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For my capstone, I wanted to make sure it’d be something I’d enjoy, which led me to the thought of having an art show. There are a lot of artistic students at our school, so I wanted my capstone to allow students in my school to show their creativity and thoughts through their work. Sort of like an outlet for others’ art. My process was difficult for me, especially in the beginning . I decided to collaborate with my art teacher, Ms. Angeles, to bring people’s attention to art done by others in SLA. I had to learn to put myself in front of people and advertise my show, something I’ve never done before till now. When it came to setting up the show in April, I had great help from some underclassmen. Having an art show is a great way to get people to connect and spark others’ minds. That is something that we need in the world, and I decided to start by doing here.

To see photos of the Art Show, click this link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1spqXeyU48u4uFCxwKK3BfdmzBas2tWw6bMui46NVuSA/edit?usp=sharing

The Car Maintenance Guide For First Time Car Owners was a guide designed to help new car owners. Not only was it made for first time car owners but it could be used by people who may have had more than one car and yet still don’t understand much about what certain parts of their cars do or are telling them.

In the beginning of my capstone I had originally planned to do an EMT course and demonstrate my skills and understanding from the course to help educate others at our school. In the end I didn’t get much support therefore I had to change my capstone to another passion I had. This passions prime focus was on cars.

I have always loved cars since I was a young kid, but what I loved more was taking things apart and putting them back together. I was a Lego kid, and one summer I got the chance to work on someone’s car and try and figure out what part of the car did what and how did it work? with all these questions I wanted to know more.

For my capstone I decided I would try and understand as much about certain car parts not just for myself but to also inform others so they can fix there car without having to pay someone a lot of money for a maintenance that they could do on their own. This became my capstone, which was to make a guide to help inform those who don’t know much about their own car.

For my Senior Capstone I decided to create an informative Tik Tok page dedicated to teaching teens about the importance of having hobbies. The content on the page ranged from tutorials on different hobbies, examples of my experience participating in those hobbies, and how to make time for hobbies during school life. I chose this project after reflecting on my experiences during my junior year of school, and how hobbies helped get me out of a bad rut. During my junior year I struggled with finding the motivation to keep up with my responsibilities, and I found that after taking the time to participate in activities that made me happy I managed to pick myself back up and apply this new passion to my responsibilities. I felt that if I had had someone talk to me about finding a hobby that brought me joy earlier on in my high school career I would’ve had an easier time during my junior year, so I wanted to pass my knowledge along to anyone it might help.

For my capstone, I wanted to connect with my community, and learn from others. This website is a collection of audios from many different kinds of people, answering the question “what would you do if you could speak to your younger self?” The interviews are either in English and in Spanish, and each one is transcribed in both the original and translated language. They are organized by age on different pages. With such a broad scope of topics, my hope was that anyone who wanted advice or a specific question answered, they could find it here.

Link to website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/liadunakin-capstone/home

For my senior capstone project, I created a K-pop dance club and then created a website where all of the memories taken through the months we’ve met at the K-pop club in it. One of my biggest challenges was staying consistent with my project. I knew I wanted to start a club where I would be able to meet new people and try out new things. My original plan was to start an Asian Community Club but then I realized that idea was way too broad and to start a stable club, I would need to be more specific about what kind of category I want it to fall into. Once I knew what I wanted to do, I went straight into advertising and even got two amazing dance instructors. We meet every Wednesday to enjoy ourselves, dance, and talk about K-pop!

Here is my website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/kpop-dance-club-of-sla/about

My capstone called “Early Recording Philadelphia” is a project developed with a digital and physical element to engage and emphasize the importance Philadelphia has served in the recording industry. My project aims to emphasize and inform people of this history, thus fueling the inquiry of local historians and students. I decided on a small physical display to occupy shelf space in SLA to allow for a somewhat self guided pace for learning. A large portion of my capstone was dedicated research and consolidating information regarding the history of the recording industry. My sources were gathered mostly from book publications on the early history of it. I made use of my membership with the Antique Phonograph Society to gather information and discuss ideas with my mentor. My mentor is a fellow collector/historian, named Sean Miller. Sean has helped me throughout the capstone process by giving me routine advice, leads to look into, and various original pieces. A large portion of my 80 hours has been spent during phone calls and research sessions with Sean, including a week-long visit to his house in Delmar, NY, during spring break of 2024. The digital aspect of my capstone is a website that will continue to be developed and added to even after I leave SLA, a sort of personal history education page that will grow and change as time passes. It serves as the public front for my work, it’s the aspect that non-SLA students will see and perceive. That is my capstone.

https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/early-recording-philly/home

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h_JLcY4QnhUSGiYjMUxaFaflBSp2SMw489ZwKZPF5Iw/edit?usp=sharing

Quick to Save is an app that I designed and developed to teach people in the moment how to perform CPR and rescue breaths. The app provides clear step by step instructions through videos and pictures. A feature unique to this app is its ability to track the user’s location and display it on the screen both by coordinates and an exact address. If a user is unaware of their location then this feature would help them relay this information to emergency services.

Most of my time was spent thoroughly researching CPR and how to make simple projects in Swift. In addition to my CPR research, I talked to two CPR certified people as well as a CPR instructor to make sure I had the most accurate and up to date information. From there my partner and I created six videos: three that were for each age group with water ingestion and three for regular CPR. Since both my partner and I were learning new coding languages we often leaned on each other for help a lot. In the end, I am proud of what I made but the process was not easy. It seemed that every step forward I took two steps backward. I quickly realized that taking breaks and having a positive outlook was going to allow me to have better progress. I also realized that getting stuck is progress too, it means that I’m learning how to do it as I go and that code may be more complex than the tutorials.

For my capstone, two other students and I produced a FIlm festival and held the event at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Rocketfest initially interested me last year because it was a really unique idea, and it gave teenagers in the Philadelphia School District an opportunity to showcase their art which a lot of kids aren’t ever given the chance to. This year when I realized I wanted to major in communications and start a career in Public Relations I thought that taking on Rocketfest would be a perfect opportunity to put my foot through the door. I think Rocketfest is super important because it gives kids in the Philadelphia school district a way to showcase their films and photos. Having the submission be open to teenagers only I think makes it a more comfortable space for kids submitting, to give them more confidence in their work. Giving kids a platform to express themselves is something that goes a really long way.

Films included in Rocketfest (what was shown at the festival): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rf8JLeTsjd_eppE4TxbVGo44DwTQGo_r/view

Bibliography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kr_i3PlNMqdBiFh4y9raXIzHPSTw02HbmMX1KUdEkeg/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, two other students and I produced a FIlm festival and held the event at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Rocketfest initially interested me last year because it was a really unique idea, and it gave teenagers in the Philadelphia School District an opportunity to showcase their art which a lot of kids aren’t ever given the chance to. This year when I realized I wanted to major in communications and start a career in Public Relations I thought that taking on Rocketfest would be a perfect opportunity to put my foot through the door. I think Rocketfest is super important because it gives kids in the Philadelphia school district a way to showcase their films and photos. Having the submission be open to teenagers only I think makes it a more comfortable space for kids submitting, to give them more confidence in their work. Giving kids a platform to express themselves is something that goes a really long way.

Films included in Rocketfest (what was shown at the festival): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rf8JLeTsjd_eppE4TxbVGo44DwTQGo_r/view

Bibliography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kr_i3PlNMqdBiFh4y9raXIzHPSTw02HbmMX1KUdEkeg/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone project, I decided to combine engineering with my passion for the gym by making a lifting bench for working out. I started my capstone by researching workout benches that were both machine-made and man-made. I first looked at some that were professionally built like you would find at a gym. I then looked at some workout benches other people had made themselves at home. While looking at both types I took notes on the details I wanted to include in my bench and the aspects I wanted to avoid. After compiling a list I used Fusion 360 to create my first design. After planning everything out I acquired the metal needed to construct the frame. I sought out the help of a family friend who has a lot of equipment in his garage. He was first able to help me cut the metal to the correct size and angles to join them together. Afterward, he taught me how to use the welding equipment he had and assisted me in welding parts of the frame together. I then drilled some holes to connect the remaining moving parts before painting it black. To make the seats I cut out some plywood, covered it with a cloth, and filled it with foam padding. It was a lot of fun learning to work with a new material and I’m glad I tried something new.

Link to slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Wc1TI1aXQ-hWred0ZA1TSrOtqsbnF5WCB6INXvzcCug/edit?usp=sharing

Link to bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eaTYutKaiN1ovwJNy0lNcCqrBGLP50dMFL5PLNbsTFg/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I created Certification Projects, which are projects you complete in order to get certified on a given tool in the engineering shop. The four projects I made were: make a ring on the lathe, make dice on the mill, make a custom cut-out on the water jet, and make an LED light on the CNC Router. Each project is accompanied by a detailed set of instructions. Each project must also have a teacher or student mentor that can teach the project. After creating these projects and training individuals to teach them, I presented the projects to the sophomore, junior, and senior engineers. Each student picked the project they most wanted to do. For the next two months, all the CTE engineers met four times a week to work on their project. The Certification Projects will remain in the engineering curriculum for future years to come.

For my capstone, I designed a series of posters that aimed to educate kids about animals in a playful manner and put these posters up at Smith Memorial Playhouse and Playground. I collaborated with a mentor who works at Smith, and ultimately created ten posters, each one focused on an animal that can often be spotted at Smith. For every poster, I chose a fun fact relating to that animal’s behavior or anatomy, and included a brief description of this characteristic. Then I created a play prompt relating to the characteristic. This prompt allows the signs to be both informative and engaging for the visitors. Throughout my research for this project and the work I did on it, I learned about the importance of play-related education for young children and was able to combine my appreciation for Smith’s unique play space and my childhood fascination with animals.

The thought of putting my own creativity that I use on projects outside of school was intriguing. The idea I committed to for my capstone project was a ‘Memories Chest’. The basic design was a chest that would be used to store memorable things, and it was a gift for my mom. It revolved around the engineering shop, and the tool my project was made possible by was the laser printer, which I was also really excited to use. At first, I thought about hand making the chest, but with research, I had to keep in consideration time and how difficult it would be. After laser cutting, making the chest was like a puzzle. It was interesting and fun to be handy and figure out the best way to put it together. I did accomplish getting the design I wanted at the end of the process, and it was like a clean canvas to work on further.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xgz-K1R79SHOlu12_50bmr4iHrlYH8-NCpvQuMNkGH0/edit?usp=sharing

This capstone project involved mentoring two FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, guiding them through the process of project development and presentation. My role included organizing out-of-school sessions to work on mini-projects, such as creating custom banners and presentation slides, and ensuring the teams were well-prepared for competition late in the spring. Through this experience, I gained insights into leadership, communication, problem-solving, and project management. I learned the importance of patience and adaptability while keeping a collaborative and innovative environment for the students, just like we do at SLA, and using the core values to the best of my abilities. Reflecting on the experience, I identified several areas for improvement, such as initiating planning and organization earlier, incorporating more team-building activities, seeking additional mentorship training, and implementing regular feedback sessions for each of the kids and the slides that we had to go over. These adjustments could enhance the mentoring process, ensuring even better outcomes for future teams like mine that I helped out this year. My involvement in this capstone project not only improved my own skills and knowledge but also had a positive impact on my school. By promoting STEM education, encouraging teamwork, and leading by example, I helped create a culture of collaboration. The resources created during the project, such as custom banners and refined presentation materials, serve as valuable assets for future FLL participants. Overall, doing this capstone project improved my understanding of FLL mentoring, showing the importance of support, creativity, and resilience in guiding young learners. The experience of effective mentorship helps shape the next generation of innovators and leaders.

This Link Is my Final Website for people who want to know more about my project and the FLL community, whether you’re just getting started or even if you don’t know what FLL is ! https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/sunnyscapstonesla/home

This Is my Annotated bibliography, that shows the resources I used before starting mentoring https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KxHVIfgzjfdj4DZycSfnIq9nsFKzi2LHyt-MtYWzYXE/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I collected clothes from the SLA community, and turned them into new clothes and accessories by upcycling them. I gave away the items I made through a pop-up shop at school. Throughout this process, I have become more confident when I sew, and am now more eager to make bold choices and try new sewing projects. I hope that by using clothes donated by the community, I inspired students to make more ethical fashion choices, and consider more sustainable alternatives in their day-to-day lives.

Since September I have been researching radios and how they work. I have managed to learn enough to build a fully functional radio with parts I got from the CTE Engineering room or older radios I had in my house. I mainly researched the components found in a radio, specifically their purpose. I also had to look at the different types of radios I could make because many schematics had drastic changes such as the number of transistors or whether or not it had a variable capacitor. I found out how hard this project was whenever I would get stuck in situations where I had no clue what went wrong. With my little to no experience, this happened a lot and I would be stuck just hearing static for days, but with the help of my mentors, I overcame those situations and completed my capstone.

I had a reason to make this more than a capstone and that was to make a gift for my grandpa who has worked with radios his entire life. Through the experience of learning about radios, I know what it was like for him to work on such complex circuits. At the end of this long journey, I am proud of all the work I have put into making something that is useful but also something that means a lot to my grandpa, and seeing him know I got into something he is into making this project worth every minute.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gACJ2SLRx-vZEdevmMRvqYPS75JHLMG9_9KtrFyolIE/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone I decided to immerse myself into the process of learning the basics of creating and designing a game without previous education. In my work, I aimed to create all the core elements of an interactive experience, that being an original soundtrack, originally designed sprites, as well as creating the code itself. With no prior background, I was not able to fully complete a finished game within the capstone work time, however I have developed a large collection of personalized artwork, a complete soundtrack, as well as a list of useful sources for others who might be looking to begin their virtual development journey. My process began with a brainstorming phase, just as any other large project would, however instead of doing research prior to my work, I found that it was much more effective to conduct research as I progressed with my capstone. That way I can problem solve and fit my need for personalized issues. As my ideas progressed, code creation became much more time consuming and these obstacles became more complex, resulting in more research. All this has led me to be very knowledgeable in the most efficient learning sources while working in this subject matter.

Link to access work: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Fi5AEzNHVIGTUvFi41Mvz5-vuHoJTTw0?usp=sharing

For my capstone project I designed and taught an eight week long mini course in which I taught freshmen how to crochet. I chose to do this for my capstone because crocheting is a skill that I have found to be very valuable throughout my life. I think it is a good group or solo activity that really stimulates your brain, but can also be calming. There is also a lot of research that says crocheting is good for your brain and can slow aging. Plus it is very cool to see something you want and be able to just make it. For all these reasons I thought that crocheting was a really valuable thing to know, and so I wanted to pass this skill on.

For the past few months, I’ve been using the SLA Engineering Shop to create and distribute necessities valuable for animal refugees in Philadelphia. The city reigns to give more opportunities for pet owners, but I wanted to use this project to motivate others about animals as a symbol of love and hope. Last year, I lost my dog, unfortunately, and it’s been eating away at me to realize in our last moments together, I couldn’t provide her greater happiness. Pets deserve whatever in their heart is loving, and for that, I wanted to remark on my work using the SLA Engineering Shop to finalize my gifts that invite emotional input. Throughout this project, I began donating necessities like Dog Food, Cat Food, Wipes, and Bedding to Animal Refugee Shelters in Center City and South Philadelphia. While going along with those requests — I began creating my shop designs like 3D Dog Collars, Canister Holders, and a Cat Toy Box! For testing my models, my friends helped me experiment with my items with their pets.

As I finished my last contributions, I am proud of how much I shipped off by hand to the shelters. Not only was I able to help provide for city animals, but I got to meet new people who volunteered at these refuges. I wouldn’t have been able to get far without their acceptance of my donations. I’m glad they were the first to see it, as I am for lifting their spirits by helping these animals!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Evc-AeIgvVABXOM5RGF-yXQDY1g-Yji?usp=drive_link

I have worked with Ana Blumberg over the past year to create a sustainable and efficient Student Government Club at SLA. We were very ambitious at the beginning, planning out elections and the rules of the student government. We soon realized that we needed to get a group of interested students together to help us. And that was harder than we expected. After lots of trial and error, we ended up with a great group of about 30 interested and willing students to participate in the club. Knowing there wasn’t much time left in the year, we didn’t have time to hold these elections, we decided to do a fundraiser instead. And this way we would have starting funding for the club to continue next year and hopefully do even more amazing things.

Annotated Bibliography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cBf6lO42IgF487fNAUZTe3p1AomTz3jA5BOEqQnC2Wk/edit?usp=sharing

Link to my research paper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UvJzpZVXcmHOo2spzwKfZbein4YG5FfM/view?usp=drive_link

Link to the website I coded (site doesn’t work well on a phone, please access on a computer): https://capstone-nine-mu.vercel.app/

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UCPA3__f5rflnCieB2efGecUzY5PGxRscATbTmYvCD8/edit?usp=sharing

For my Capstone I wrote a research paper about client-centered public defense. Client-centered public defense is when public defenders - lawyers who represent defendants who cannot afford a private attorney - view their obligation to their client as more than just resolving the client’s legal case. Client-centered defense involves forming a relationship with the client and addressing their needs and desires beyond the criminal case. To complete this paper, I spent the majority of the school-year doing research. I read five books and a number of articles related to this topic. I chose this project in part because I wanted to get more practice writing research papers before college. I ended up learning a lot both about researching and writing a paper as well as the American criminal justice system. My paper discusses some of the ways that the criminal justice system is failing defendants, but also how client-centered representation might address some of these problems.

After finishing my paper, I decided that I wanted to share what I had learned both about writing a paper and the criminal justice system while doing a little more learning. I eventually decided to code a website from scratch to share this information and get experience coding. Before this I had only created basic coding projects, so for the base of my website, I followed along with a tutorial. Once I had a functional website I changed and expanded some of the code to create a unique site that shares what I learned.

For my capstone, I worked with Maxine Wray to create a student government (SGA) at SLA. SGA is a club that tasks students with leadership roles, from planning events and activities for the student body to solving problems around school. Maxine and I were interested in seeing if student government was possible at SLA, and if it would make an actual difference. We started by designing an outline for how we wanted our club to function. Having never attended a school with any form of student government, at first I didn’t know what the club should really even look like. We talked to people with SGA experience in order to get an understanding of how student government works in different schools. From there, we worked on getting interested students to join our club. Our first meeting took place in the beginning of May. We worked with members of the club and our teacher sponsor, Ms. Clancy, to organize our first fundraiser on May 16th. We put together a lemonade stand during lunch and I was happy that we were able to organize a successful fundraiser in such a short amount of time. I hope that through our capstone Maxine and I were able to establish a club that will continue to grow after we graduate.

Link to annotated bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gYcsdrzmYKwcgYuezHHOaQHAlHLnl4XVrRuBWYx8xJI/edit?usp=sharing

Picture from fundraiser: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15wWSajATL6SFNOXISVMZigALL61ajxX1k2css9jNo5M/edit?usp=sharing

I hosted an iftar event that would highlight Muslim communities in the SLA and Ben Franklin schools. This was also open to non-Muslim students and students outside of the schools. Hosting an Iftar event (I named it Hadath Iftar) during Ramadan fit best with all the Muslims participating in the holy month of Ramadan. I reserved the SLA cafeteria and gym while I also served food free of charge. I was hosting this event not only to allow others to enjoy some good food but also for the smaller parts of SLA’s diverse community to see each other eye to eye. The process of hosting this event strengthened my skills in collaboration. I have collaborated with teachers, students, and my principal to make this all happen. It’s what truly made the process of the project go smoother. I also strengthened my planning skills and became an active leader in my community. I have always been determined to lead my community and bring more diversity to the already diverse SLA community. My proudest takeaway from this project is the time and effort I put into the final product. I made sure this was my greatest project with all the help and resilience that was put into it.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VUD0XCT7O8HIYonnOcypR5JolXN-rCAUddHW5Qwbvk4/edit?usp=sharing

The Cricut Customization Workshop was a series of workshops designed to teach students how to create and craft using Cricut machines. Cricut is a brand that offers various materials, including vinyl, cardstock paper, fabric, and more, which can be customized for personal items or gifts. This idea inspired me to host a workshop focused on customization to expand creativity among students.

The initial capstone idea was to reopen SLA’s school store, as it provided a convenient source of food and snacks for students during their online school schedules. However, this idea faced several challenges, including funding, funding, and cleaning the store. The main issue was getting the adults from SLA and the HSA, who funded the school store, to communicate and agree on a plan.

When the deadline approached, I saw unused Cricut machines in the art room and decided to host workshops using them. I brought up the idea to my mentor, who approved the idea immediately. When drafting the capstone proposal, I had to rethink how this was going to fit in with SLA’s core values and incorporate the business aspect of my previous capstone idea into this workshop.

My research focused on different types of materials that Cricut machines can cut, how it is used, and which material works best for specific crafts. Additionally, I gained knowledge on businesses and how to incorporate entrepreneurship into the workshop.

In conclusion, the Cricut Customization Workshop was a successful capstone idea that allowed students to express their creativity using Cricut machines and explore the potential of entrepreneurship. The workshop provided valuable insights into the use of Cricut machines in various industries and helped students develop skills in entrepreneurship.

For my senior capstone project, I restarted the SLA Selfcare Club. This club started in my sophomore year but due to the struggles of getting used to in person school, it did not continue. Due to the slow start up of the club two years ago, I knew that I wanted to bring the club back for my capstone. The origin of this club started over zoom in freshman year where everyone was in isolation and going through a huge change. The goal was to bring people together as a community but also improve oneself. Throughout the year, the SLA Selfcare Club has held two workshops, two spirit weeks, a fundraiser and also a freshman advice sheet. All events took a lot of brainstorming and planning which paid off in the end when the club would have many students engaging. My capstone project took a lot of dedication and promotion in hopes that it will enlighten the SLA community with new opportunities to build itself up. Through the club events, I was able to provide an engaging and loving space for all students to interact and spread kindness to one another.

Below shows he SLA Selfcare Club instagram page where new events would be posted. Along with the SLA Selfcare Club Calendar with all the events hosted. This is the link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1p87XrqfxoCHvbkETzEADeGxpxpqicalJGKCD3duzboQ/edit?usp=sharing

This is the link to my bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19hoQ0fM6UJ3lepeOHgAu6_nTo07Hvdt4hXL2Hfe-eTI/edit?usp=sharing