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For my Capstone, I designed and built a prototype for an arm-wrestling arcade machine that recreates the fun and competitive energy of real arm wrestling—without the injury risk. After discovering a talent for arm wrestling through my background in powerlifting, I wanted to make the sport more accessible and safer, especially given how often injuries occur at higher levels. Inspired by arcade boxing machines, I began working on a mechanical and digital system that mimics the resistance and scoring of arm wrestling. I went through many stages—from sketching and brainstorming concepts in my notebook, to CAD modeling in Fusion 360, to fabricating custom parts using CNCs and manual mills in our shop. Along the way, I learned how to adjust when prototypes failed, iterate more efficiently, and balance simplicity with functionality. I also deepened my understanding of parametric modeling and mechanical advantage (especially the hard way—after buying springs that didn’t apply enough force). Despite the challenges, I’m proud of creating something original, technically sound, and fun. It was rewarding to give back to SLA’s engineering community by mentoring younger students as I worked. Most of all, this project reminded me of how ideas evolve through real-world constraints, and how problem-solving never stops—especially when you’re building something that hasn’t quite been built before.

For my capstone I wanted to create a website for incoming freshman so they can have an idea of what SLA is like before their first day. I know for me high school was a big transition as well as frightening so I wanted to try and make students in the future feel more comfortable. I know that one of the biggest transitions is from traditional learning to project based learning. I had a lot higher expectations for my capstone and planned for it to be a lot more than what it is. However I had some circumstances through senior year that made it difficult for me to reach my goal.

https://slablanc25.wixsite.com/entering-sla

My Capstone focused on the mental health aspect of the SLA community. I wanted to do something that would be a memorable experience for students who endure stress because of school-related work. Originally I wanted to bring in a group of puppies for people to play with in a playpen but I ran into many obstacles which changed up that plan. For my final product, I hosted an activity called “Snuggle Day at SLA,” where everyone who was taking the biology keystone or just at the school could come to the ballroom and interact with four different therapy animals. There were three dogs and one bunny but all were very interactive with owners that were informative. I got a lot of positive feedback from students and staff and am hoping to keep this a capstone legacy that I will pass along.

Bibliography - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1moJcTkMKBKvhC7bePdkRmVEkoPrxrAuRYlxtFHvMIvA/edit?usp=sharing

For my senior capstone, I created a weekly newsletter that appeared in the advisory memo every Thursday. The newsletter was meant to highlight military, political, and social developments in the Middle East, with some of the articles being about Africa and the U.S. I created the newsletter to bring attention to and educate my peers on news that I felt was misrepresented or misinterpreted by mainstream news outlets. Initially, I had wanted to create a finance application that would allow students to fundraise by partnering with local businesses; however, after speaking with Ms. Pahomov had suggested that I choose something that I was more passionate about, which led me to my current project. At the time, I was very interested in geopolitics. I felt frustrated with mainstream news outlets for their failure to properly represent developments globally, specifically regarding the Middle East, which was important to me as a Palestinian-American. This led me to more individual reporting and article writing, which is when I came across an Iranian journalist whom I felt inspired by, which made me choose this project.

Here’s the link to my website to read my articles. https://aayeshtahseen00.wixsite.com/tahseen-1

Here’s the link to my biblography. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBg3IkmJ92RIseofLrwdG0tX_iN43LXIYUu0SBBYOOw/edit?usp=sharing

SLACONNECTIONS is a forum-based SLA social media website made to enhance the strength of our community, build connections between alumni and current students, and offer students advice through an online forum. Students can create posts on 4 different groups: College advice, Misc, Internships/job opportunities, and Project share. My website aims to make SLA a community you can still engage in after you graduate. The alumni of SLA go on to do useful, important, and beneficial things in their future, and these things can greatly benefit current SLA students through advice and opportunities.

http://slaconnections.com/ Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G8Dji3MuZchkwGmZMkCgmp7GpPsFxV4yNVnTSu1ZkoE/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/10kH9JncQDO_romRQUy1wt9-_4o7UDfww

For my capstone, I created a device that automatically adjusted the volume of a speaker or headphones based on sounds detected by the device. I did this using an Arduino, a digital potentiometer, and, of course, code. My guiding question going into this project was “How can I use technology to simplify classroom management or increase classroom safety?” So through some surveying, I found that automation was most wanted for simplicity and for safety hearing announcements, and with that, I came up with my project, AutoEQ.

Through this project, I ran into a lot of obstacles, such as scheduling and time constraints due to order or funding times, hardware issues, and, worst of all, problems in the code. The process was not the most fun, but a lot was gained through it, through what I learned about myself and the project processes. Although the final product is not what I initially intended, with completely ambient sound reaction and a UI, I am still proud of and happy with what I was able to accomplish. Here is a website with the products of my capstone —> https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/gabecapstone2025?usp=sharing

My capstone project, EcoSTEM, is a sustainability and STEM-based initiative aimed at educating and empowering youth, particularly in underfunded and marginalized communities. The project originally began as a video game concept with three key missions: turn trash into treasure, clean up the community, and teach others about environmentalism. However, after testing and feedback, I realized the game lacked tangible impact. I pivoted the project, becoming “Player One” in real life—putting myself in the center of the mission to inspire change.

Rooted in personal experiences and passions, EcoSTEM was shaped by moments from my childhood: growing up in an environmentally conscious neighborhood, falling in love with STEM through a summer camp robotics experience, and seeing my creative work spark inspiration in younger students. These moments made me realize how powerful it is to give back—and how critical it is to provide access to sustainable innovation and creative technology for kids like me.

Through this capstone, I partnered with organizations, pitched to companies like Braskem to receive recycled 3D printer filament, and developed workshop ideas to educate youth on sustainability through hands-on creation. I explored how we learn, what we can create, and what it means to lead—by reflecting on my story and using it to design a solution for others.

EcoSTEM brings together art, science, sustainability, and equity to spark long-term environmental and personal change. It is more than a project—it is a mission to empower the next generation of creators, thinkers, and leaders.

For our senior capstone, my partner Trent Rodgers and I set out to recreate Spider-Man’s web shooters through a chemical lens. Inspired by a shared passion for Marvel and material science, we began by researching polymer structures capable of mimicking the fictional webs. Our initial experiments used a sodium alginate-based solution–our “First Generation” formula–developed during a summer program at The Franklin Institute. This laid the foundation for more advanced experimentation. Our research deepened when we studied a promising paper by Fiorenzo Omenetto at Tufts University. His work became the basis of our “Second Generation” solution. We collaborated with Omenetto and mentors like chemical engineer Bill Rodebaugh and engineering teacher John Kamal. After securing $650 in funding from Braskem, we acquired key materials, including chitosan, dopamine, and silk fibroin. However, delays in chemical delivery and insufficient quantities hampered our ability to perform comprehensive testing. Despite setbacks, we successfully tested multiple chemical combinations to create a durable, web-like polymer. Our most promising experiment revealed a critical reaction window when the solution turned white and foamy, though limited resources prevented us from fully capitalizing on it. This project demanded persistence, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. I learned how to navigate scientific research, develop experimental procedures, and manage real-world project constraints. While our final prototype fell short of full functionality, we took significant steps toward translating fiction into reality. With more time, materials, and focus, I believe this project could have achieved its ambitious goal. Below is a link to a drive of uncut lab recordings we took over the year.

My capstone was to create a lesson plan for 1 unit of physics in order to assist the new physics teacher in their next year of teaching. To create a fully fledged lesson plan I worked with different teachers such as Mr.Kamal and Ms.T(the physics substitute). To test the lesson plan I picked out a lesson and taught a physics class. It went really well and they gave me a lot of positive feedback.

biblography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fLA0yuzu2Si7XVepAnPnStW7eNiPHNA8JtRNV2kDZV4/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tq8hlETCWpuTKbhZCkDSs-5oOA0jzYSx?usp=drive_link

For my Capstone project, I created an eight week hygiene course plan for SLA’s health class to help educate students on how to properly care for their bodies. This idea came to me from my own experience in health class, where I felt that hygiene was not covered. I wanted to provide students, especially those who may not have learned about hygiene at home, with accessible, non embarrassing education on the subject. The process include alot of extensvie and independent research, and collaboration form students, the school nurse, Nurse Chris, and the health teacher Mr. Kelly. I designed engaging, easy to follow lessons on various different types of hygiene topics, ensuring they were age appropiate and relevant to students needs. One challenge that I had faced was the inability to fund and distribute hygiene kits, which were originally intended to support the lessons with practical resources. Despite this challange, I adapted by focusing on the digital aspect of the course planning. Throughout the project, I attended meetings, gathered feedback, and polished the course based on real concerns voiced by different students and teachers about hygiene in the school. I am ost proud of creating a safe and a supportive educational experience that aims to reduce shame and promote confidence. My Capstone reflects SLA’s core values by asking an important question, conducting research, collaborating with the communnity, and sharing a final product that can benefit future students at SLA. This project taught me how to turn personal expierences into meaningful action and how to build something that empowers others to take care of themselves with confidence.

For my Capstone project, my partner Sebastian Torres and I organized a school-wide basketball tournament at SLA, aiming to foster school spirit and community engagement. We planned a bracket-style event where student teams would compete, with the top teams facing teachers in a Student vs. Teacher game, alongside field day-style activities, a concession stand, and music to enhance the atmosphere. Throughout the process, I researched best practices for event organization, focusing on logistics, participation, and crowd management, especially given the challenge of a broken gym divider. We tried to collaborate with the NHS for event promotion, used flyers and Google Forms to recruit participants and helpers, and worked closely with staff to secure a date and resources, including a trophy for the winners. Although unforeseen scheduling conflicts prevented the event from taking place, the planning process taught me the importance of communication, flexibility, and accountability in large-scale projects. I learned that building a sense of belonging and school pride requires thoughtful organization and collaboration. Reflecting on the experience, I am proud of the structure and outreach of our project and believe it set a foundation for future community-building events at SLA.

Link to guide/bibliography: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ML_UT9yrwonRS_1Vdo5m6CvHYr9UPfd3?usp=drive_link

For my capstone project I worked with the Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM) to create a chapter (also called a kvutzah) of their organization here in Philly, specifically at my synagogue. JYCM is a primarily youth-led organization taking climate action across the country, especially through the values of Judaism and the Jewish identity. I was able to start a kvutzah by teaching for three 45 minute sessions at one of my synagogue’s teen programs called Teen Tuesday, which is made up of 7th-9th graders. There were usually 11-14 of them there, and I taught about how the environment is connected to Judaism, how to take climate action, and more that can be viewed in my lesson plans which are in the google drive link below. This took a lot of planning which includes the virtual Kvutzah Leaders Fellowship, the JYCM Northeast Retreat, and meeting with one of the teen programmers at my synagogue, as well as my mentor (one of the JYCM adult organizers). The fellowship connected me with other teens who were aiming to create a kvutzah in their communities, and gave me training for how to actually start my own kvutzah, and was the main thing that helped to prepare me. One of the biggest lessons I learned from this is how much teachers and students learn from each other, because that is exactly what I experienced, and it brought me a lot of insight. (Please read the lesson plans before anything else in the google drive folder).

For my capstone project, I designed and executed a community mural in the school ballroom, inspired by Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. The process involved significant inquiry with school artists to understand mural design, extensive research into materials and painting techniques, and collaboration with Mural Arts for funding. Initially, I explored STEM and language-based projects, then a Moroccan zellige tile mosaic, before settling on the mural due to funding constraints. The final product features a tree with a trunk painted by me and leaves representing various school communities. This project taught me the importance of adaptability, the practicalities of large-scale art production, and the power of community engagement. Reflection throughout the process allowed me to refine my vision and ensure the mural resonated with its intended audience. Ultimately, this capstone demonstrates the application of SLA’s core values in overcoming challenges to create a lasting, community-centered piece of art.

For my capstone project, I worked with the School District of Philadelphia on their plan for putting period products in all Philly school bathrooms. I started a mini organization called Students Against Period Poverty that advocated for more student voice to be included in the decisions being made around period products in school bathrooms. This culminated in a town hall that we led in collaboration with the School District and Philadelphia Youth Commission (which I am also a part of) where students could share their ideas and thoughts. Additionally, I met First Lady Shapiro and was able to advocate for student’s needs directly. I learned a lot about how to be a leader and a student activist, and how to get people to listen to what I have to say.

My Capstone is an Improvement plan for the building that is based upon architectural precedent and student opinions. In my capstone I outline problems with the school building and how I would solve them, other improvements, and what I believe would be the best course of action for the school to take in the future to improve the lives of students.

The first step in this process was to research what the school district has done in the past in order to improve the district’s buildings and what they have done recently.

The next was to attempt to find a building like SLA/Ben Franklin but there are not many like this and so I had to look into non-school buildings for ideas and found my inspiration in Europe instead with an airport of all things.

Then once I found my precedent I went into identifying problems and finding solutions.

Ultimately what I think I have learned is that I shouldn’t lose faith in projects because there were multiple times where I considered giving up on this project but I persevered

My Capstone is an Improvement plan for the building that is based upon architectural precedent and student opinions. In my capstone I outline problems with the school building and how I would solve them, other improvements, and what I believe would be the best course of action for the school to take in the future to improve the lives of students.

The first step in this process was to research what the school district has done in the past in order to improve the district’s buildings and what they have done recently.

The next was to attempt to find a building like SLA/Ben Franklin but there are not many like this and so I had to look into non-school buildings for ideas and found my inspiration in Europe instead with an airport of all things.

Then once I found my precedent I went into identifying problems and finding solutions.

Ultimately what I think I have learned is that I shouldn’t lose faith in projects because there were multiple times where I considered giving up on this project but I persevered

For my Capstone,I made 40 baby hats to donate to the Tiny Miracles Foundation, along with that, I will be donating things I have received.I like giving back to the community in many ways, such as donations, community service, etc. After consideration, I decided that I wanted to crochet something of use.I wanted to do something that had some sort of creativity aspect as well as a meaningful contribution to the community. Many families with infants in the NICU experience emotional and financial stress during this challenging time. My handmade items can provide comfort and warmth, helping to create a more nurturing environment for these vulnerable little ones. When researching, I came across crocheting articles and found that making baby hats for premature babies was something that was common and was something that was encouraged for people to do if they could. Crocheting for babies and donating the items is not just about the physical items being created. It embodies the spirit of community, compassion, and creativity, making a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable infants and their families while also enriching the lives of the crafters.

For my capstone, I aimed to foster cultural exchange between the SLA community and visiting exchange students. Combining my involvement in SOCA, a club I co-founded to celebrate cultural diversity, and my participation in the SLAmbassadors program, which offers cultural immersion experiences to students. I sought to create events that would promote understanding and appreciation of the different cultures that make up SLA. (The only event I don’t have pictures for is the Sports day with the Polish exchange students.)

This year my Capstone was Rocketfest which was a group capstone with my partners Olivia Gavin and Mira Khurana. Rocketfest is a Philadelphia Film festival hosted by Philadelphia Public School Students for Philadelphia’s Public School Students at the Philadelphia Free Library. The project itself consists of a Film Festival in which students from across the Philadelphia Public School area will submit films or photography to be judged by filmmakers and judges to be placed into the festival. Really working to create more filmmakers within Philadelphia and create a tradition for SLA to have for years to come.

For my capstone project, I created a website that teaches beginners how to code in JavaScript and make simple games using p5play, a JavaScript library for game development. This site is organized into a start page, a note page, a lesson menu, and 8 sections of tutorials, each introducing a major JS concept and some p5play concepts, alongside small interactive games, clickable multiple-choice questions, and a drag-and-drop coding activity to reinforce learning.

I began my project by inquiring about how to create a game and make it shareable to other people through a link. I planned out the layout of the website and created a visual design for the main components by using Google Slides and free assets from Kenney. I developed my game using Visual Studio Code and tested it using a live server. I learned about using Chrome Developer Tools to debug. For deployment, I first used Google Drive with DriveToWeb but encountered performance issues and an abnormal amount of third-party warnings. I then switched to Vercel and Github for a smoother and more reliable web deployment. I shared my website with people in SLA and obtained a lot of helpful feedback. This feedback is helpful for me to realize the issue I hadn’t noticed and bugs I didn’t find, which help me improve the usability of the website. Overall, I am proud of what I did and what I learned from the experience.

Link to my website: https://capstone1-phi.vercel.app/

For my Capstone, I created GEMSTONE (Girls in Engineering, Math, Science, and Technology: Opportunities, Networking, Empowerment), a digital resource hub designed to support high school girls interested in STEM. It includes monthly exploration worksheets, a curated database of over 50 extracurricular opportunities, and a series of 40 video interviews with women in STEM across a range of advanced fields. GEMSTONE is going to be integrated into 11 Philadelphia public schools and used in over 80 STEM classrooms in September.

I created GEMSTONE because as a girl who has spent four years in STEM classes, there have been many moments where I didn’t know where to start or who to turn to, and that made everything, from signing up for programs to picturing a future in STEM, feel harder than it needed to be. GEMSTONE is meant to change that: It gives girls a way in, and it gives them a head start.

Over 80 hours went into research, expert interviews, opportunity vetting, content design, and school integration. I collaborated with educators and professionals to make sure the materials were high-quality and useful. One of the most powerful parts of this project has been building a network between young girls and women already working in STEM—something that can be difficult to access in public school settings.

GEMSTONE is a resource I wish I had, and now it’s here for others. I’m proud that I adovcated for this project and believed in my idea so that it could be made an affordable, district wide resource.

Over the past year, my capstone project evolved significantly—from the original plan of building an electric guitar and learning to play it, to focusing solely on building the guitar. I chose this project to challenge myself in electrical engineering while also pushing creativity. Throughout the process, I made sure to incorporate our school’s core values: integrity in decision-making, extensive research into guitar design and construction, endless collaboration with my mentor, regular reflection to guide my progress, and a forthcoming presentation. One of my biggest challenges was attempting to design the guitar body in CAD software, since I struggle with that skill. After months of failed attempts, I pivoted to purchasing affordable parts online, only to find out they didn’t fit together. With just weeks remaining, I scrambled to find parts that worked. Despite setbacks, I devoted around 90 hours to researching, designing, and building the guitar, with tremendous help from my mentor. I’m proud that I was able to complete the project and learned valuable lessons about time management, adaptability, and my own limitations. Beyond the technical skills, the capstone experience also brought me closer to my classmates and teachers.

I, like many others in this school, have had trouble with losing things in school. My interest in coding inspired me to develop a Lost and Found app to remedy this. Users add their belongings to a shared catalog, where they can post their missing items to the entire school (or at least everyone who uses the app) for others to find and report to you. In turn, when you find someone else’s item, you can directly message the owner in the app to let them know when and where to meet you and retrieve the item.

Bibliography

Tan, S. Y., & Chong, C. R. (2024, October 22). (PDF) AN EFFECTIVE LOST AND FOUND SYSTEM IN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS. ResearchGate. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374608419_AN_EFFECTIVE_LOST_AND_FOUND_SYSTEM_IN_UNIVERSITY_CAMPUS] (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374608419_AN_EFFECTIVE_LOST_AND_FOUND_SYSTEM_IN_UNIVERSITY_CAMPUS)

Wilson, D. C. (2023, May). AppalLOCATE: A Lost and Found Solution. University of North Carolina Greensboro. https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/asu/f/Wilson_Derek_Spring%202023_Thesis.pdf

Salman, Z. A.-J., & Athab, O. A. (2022, January). SMARTPHONE APPLICATION FOR MANAGING MISSED AND FOUND BELONGINGS. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357859863_SMARTPHONE_APPLICATION_FOR_MANAGING_MISSED_AND_FOUND_BELONGINGS

Clark, M. (2017, October 31). Carnival explains how its NFC and BLE devices will power next-generation cruise ship guest experiences. NFCW. https://www.nfcw.com/2017/10/31/355368/carnival-nfc-ble-next-generation-cruise-ship-experiences/

Lifesaver https://lifesavertechnologies.com/how-it-works

Lost and Found https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.techju.developer.lostandfound&hl=en-US&pli=1

https://www.ileftmystuff.com/

Levent. (2023, November 27). Gamification Techniques for Non-Gaming Apps. ShyftUp. (https://www.shyftup.com/blog/gamification-techniques-for-non-gaming-apps/)[https://www.shyftup.com/blog/gamification-techniques-for-non-gaming-apps/]

Graf, K. (n.d.). Gamification in Non-Gaming Apps: Drive Engagement and Loyalty. DreamWalk App Development. Retrieved January 19, 2025, from https://dreamwalk.com.au/blog/gamification-non-gaming-apps