When the students from Chifley College in Mount Druitt speak about Aunty Gloria Matthews, their faces light up.
One of the students whose life was touched by Aunty Gloria is Shaylah Hampton Dixon, a young Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri student at the college.
He says that she meant everything to him.
"She was the first Aboriginal Education Officer here and helped us with our education," he said.
"She gave me freedom."
Aunty Gloria, a Yorta Yorta Elder from Cummeragunja Mission, began as an Aboriginal health worker in 1973, working at the grassroots level in health and education.
The mural celebrates the work that Aunty Gloria did for mob, as well as where she came from and her story.
The mural features Cummeragunja Mission, where Aunty Gloria grew up, and the Murrumbidgee River, where she used to swim and fish.
Words like 'activist' adorn the mural, highlighting what Aunty Gloria meant to the community.
Artist Alex Grils worked on the mural for three weeks alongside students from Chifley College.
"I came into the project and spent three weeks learning about her achievements and the things she's done for the people and community here," Mr Grils said.
'She would've loved it'
Kiki Matthews is Aunty Gloria's granddaughter. She also attends Chifley.
When Kiki's school told her of the plans to honour her grandmother with a mural, it made her emotional.
The young Yorta Yorta woman just wishes Aunty Gloria was still here to see it.
"I reckon if she was here right now, she would've loved it ... she would've been proud.
"It shows her whole life; the house she raised her kids in and the piano because she loved the piano ... and it shows her big smile that brought happiness to everyone," she told NITV.
Kiki hopes the mural inspires younger mob at the college, in the same way that her grandmother inspired her.
"The mural will inspire younger students: they'll think if she did that, then I can do it.
"She meant the world to me... she was my best friend," she said.
A community comes together
The unveiling of the mural saw the Mount Druitt community come together, the turnout proving just how much Aunty Gloria was loved and the impact that she had on the area.
Among those who came to honour the activist were her beautiful family, including some of Aunt's children.
Hyllus Munro is child number six of Aunty Gloria's eleven children.
Ms Munro said that the mural captured her mother wonderfully.
"The artist Alex has done a fantastic job. He really captured the essence of Mum in the mural, particularly around her eyes and her smile."
Winsome Matthews, Aunt's second youngest child, said that it's important that we celebrate our Old People.
"For Mum to be celebrated, it's right. All our communities have champions and there comes a point in time where we have to remember that stuff.
"Murals are a good way to remind us. Traditionally we had rock art, we had significant symbols that were those nudges to remember," she said.
"She was just really open-hearted and had a lot of affection. Everyone was a brother, everyone was a sister, everyone was her child," she smiled.
