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My Capstone was focusing on building a college helper and assistant tool where you can have the ability to see and compare different universities. Also communicating with other students for help and support.On top of that one special feature is where you could connect with students thought linkedin by specific majors. I choose to do this project because I wanted to be able to help students who want to be able to branch out and diversifying their portfolios to reach their highest potential.In the summer I worked for this startup company called open which is a college application mentorship. I was able to work on this and build something for my high schools. I worked with some of my colleges from the summer to help me with this product.THis process involved a lot of planning,a lot of research on different college information ,and a lot of website building into finding something which is unique. Also working with my mentors and listening to their advice on building this helped me a lot. I learnt a lot on that you have to be able to adapt and not everything will go your way.

https://lighthearted-cupcake-3427b8.netlify.app/

My senior Capstone project involved teaching a mini-course to 9th graders about strength training, while having them do exercises. This was possible due to an abundance of research, mentor assistance, and planning. I wanted my students to be ahead of their health, and I wanted to share the thrill of physical exercise with the youth. I have made several slide shows that I update regularly and plan to share with my students when my mini-course is over. I also have videos of them exercising, as well as my people who took pictures of my mini course in action.

For my capstone, I created a 30-minute podcast exploring Philadelphia’s stray cat population, examining the problem’s scope, impact, and potential solutions through expert interviews and research. My project began from personal concern when learning about cat dissections in class. I gathered essential questions about community cats and their management, which guided my research. Through a combination of personal stories, expert interviews, and statistical data, the film aims to shed light on this often-overlooked urban challenge. This podcast aims to raise awareness about Philadelphia’s stray cat population, encourage community engagement, and explore humane solutions to a complex urban issue. Stray and feral cats are ubiquitous throughout Philadelphia, with particularly high concentrations in areas with abandoned buildings, industrial zones, and neighborhoods with limited resources for animal control. These cats typically form colonies around reliable food sources, often provided by community members. According to estimates from local animal welfare organizations, Philadelphia may be home to over 400,000 stray and feral cats, with the population showing seasonal fluctuations related to breeding cycles (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, 2023). The cats’ presence is particularly noticeable along major corridors such as Columbus Boulevard and in the city’s extensive network of alleys, where they find shelter and access to food sources including discarded food waste. Over 80+ hours, I researched academic literature, designed interview protocols, conducted and transcribed interviews, and developed audio editing skills. When my original documentary vision proved impossible, I pivoted to creating a podcast format. This project taught me persistence, adaptability, and independent problem-solving. I learned to build trust with hesitant interviewees and create coherent narratives from disparate sources. Most importantly, I discovered that meaningful learning often happens when plans fail and we must reimagine our path forward. Creating something outside my comfort zone, a podcast I’d typically avoid listening to, became a source of pride and personal growth.

Podcast: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZoNJ_Xhy4Ad91ZxPAeLZF1aCjqm2eXIT/view?usp=sharing

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yr5ta16QwoAChCm2-XiTHUx7R6ZgF_RvnnlC01nEYrc/edit?usp=sharing

The broad goal of my Capstone Project is to capture photos of the school’s athletes and edit photos of them all in uniform with each other. Throughout the time spent working on this project, I poured my passion for digital video editing into the work. As a senior student athlete myself who plays three sports that are all finished now, I know what it feels like to have that gut punch feeling of “oh wow, I’m never gonna be able to do this again.” It really hurts to lose your teammates, your coaches, and sometimes your chance to play the sport ever again. Being able to hang up the photos of all these senior athletes and honor their dedication to not only their sport and their teammates and their coaches, but the school as well. Our capstone project gives them the opportunity to be seen by the next generation. When looking back on everything that has happened, I wish I had been able to put more effort into the photo shoots. Not being there to help out my partner with all of the complications I just mentioned was really weighing on me while I was going through all of my health issues. I would consider the final product of this project a little bit rushed, but still complete enough that I’m happy with what I’ve created and I feel confident enough to be able to submit by the deadline and present it to people with pride.

• https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/slamediaday/home (Digitization)

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OciLtohLM7cYkg0lFzEiJ0EFSqukS6a_YCS_OpQJ_Nc/edit?usp=sharing (Bibliography)

For my capstone project, I explored the world of engineering by interviewing professionals across various fields such as mechanical, electrical, civil, biomedical, aerospace, and software engineering. My goal was to gain insight into what engineers actually do, their career journeys, and the challenges they face. These interviews, conducted via Zoom and organized by field, were created as a resource for students interested in STEM careers. The idea stemmed from my own uncertainty about engineering paths, despite classroom exposure. I wanted real-world perspectives and used this project to improve my communication, organization, and interviewing skills. I collaborated with mentors, especially through Braskem, to connect with engineers and refine my questions. Though I faced challenges, particularly getting responses, I successfully conducted five meaningful interviews. Throughout the process, I embraced SLA’s core values: Inquiry through my curiosity, Research by preparing and learning from interviews, Collaboration with mentors and professionals, Presentation in organizing interviews by field, and Reflection in evaluating both my progress and the insights gained. I’m proud of turning my curiosity into a resource that exposes some engineering careers. It offers relatable, authentic stories for students who may be unsure where to start in STEM. This project made the field feel more approachable and showed me that there’s no single path to becoming an engineer. If I could expand it, I’d include more interviews and possibly job-shadowing opportunities. Ultimately, I hope this project inspires others to explore engineering with confidence and curiosity.

https://sites.google.com/d/1xEh6WaaOOZYN2qD4PD4608isbVKyNP3y/p/17-72x0LiMwM5EHlQp-pultuZZtkKBXN6/edit

By the end of my freshman year, I had already decided what my capstone was going to be. I participated in a running event put on by another member of Students Run Philly Style, dubbed the “SLA Anyway 5k” which he did as his capstone project, inspired by another iteration of the 5k before him. Since I had always participated in running races, I was struck by curiosity about what it is like to be a race director. How do the elements that make a good race come together? From my capstone, I learned a valuable lesson in event planning that I hope to apply moving forward. Always account for the unexpected. There were many elements to this project that I did not even consider beforehand, such as venue troubles and T-shirt designs. The process involved selecting a location and date, advertising, redesigning the race website, purchasing and selling T-shirts, and setting up snacks and drinks, among other things. My work culminated in the SLA Anyway 5k on May 10th in FDR Park. Around 60 participants ran around the park loop, with snacks, hot dogs, and beverages awaiting them at the finish line. Medals were given out to finishers along with shirts for $15. From this, we raised $500 for SLA, with huge support from the Philly Slow Girl Run Club, who helped volunteer and contribute. I was able to connect with the running community through this event, and (hopefully) fostered a fun Saturday morning for everyone involved.

Use this link to view photos from race day! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iYQh8-6nCZLbl1Gn11WM4N1oXkqR05dH?

In an effort to bring my neighborhood together and promote sustainable living, I transformed my front yard into a thriving community flower garden. Through the process, I learned the importance of planning, patience, and research. I learned a lot, not just about gardening but also about organization and challenging myself. I did a lot of research, and I even taught someone about the process of planting as it was happening. It wasn’t easy, but being able to teach myself something I had never done before was both fun and grueling. I spent hours of every week maintaining my flowers and teaching others about how gardening worked and how my process had been going so far. I am very proud of how far my garden has come, here are some picture of my before and (almost) after! The final result will be shown in my presentation!

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C-GDvB3fA4ZylxEl0Jfpd21TF7oi6OimuIG99l6XP7Q/edit?usp=drivesdk

For my Capstone, I created a presentation and a guide to help the teachers support kids with chronic illnesses. I gave presentation to the teachers that included the research that I did every Wednesday and different activities so they could understand how students are affected. I chose this project because during sophomore and junior year I was struggling with my own chronic illness. From this project I learned how to conduct good research and confidently present it.

Link to my Guide: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGlTToo93Y/I3UwgPCCr13mmglz4S7bRQ/edit?utm_content=DAGlTToo93Y&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton Link to my presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1i1lF62luvK-8H2XZ_Q2FI9CDCKN1mUcTG_rrpmOET0s/edit?usp=sharing

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CWX6SY7Nv1O8fYBej6YDhaCb0_bZ5RKYmh5w5ozGf3A/edit?usp=sharing

LINK TO MY GOOGLE SITE: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/lyev-pitram-capstone/

This capstone was a sports analytics project related to ultimate frisbee at the professional level. I learned about a sport completely new to me, collected and manipulated data from the UFA (Ultimate Frisbee Association) website, and used code in R Programming to answer an analytic question I formulated from watching the sport. The topic I chose to explore was relating the distance of a frisbee pass to the likeness of its completion. The introduction to my research is the following:

The sport of Ultimate Frisbee centers around passing a disc across a 100 yard field, trying to score while an incomplete pass almost guarantees a turnover. When practicing, strategizing, and making split second decisions, players have the choice between “hucking” the disc deep downfield or playing it safe and “dishing” or “swinging” it to a closer teammate. Naturally, a shorter pass is more likely to be completed, while a longer pass is riskier, and could lead to a significantly more beneficial outcome. But by how much? This project seeks to measure the true risk of throwing a longer pass, and the variances in the abilities of different teams and players in professional frisbee as it relates to passing distance. This project, focusing on the 2024 UFA season, hopes to not only discover the true relationship between pass distance and success rate, but also highlight teams and players that find more success in these areas than the league average.

For my capstone project, I chose to continue a project originally started two years ago and continued last year by my friend. I’m the third senior to work on this capstone. The capstone was originally a greenhouse on the sixth floor terrace. However, since I wasn’t able to get funding for a new greenhouse, I had to shift the project’s focus while maintaining its key ideas. My project had two main parts, a mini-course and a Google Site that accompanied it. Each week in November to January, I would plan out, research, and develop lessons and activities to teach to freshmen about greenhouses, gardening, and the plant cycle. This was the most difficult but also the main highlight of the project because I was able to bring “parts” of a greenhouse to people without having one. After the mini-course, the plan was to make a digital handbook for my greenhouse, but that would soon change to a Google Site containing my mini-course and all things surrounding greenhouses and gardening. Overall, I really learned a lot about a hobby I rarely have time for as well as lesson planning and teaching a class about a topic.

LINK TO CAPSTONE: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/abloomingsla/home

LINK TO BIBLIOGRAPHY: https://docs.google.com/document/d/146_uYbrQ1pZ_cLrxsPEKeH9Fvh0nZ7dRzTAkNpLazb0/edit?usp=sharing

For my project, I have used the negative emotions and misery that I have personally experienced into pieces of art that others can either relate to or maybe even feel inspired by. There were a couple adjustments I had to make to my proposal and my idea overall, but eventually I came to what was truest to myself which was creating poetry based on what I’ve been through! I have learned that the best art is created not by thinking about what others feel, but about what you feel and how you can capture that and pour it into art. I hope that by being able to express my vulnerability and put it out into the world, it encourages others to do so as well to remind everyone that we are all struggling in some way. Having that as a reminder from a person, a website, or even a poem is enough to make the world a slightly better place. Happy reading!

For my Capstone project, I chose to create a short documentary about Open Hearts Cafe, a nonprofit organization operating out of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse Square. They provide free food and clothing twice a week to visitors from around the city, and occasionally offer other vital services like haircuts, legal support, and library books. I had known about this program for a few years, as my parents work at the church where Open Hearts operates, but I wanted to learn more so that I could share their story with the world. I also included about 30 seconds of animation throughout the video, as hand-drawn animation is a skill I have been wanting to learn since I was in middle school and I felt it would enhance the visual style of the final documentary.

This Capstone serves as an introduction for the organization to newcomers and those who are unaware of the program. It bridges the gap between the church and the wider community, telling the story of Open Hearts and emphasizing the importance of volunteering, especially in vulnerable populations. Completing this project helped me to become more confident as an individual filmmaker, and it gave me a chance to participate in a wonderful community.

Video HERE:

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GHTtIRZ83j2r-V66JXvVrsHUS8jRRhqYseCwWQnAMj4/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone I decided to create a documentary which revolved around a Students Run Philly Style team at Williams D. Kelley Middle School, as they trained for the Broad Street run. My process in this documentary started when I got into contact with Selarra Armstrong, the Running leader for Kelley and I began scheduling when I could go to their school and film their runs. During February and March I was able to film their runs several times as well as recording an interview. I did experience trouble during April as I couldn’t get in contact with the running team anymore. Even with this setback, I was able to edit my footage together into a polished final product.

William D. Kelley Running Leader Selarra Armstrong.

For my Capstone, I helped lead Rocketfest 2025, a student-run film and photo festival showcasing work from Philadelphia public school students. The festival aims to amplify student voices and allow public school students (who often have fewer resources and opportunities to create films) to have their work appreciated. I worked with Olivia Gavin and Noah Callender, and we each took on specific roles: Olivia led communication, Noah handled presentation, and I directed marketing.

Starting in October, we held weekly meetings with our mentor where we created a timeline and organized the various logistics of running the festival. As the head of marketing, I created Rocketfest’s branding, designed promotional materials, and ran our social media.

The event took place on May 7th at the Parkway Central Free Library and included an intro speech from the three of us, a screening of 15 student films, a slideshow of selected photographs, and an awards ceremony. The awards ceremony was a new aspect that our team added to Rocketfest as a chance to give filmmakers and photographers even more recognition for their wonderful work. We had a great turnout, with SLA DigVid and CAPA students, teachers, judges, and families and friends in attendance.

Rocketfest taught me the importance of organization and teamwork in a major project, and showed me how rewarding it is to create an event that brings people together.

Attached are images of our festival and the bibliography I created to guide my work as head of marketing.

My capstone is a two-and-a-half-foot by eight-foot mound for the SLA baseball team for when it is to cold to practice outside, but pitchers still need to train. Also attached to the side of the mound is a QR code with a separate Google document about learning how to pitch, the mechanics side, arm care side, mental side, pretty much everything I know about baseball, in one neat document.

PROCESS PAPER https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lkmR_kHetMDlOUzWgi6140hXVUsdWo7ziRryug1cZTc/edit?usp=sharing

PRESENTATION https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Z—ODPcahh-AUNbpyo76dHo992GPjtRO7dEdvT-VNu0/edit?usp=sharing

BIBLIOGRAPHY https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZS_WMT9jqDnlKxo4R3U4hUFII3P3qJhiWGQ3I44V118/edit?usp=sharing

(Picaro is my pen name/username)

My capstone is an art piece for the art room, an illustration collection. A collection of drawings done in a sketchbook with mostly ballpoint pens. Doodles, exercises, and of course illustrations. It’s the second real iteration of the project, my first plan being a graphic novel. That idea had 2 concepts in of itself. There was a reason I set out to make this project, that being my desire to incorporate art into my capstone project. I also wanted to show that it doesn’t take expensive materials to create good art. Another reason I only use ballpoint is that it would help push my growth as an artist faster. Learning to be more confident with my lines, as well as getting greater control. You can’t erase pen ink, so you get a limited amount of attempts to draw what you want. But most of all, I wanted to leave something behind for SLA. This art book will exist after I leave SLA, and it will stay there for the foreseeable future.

(Bibliography is irrelevant to current version of the project)

My capstone project was to assist the homeless population as well as local shelters in the City of Philadelphia. The process was a combination of collecting items and distributing them to different kinds of shelters. Not only did I give the donations I received to different shelters, but I also handed bags with different necessities inside to homeless people I saw on the streets.

In the past, we have collected blankets, jackets, and other items before but never the amount that we collected for my capstone. Because my mom and I help out whenever we can, I thought that this would be a perfect idea for my capstone. Taking a passion of mine and doing a big project on it was the best thing I could’ve done.

I’ve learned so much throughout the process of my capstone project. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of time management. I’ve also got to hear some peoples’ stories and how they ended up homeless. I’ve learned how important helping out truly is to me and I realized I want to make a nonprofit organization. I gained so much knowledge about different organizations and shelters, and I learned a lot of new editing techniques. To me, the most important thing I learned is that I want to do this for the rest of my life. I never want to lose my passion for giving back. I want to have a non-profit later in the future alongside a job that can help many people.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oijgavBY0-ajt_2PFkJaZ4e6h9KI-2pW

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGnPSLWjtM/yNm9yze-mF7wjH6GPpemyg/edit?utm_content=DAGnPSLWjtM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

My capstone project is a mix of my two passions. I sought to create something that I could hold physically, an object I could brainstorm, test, build, innovate, and refine until I was proud of what I had accomplished. To integrate my love of medicine, I decided to design a healthcare robot. Using an Alexa Echo Dot and face-tracking system, the goal was to develop a device that users could easily communicate with. This robot would not only assist in diagnosing symptoms but also offer various treatment options, ranging from over-the-counter remedies to prescription medications. Oftentimes, when people research their symptoms online, they get an automated response, which can lead to anxiety. For instance,e someone might look up information on a cough they might be experiencing and end up fearing they have a life-threatening condition. I want to take away this anxiety by creating a user-friendly device that provides comfort and clarity. I aimed to develop a tool that helps individuals who may find it difficult to read and/or write, allowing them to gain peace of mind regarding their health. Ultimately, I hope to bridge the gap between the medical field and everyday people, making healthcare more accessible and understandable.

For my Capstone project, I wanted to do something creative that represents myself, so I decided to create a short comic that reflected my own experiences regarding self discovery. In total, there are five complete chapters uploaded online. Every panel was drawn by me; using no bases or pre-drawn backgrounds. Over the course of this year, I improved my digital art and storytelling abilities. Each panel took over two to three hours to complete, with the longest taking fifteen hours. The final product has been uploaded through a free online publisher.

For my Capstone project, I decided to create three podcasts about philosophers and their ideas. My inspiration for the podcast was largely from attending the Philosophy elective, taught by my now Capstone Mentor, Mr. Lehman. During this class, we would often use Crash Course Philosophy videos as a resource to encourage discussion and thought in class. I have had a passion for history as long as I can remember, and I discovered a similar passion for philosophy through the philosophy elective. Due to this newfound passion, I decided to create three podcasts to showcase the philosophical ideas of a range of figures from different eras of philosophy, which will be posted on YouTube so I can share my findings with others. The overarching goal was to take this subject and give basic information in an efficient and interesting format, while also making the case as to why this seemingly esoteric subject is actually very important to everyone.

For my capstone, I led Rocketfest 2025 along with Noah Callender and Mira Khurana. We separated ourselves into three departments: Communications, Marketing, and Presentation. Rocketfest is a student-led film festival that accepts films and photographs from inside the Philadelphia school district. This year, we introduced the concept of an award ceremony to highlight the winners and really make all of the artists included feel special. Our main goal throughout this capstone was to make students feel seen through their work and inspire creativity by giving them a ground to be recognized for their art. Leading Rocketfest highlighted the importance of recognition to me, and how a little can go a long way. Attached below are two photographs from the festival, along with the annotated bibliography that helped me bring Rocketfest to life.

I decided to produce a short film for my capstone because I’m in the Digital Video CTE elective. My film follows a girl who has a gaming addiction as a metaphor for other types of addiction that people go through. I chose to do this because I wanted to create a project combining all of the knowledge I learned throughout the DigVid program, from pre-production in scriptwriting, storyboarding, filming, and editing. My capstone encompasses the core values of SLA: inquiry, from wondering what my film should be about; research, from digging through tons of inspirational experimental and narrative short films; collaboration, from working closely with my mentor and actor to get the best final product; presentation, from editing and posting about it. Throughout this process, I learned that I have to push myself to do what I must do. Nobody else is going to make me to do my requirements. If I did my capstone all over again, I would probably get started earlier and not procrastinate as much, I would have had more time to shoot my scenes, get them as perfect as possible, and reshoot scenes that needed to be done again.

https://myalbum.com/album/dvfzohZdtKUY8i/?invite=ae88118a-9f00-4caf-929b-dab1f57b3149

For my capstone project, I focused on improving my photography and editing skills by doing a pre-wedding photoshoot for my cousin. I worked closely with her to understand her vision. She shared what kind of vibe she wanted, her favorite poses, and her preferences for editing. I did a lot of research on how to adjust my camera settings and used tutorials for editing software like Lightroom and After Effects to get better at editing photos. The photoshoot had four different parts: formal outfits, two cultural outfits, and a morning shoot with bridesmaids. I took around 1,800 raw photos and picked the best 430 to edit. Editing was a long and detailed process—removing unwanted objects, smoothing skin, fixing lighting, and making everything look natural. I watched online tutorials to learn how to do these things efficiently, especially to make skin look clearer and remove distractions. Throughout this project, I learned a lot—not just about editing, but also about managing my time, communicating with others, being patient, and paying attention to small details. It was challenging at times, especially when I felt tired or unmotivated, but I stayed focused because I wanted to create something my cousin would love. In the end, I’m really proud of the photos and how much I’ve improved. My cousin loved the final results, and I got positive feedback, which made all the hard work worth it. This experience taught me a lot about photography, editing, and perseverance, and I’m glad I took on this project.