Senior Projects—Challenging and Satisfying
For Upper School seniors, the final month of school wasn’t filled with classes and exams . . . it was senior project time! Keeping up this Principia tradition, members of the Class of 2019 spent the weeks leading up to graduation pursuing their own interests—from costuming to statistical analysis.
As one of their graduation requirements, seniors create and complete an independent project—and all the steps in between. They write a proposal, present it for critique and feedback, execute it, and deliver a formal presentation summarizing the project to faculty, students, and community members. Senior projects provide students a valuable opportunity to gain real-life experience while exploring more deeply a topic of interest—all with the overarching goal of personal growth. Below are a few comments three seniors shared about their projects.
“Making Music” by Luke Nutwell (photo above)
Project inspiration
My biggest inspiration for choosing this project was the love for music that I’ve had my entire life. I’ve always enjoyed playing music, and in the last year, I’ve enjoyed creating it. This project was a fantastic outlet for me to further explore that passion.
Biggest takeaway
My biggest takeaway was probably the work ethic it takes to complete a three-week project. I essentially took on the role of a music producer for that amount of time and learned about the process.
What you learned about yourself that surprised you
I learned that I was capable of producing a pretty cool soundtrack that went well with video! I wasn’t super confident in my ability to do that at first, but my expert helped me, and I was able to accomplish a lot.
“En La Cocina” by Heather Savoye
Project inspiration
My project, creating a Spanish cooking show, came from my passion for Spanish and my love of food. Having gone on the Principia Spain trip twice, I realized that in Spain meals are a time for the family to come together. I wanted to provide a fresh, new way for people to become more interested in Spanish culture.
Biggest takeaway
My biggest takeaway was how much the project expanded my Spanish vocabulary, allowing me to become even more confident in my speaking abilities.
What you learned about yourself that surprised you
One thing I learned about myself that surprised me is how patient and calm I was even when experiencing a problem in my senior project process.
“Education in St. Louis” by Tegan Dry
Project inspiration
Growing up with two parents who are teachers and going on the Simunye Project [service trip to South Africa] has taught me so much about the importance of education. I knew I wanted to work at a school, but I wanted to be in a school in a different community and challenge myself.
Biggest takeaway
I learned A LOT about the history of segregation in St. Louis and that the damages that occurred during segregation are still very present today. Now, as a more informed St. Louis resident, I want to do my best to share with others what I have learned and help make changes and improvements to benefit our city.
What you learned about yourself that surprised you
I learned that after college, I would like to go into education but not as a teacher. I would like to work with education policies either in the U.S. or in a different country, to improve public schools in low-income areas.