High schooler with no friends paints portraits of all 44 peers and it changed their outlook on life

A graduating senior from Waunakee High School in Wisconsin quietly closed out her high school years with a deeply personal gesture that moved an entire community. Molly Shafer, 18, spent hundreds of hours painting portraits of her classmates, many of whom she had barely spoken to in years, hoping to reconnect before parting ways for good. Shafer had once been outgoing in elementary and middle school, but as she entered high school, social anxiety made it harder to maintain friendships. "There was a connection there at some point. And I don’t know, I really wanted to just talk to them again, or be seen again," she told CBS Evening News.

A 2013 review in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders found that social anxiety often leads to a perceived lack of connection, not necessarily because peers are rejecting the individual, but because anxiety can distort how social cues are interpreted. Classmates admitted they hadn’t spoken to Shafer in years, nor had they hung out at all. "Not a lot of kids hung out," one student said. But instead of withdrawing further, Shafer took it upon herself to reach out in an unconventional way. She turned her garage loft into an art studio and committed to painting a portrait of every student she remembered from earlier school years. Working about four hours each day, she completed 44 paintings over 600 hours, averaging 13 hours per portrait.

At the end of the school year, Shafer gifted the paintings to the students as a parting gesture. The response was emotional. "It’s truly unbelievable is what it is," one classmate said. Another added, "It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen someone do, especially for someone you aren’t that close with."  Some classmates were touched, while others admitted they felt a deep regret for not staying connected or making more effort to include her. "We did have that friendship, and I didn’t put forth the work to keep it," one student confessed. Another added, "All of us probably feel a little regret for not paying more attention."

For Shafer, the project was about healing for herself and others. She hoped that by making herself vulnerable, her classmates might see her more clearly and reflect on their own assumptions. "You can’t go through life thinking that you don’t have friends because they don’t like you, because that’s not the case. People aren’t thinking that hard about you. It’s all in your head. You just have to try," she said. Her act of kindness, born from loneliness and a desire to be seen, became a catalyst for reconciliation. As her portraits found their new homes, the distance that once stood between her and her classmates faded, replaced with recognition, understanding, and unexpected friendship.

Viewers were touched by Shafer's talent and her efforts. @RecordGraffiti wrote, "She likely made them all rich too. 50 years from now, when Molly is a legendary world-renowned artist, they all have originals." @johng6637 said, "A very touching story. Not only is she a talented artist, but she has wisdom beyond her years." @kgraham5820 commented, "'People aren’t thinking that hard about you.' Preach it, girl! Wise beyond her years. I hope they all have a wonderful future awaiting them!" @julieanderson100 wrote, "I love how she chose to show them in action or doing what they loved. Super dynamic. People like her are the hidden treasures that people often overlook. There are so many others."