A hidden treasure on City College’s east campus includes intriguing twists, turns, and natural charm—a new rock maze for students to enjoy solitude.
Margaret Prothero, the guided pathways faculty coordinator and English professor, is transforming an area of campus into a physical representation of the student journey called the Path Maze.
The Guided Pathways Program aims to improve student experiences by categorizing programs by interest areas and providing a clearer pathway to degrees. The path maze is a way for students to experience this program visually.
“The maze is a physical representation of the student journey, not being a straight line, [because] hardly anybody has that straight path,” Prothero said. “This is what the journey is often like, it’s full of multiple entrances and exits, twists and turns, and dead ends, but you’re not the only one walking the maze. You’re with other people. There’s support.”
The maze, designed by artist Lenore Hughes, is ADA-compliant and features detailed rock work, hand-tiled tiles, and repurposed wood from a fallen pickle tree, donated to City College from Westmont College. This project emphasizes community collaboration and environmental friendliness.
“It’s really important to me that this was fully compliant and everybody could access it,” Prothero said. “We wanted this to be ecological and environmentally friendly, that’s why we have the rocks.”
The rocks throughout the maze are hand-painted and were donated by Santa Barbara County from local creeks.
“I have a wire brush, we clean all the debris off, then we scrub them with soft brushes, and we rinse them off again,” Prothero said.
After cleaning the rocks, there is a communal effort by faculty and students to paint the rocks before the artist comes and does the finishing touches, such as stencil designs and spray paint.
Volunteers involved in this project have a shared passion for creating a unique space for City College students and the community. Aside from a pickle tree donated from Westmont, there have been City College alumni who have helped to build the fence that surrounds the maze.
Students paint rocks and glue tiles on rocks, and forest rangers have given this project permission to collect Manzanita, a native tree to California that is otherwise illegal to cut and move.
“We’ve had no budget, so it’s been a lot of volunteer work [and] a lot of donations,” Prothero said. “All of this has been a real labor of love and a real effort by so many people.”
The construction class at City College has also had the chance for hands-on experience by building concrete molds and installing them at the base of the tables seen in the maze.
“There aren’t enough beautiful spaces for students to sit and relax, study, and read,” Prothero said. “We have a beautiful library, but we don’t really have an outdoor space like this at all.”
The City College website defines Guided Pathways as a “framework that creates a highly structured approach to student success that provides all students with a set of clear course-taking patterns that promotes better enrollment decisions and prepares students for future success.”
This means that the support services offered by this nationwide initiative make it easier for students to get help through their journey at any city college.
The City College website explains that the concept of guided pathways is simple. Students are more likely to complete their degrees on time when they choose a program and develop an academic plan early, have a clear outline of the courses needed for their credentials, and receive guidance and support to stay on track.
The official opening for the path maze has not been disclosed, but it is likely to be early in the spring semester. When the date is picked, it will be added to the calendar on City College’s website.