesthetically welcoming space. Having been built in 1965, the school’s interior has evidently not received any artistic update in some time, a fact that is palpable to students, faculty, and visitors alike. While the school has undergone additions to the school’s campus, when walking into the stairwells and classrooms, the interior feels dated. 

Beautify EGHS’s transformative projects are working to change. The club’s aim, according to faculty advisor Deanna Agresti, is to “create a welcoming environment in the school by finding spaces that need attention and beautifying them,” with a particular emphasis on spaces shared by the community. Agresti has been the leader of the club since its conception in 2014. Agresti not only teaches Unified Arts and Photography but also demonstrates her commitment to the school through leadership and involvement in the club. 

The work starts on paper, with Beautify EGHS members using a variety of the skills they’ve learned through art and design classes at the high school. The students then use their digital skills to enhance the project and bring it to life. The final step? Physical creation – possibly painting a mural or updating display cases throughout the school.

The goal of the club, said president Valentina Oteiza, is to provide “a warm and welcoming environment throughout the school, making it artistically pleasing and adaptable for future generations.” Valentina, now in her  senior year at East Greenwich High School, has been instrumental in the club’s success since freshman year. She reflected on her time in the club, noting that her favorite piece was the mural she helped create in the language department hallway which says “hello” in multiple different languages. She noted that the piece is both “functional and aesthetic.” 

Beautify EGHS hopes to continue transfiguring the school. The club currently has many projects in the works including adding designs in the hallway outside the old  gymnasium. With a new wave of creative members joining each year, Beautify EGHS looks to continue enhancing the school’s visual appeal for years to come.

Kyle Poccia is a senior at East Greenwich High School.