Not far from her own days as a student, Anna Popp, c’25, finds joy in helping students at Great Bend High School develop through their own artwork. Her colorful classroom walls reflect the vibrancy Popp infuses into her everyday work as a teacher, but her own “Popp” of color extends throughout her hometown of Great Bend and the larger community of Barton County in the form of sprawling, eye-catching murals.
As a child, Popp loved to draw, and her parents encouraged her spontaneity and creative talents. She received similar support from her art teacher at Great Bend High School, Sergio Ramirez, who believed Popp could challenge herself to create larger, more complex works of art.
But as she got closer to high school graduation, Popp says she wasn’t sure whether art could be a realistic career path. When her parents and Mr. Ramirez suggested she would be a great teacher, Popp dismissed it, proclaiming she would never become one.
“Boy, was I wrong,” Popp reflects.
Her change of heart would turn out to be a boon to the place where she grew up.
After graduating from KU in 2025 with her degree in visual arts, Popp returned to Great Bend to teach art. She now works alongside her high school mentor, Mr. Ramirez, and is deeply invested in her students’ success. The confidence that her role models nurtured in her is now something Popp returns to students who are at the same stage of development.
“Working with students is very rewarding,” Popp says. “I get to see many individuals push themselves and watch their creativity grow. My students have made some really awesome works of art. Not only do I get to experience their art and creativity, but I also get to hear about their interests and be a part of many students’ lives.”
Teaching is a means of giving back in itself, but Popp doesn’t stop there—she literally paints the town.
Popp has created 15 murals in Great Bend and surrounding Kansas towns, with at least three more planned for summer 2026. The remarkable works of art have transformed areas throughout the community.
“I have always loved to push my art to bigger and bigger extremes,” Popp says. “The summer after my freshman year at KU, I was offered an opportunity to paint my first mural and get paid for it, too. At the time, I wasn’t getting paid for much of my art, so I jumped on it. I was just hooked on the impact such a scale can make. Having a huge wall with bright colors on it just really draws my eye. I love creating giant artworks.”
That love is evident in her finished pieces. Her work includes the walls inside the Great Bend city auditorium, a pool entrance in Claflin and a colossal “Welcome to Great Bend” sign. But her very first commission, a 55-foot-long mural on the wall of the youth center in Atwood, is her best-loved piece in her young career.
“My favorite is the first mural I painted,” Popp says. “I painted several extremely colorful and bright buffalo in Atwood. Just the nose of one buffalo was the size of my face, so it was huge. I have a very fond memory of this, because it was my first experience with murals and was what got me hooked.”
Popp had many impactful experiences and professors during her years at KU.
“Professor Michael McCaffrey was one of my professors who really left an impression,” Popp says. “He pushed me to go out of my comfort zone to push color and always told me to ‘use more paint.’ Nowadays, I find myself really loving paintings where you see the thick and textured quality of paint—so I find that funny.”
The students who learn from her today hear a lot about her fondness for KU, but Popp’s mentoring style isn’t about persuading students to become Jayhawks. Instead, she focuses on listening to their interests and encouraging them to pursue what they’re passionate about.
“Art was not always thought of as a smart career choice by some people I knew, but I pursued it anyway and would never go back,” Popp says. “That is why I am a big advocate that if you are passionate about something and willing to really push for that, then you can make it work.”
KU Alumni’s Jayhawks Give Back program is presented in partnership with Andrew Wymore, senior realtor with ReeceNichols.
Jayhawks Give Back celebrates ’Hawks who are making a difference in ways big and small. Each quarter, we feature a member of the KU family and their story. If you know a Jayhawk who should be featured in Jayhawks Give Back, let us know!
Alissa Bourneuf, j’07, is KU Alumni’s marketing communications specialist.
