GENTRY, AR — For more than a decade, Gentry High School students have been adding a little color — and a lot of Pioneer pride — to the school parking lot.

Each year, high school students have the opportunity to purchase a parking spot and transform it with a design of their choosing. What might seem like a simple school activity has become a beloved Gentry tradition, bringing students, friends and families together while creating something students can enjoy throughout the school year.

On painting day, the parking lot becomes a gathering place. Students sketch out their ideas, families help with the painting and friends work side by side to turn ordinary parking spaces into colorful representations of the students who call Gentry High School home.

"It's a great tradition we have here in Gentry and it's fun to see all the families and friends come together to come up with such creative and meaningful designs," Gentry High School Principal Justin Blanchard said. "And it really showcases the personalities of our individual students who participate. I think that's great."

The tradition is also a reflection of something that makes a smaller school community special.

At Gentry High School, activities like painting parking spaces can become more than an event on the school calendar. They become opportunities for students and families to spend time together, for younger students to see traditions they may one day take part in themselves and for a school community to create memories together.

"It's those kinds of traditions that help make a school feel like a community," Blanchard said. "It's great to see our students take ownership of it and have their families and friends be part of it, too."

And while every parking spot may look different, the finished lot has one thing in common: Pioneer pride.

Some designs reflect students' interests. Others celebrate their friends, families or school. Some are colorful and creative, while others bring plenty of humor to the parking lot. Together, they create a collection of designs that is uniquely Gentry.

Students pay $20 for their parking spot, with all proceeds benefiting the Gentry High School Student Council and its special projects.

After more than 10 years, the painted parking spots have become more than a fun way to start the school year. They are part of the fabric of Gentry High School — a tradition passed from one class to the next and another example of the connections that make a smaller school community special.

For Gentry students, it's their parking spot.

For Gentry, it's a tradition.