MAS Students Honor Jackie Robinson Through Art and Writing at Isotopes Park

Before Major League Baseball great Jackie Robinson wore No. 42, the line he crossed had already been drawn by others. MAS Charter School students and their families know what barriers can look like, and like Robinson, they do not allow them to decide what comes next. 

Through the Jackie Robinson Night Art and Essay Project, sponsored by the Albuquerque Isotopes on Wednesday, April 15, students across the Duke City used art and writing to study a man who refused to let the world define what he could become.

The project invited students in grades K-12 to write an essay or create original artwork celebrating Jackie Robinson’s life. MAS students from Our Old Coors Elementary School, which serves grades K-4, participated with drawings, essays, and mixed-media projects that reflected what they learned about Robinson and the barriers he broke.  

Robinson made history in 1947 when he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier as a member of the then Brooklyn Dodgers. His story gave students a direct question to consider: What does it take to keep moving forward when others have decided where you belong?

Students answered that question in different ways. Some drew Robinson in his Dodgers uniform. Others focused on his No. 42, baseball imagery and messages about respect. Several students wrote essays about determination and the power of opening doors for others.

“Our students brought real enthusiasm to this project, both as writers and as artists,” said Kemishia Simpson, M.Ed., elementary school leader at MAS Old Coors Campus. “Their essays and artwork reflected hard work, dedication and a thoughtful connection to Jackie Robinson’s story.”

Their submissions appeared on display at Isotopes Park during the April 15 game against the Oklahoma City Comets. Students who participated received four Reserved Level tickets, giving them a chance to attend the game with family and see their work at the ballpark. 

“Every participating student earned tickets to the Isotopes Celebration Game on April 15, and we were thrilled to see their effort recognized in this way,” Simpson added. “From the essays to the art pieces, each student’s work gave us a reason to feel proud.”

The night gave MAS students something powerful: a public place for their ideas. Their artwork and essays moved beyond the classroom and into a community celebration centered on courage and the responsibility to keep pushing forward.

The evening also included a pre-game ceremony honoring longtime educator and public servant Lenton Malry with the 2026 Jackie Robinson "Making a Difference" award. Malry became the first Black principal in Albuquerque Public Schools in 1964 and, in 1969, became New Mexico’s first African American state representative. 

For MAS, moments like this matter because students deserve to see their work taken seriously. They deserve opportunities to study people who changed history, then connect those lessons to their own lives. They deserve to know that barriers may exist, but barriers do not get the final word.

Congratulations to our MAS artists and writers who participated in the Jackie Robinson Night Art and Essay Project. Your work honored Jackie Robinson in a thoughtful and creative way, and we loved seeing you share it with the Albuquerque community.