The Class of 2023 have finished classes and are taking on their senior projects before graduating on June 3. Senior projects are an opportunity for students to explore an area of interest in academics, business, medicine, science, the arts, or community service. Their experience in this endeavor culminates on June 2 in a 2-3 minute speech that describes their time with the project and a display including pictures of the project work.
Students begin the senior project process in January, according to Rob Mather, the Associate Head of School. “Some kids come in with very clear ideas about what they want to pursue. One of the things we do is require the juniors to come to the senior project presentations. The goal there is to have the juniors learn from what the seniors did, and begin the process of coming up with their own ideas.”
Mr. Mather is a part of the senior projects committee, which he describes as “a group made up of adults on campus who are assigned individual seniors to work with and guide throughout their projects.” As students work on their projects, they connect with their designated adult via Google Doc, and receive guidance and encouragement that way.
There is a great variety of projects being taken on by this year’s senior class. Some students use the project as a way to explore an area they intend to pursue in college, whereas others do the opposite. Ashleigh Burns ‘23 is shadowing an ob/gyn at Tufts Medical Center for Women’s Health. She says “I always wanted to study science of some sort, and I would love to be a doctor, but I’m not sure if I 100% want to do it and go to medical school. This is a great opportunity to see if I would want to!”
Maya Teschke ‘23 is volunteering at the Teddy Bear Club, a French/English preschool. She says that “I spend my time playing with the kids and helping out. I’ve been having lots of fun!” Maya intends to major in business next year, but says “I want to continue French in college (possibly a minor) and want to study abroad in France so keeping up my French at the preschool is really helpful.”
Anna Steiger ‘23 is shadowing a nurse practitioner at a pediatric specialist in Foxborough. She said that while spending time with the nurse practitioners and other staff, she’s gotten to “experience what they do on a day-to-day basis at their practice.” Steiger added, “I am majoring in biomedical studies next year at college and eventually hope to become some kind of nurse in the future. Experiencing what being a pediatric nurse practitioner is helping me understand what kind of nursing I am most interested in.”
Image Source: Dana Hall Communications Office
