Alyssa Lyons

Alyssa had just started her master’s at Penn State and happened to be roommates with the one and only Robert Morss. When Robert first mentioned the idea of painting a mural at the American Legion, she thought it was an amazing idea. She didn’t help with the mural when Robert first started the project and just observed what Robert and the other painters were doing. Eventually, she offered to help paint and Robert was excited she wanted to get involved, so he let her paint the 9-11 panel. She had never painted something as big as the mural and was just honored to be a part of something that would be remembered forever. The memories that Alyssa and Robert made during the completion of the mural are some of her favorites. These memories include a lot of late nights and lots of pizza to fuel their long nights of sketching and painting. The late-night talks and the soothing drive home after painting are memories that she’ll never forget. Having the opportunity to be part of something as amazing as the mural is something that Alyssa will cherish forever. Alyssa is currently pursuing her PhD at Virginia Tech studying poultry nutrition.