Oct. 16, 2026
Photos by Lifestyle & Living Photography
Information supplied by Lifestyle & Living Photography.
Local artist and graphic designer Kyzandrha Zárate recently spent three days at Brevard High School creating a striking custom mural honoring the school’s the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (MCJROTC).
Zárate collaborated with Lt. Col. Charles Megown, senior marine instructor at Brevard High, to transform their initial ideas into a finished design that combines artistic vision, advanced technology, and traditional hand-painted artistry to honor the young cadets in training.
“Thanks to this incredible mural, it feels like our house is now a home,” said Lt. Col. Charles Megown in a news release. “Kyzandrha is an absolute genius who took our vague thoughts and transformed them into this beautiful work of art.”
The project holds special meaning for Zárate; her father Sergio Zárate served in the United States Air Force from 1973 to 1979. He said seeing his daughter create artwork for young people who may one day serve their country filled him with pride.
“It makes me feel so proud to see her creating a mural for cadets who may one day be doing what I did for our country: writing a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including one’s life,” Sergio Zárate said.
Kyzandrha Zárate used a virtual reality headset to efficiently translate the approved digital design into a precise sketch on the wall before painting.
“The VR headset ensures precision and allows me to translate a design from concept to a working sketch in a fraction of the time,” she explained. “As someone who juggles multiple projects and responsibilities, time is valuable. As a perfectionist, I want to ensure the finished mural stays true to the design we presented and approved.”
Brevard High School has hosted the MCJROTC program for morwe than 11 years and the mural will now be part of the daily environment for generations of cadets and other public school students.