MCC alumnus James Schwarz captures the beauty of contrast and science with his first public art piece in the Tree of Life dedication. After battling with triple mononucleosis and returning to school, Schwarz recognition was a semester’s worth of work validated and proved that his tree of life represents him and his journey to where he is today. “Build a backup plan. If you get knocked down, it’s going to leave some scarring,” Schwarz says. “You need to realize there’s not a set timeline in life. It’s about self-discovery. Make your own timeline.”