ODESSA, Tx. (KOSA) An Odessa teacher paid tribute to his former student and the youngest victim of the Odessa mass shooting, Leila Hernandez, by creating a portrait for her family.
Seven people were killed in the August 31st mass shooting, including 15-year-old Odessa High School student Leila Hernandez.
Adam Cross was Hernandez’s eighth grade art teacher at Ector Middle School. Cross said when he heard her name on the victim’s list, he recognized it immediately, even out of the names of the hundreds of students he’s taught in the past.
“As soon as I even heard it was Leila Hernandez, I remembered exactly who she was. I started looking online and social media then when they released her picture, that was confirmation. And it was heartbreaking. Because as a teacher, you hate to hear whenever a former student passes away,” he said.
Cross was inspired to share his talents, in hopes of helping the family heal.
“The biggest inspiration was Leila herself. Being able to remember her so quickly and so vividly how sweet of a girl that she was, would make an artist want to do it even more. It made me want to do it even more as well,” he said.
Cross said Hernandez and one of her friends chose to sit in the front row of his class, and worked hard on their projects.
“Always doing their work in class. Her interactions with people would make you smile and she just kind of had this demeanor about her just a really sweet girl and always being positive,” he said.
With a full-time teaching job and family of his own, Cross says he couldn’t offer much as far as time. But decided to use his talents and time to create a portrait. He asked Hernandez’s parents, who agreed to it and sent him pictures.
Although he didn’t keep track, Cross estimates he spent around 25 to 30 hours drawing. The art teacher combined several of her family’s favorite pictures that showcased different stages of her life. The portrait begins with a baby picture, and then melds into a drawing of Leila Hernandez at 10-years-old, then 13-years-old and 15-years-old closer to the bottom of the page.
The finished drawing was presented to his former pupil’s family ahead of the holidays. Cross said the moment he handed it to Hernandez’s mother, is a reaction he will not forget.
“There was a moment of silence, like reflection. And she started getting teary eyed as she was looking at it,” he said.
Cross said the group then shared memories of Leila Hernandez, and he was shown some of her artwork.
In addition to helping to keep Leila Hernandez’s memory alive, Cross hopes his gift is a reminder to community members to do something kind for someone else.
“Something you do might impact someone in a great way,” he said.
Cross currently teaches art at Compass Academy Charter School. He previously worked for eight years at ECISD schools.
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January 07, 2020 at 01:46PM
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Mass shooting victim's former teacher creates memorial drawing for family - CBS7 News
"drawing" - Google News
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