Fall 2004
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Fall 2004 |
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Megan Whitaker’s ability to artistically illustrate the many stages in the lifecycle of a mushroom or the bones of the human skull is helping schoolchildren throughout the world learn about science. Nearly 500 detailed illustrations created by the junior biomedical engineering student have appeared in 10 textbooks on such topics as “Exploring Creation With General Science” and “The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” for the home education community and international internet-based schools. Approximately 130,000 copies of these textbooks are currently in circulation in all 50 states and 13 foreign countries through Apologia Educational Ministries (Anderson, Ind.). So, seven years after submitting her first simple sketches for publication, a high school hobby has become a passion that has helped Whitaker pay for college expenses and made her the envy of other artists. Textbook creator Jay L. Wile became aware of Whitaker’s artistic talents through their hometown church. He needed illustrations about cells, hydra and fungi for a textbook on biology. Soon, Whitaker was asked to expand her horizons on topics in chemistry, physics and botany. Whitaker now spends her summers and approximately three hours each weekend completing illustrations on a digital art pad for Wile’s textbooks. There are 50 to 150 illustrations in each textbook. “Megan’s strength lies in detailed illustrations which have allowed us to discuss very specific things in our textbooks,” Wile says. The duo is currently working on textbooks on marine biology and general high school biology. Whitaker, daughter of alumnus Steve Whitaker (Mech. Eng., ‘81), acknowledges that her artistic talents are “god blessed.” She hasn’t taken art classes. “As a high school student, I was drawing things that I didn’t really know anything about. Now, in college, I know how things are supposed to look like,” she says, adding that she may continue illustrating during her career as a hospital operating room liaison.
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