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For my Capstone project, I embarked on a 40-day social media detox during Lent to observe the effects on my mental health as a teenager. This practical experience was complemented by journaling my daily routine, volunteering to help the homeless, providing security at church events, and collaborating with my church community in Kensington. Additionally, I conducted research by listening to podcasts focused on mental health and the impact of social media usage.

The primary challenge was overcoming the initial withdrawal from social media and balancing the project with school and work responsibilities. However, through commitment and effective time management, I persevered.

This project allowed me to gain valuable insights into the impact of social media on mental well-being, develop self-discipline, and appreciate the power of community engagement. I learned the importance of mindfulness and finding a healthy balance in our digital lives.

If given the opportunity to undertake this project again, I would incorporate a more structured research plan, potentially including surveys or interviews, and extend the duration of the social media detox to observe long-term effects more thoroughly. Furthermore, I would explore the potential benefits of incorporating mindfulness practices, such as meditation or yoga, to enhance the overall experience and promote a holistic approach to mental well-being. Additionally, I would seek to collaborate with mental health professionals or experts in the field to gain deeper insights and validate my findings.

I just want to say again I am super passionate about doing this and what I was able to do with my mentality. Thanks SLA and other helpers along the way of my capstone.

Just a nice picture I captured of a rainy night on Kensington & Somerset, when me and some friends from church served coffee to the homeless.

Slides with Final Product

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1x2tsZvZ13qj3HbFwy3VGgJ1uLLvI_NQBFBf_yvUN1TE/edit?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography All Pages

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12eGFlwxcxDrlA0RPzTDcUa4-6CCG2nDt1-UPiEaZkyQ/edit?usp=sharing

Process Paper

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UOH7c7eKLizA3OpORYB_QHVj2peh02oDQTNYYVWI_SU/edit?usp=sharing

For my Capstone, I worked with my grandfather to help write his memoir. When I was born, my parents invited my grandparents to write a page or two about their life and family history, or whatever else they wanted me to know. My grandfather, Harvey, who I call Zayda (Yiddish for grandfather) ended up writing over 80 handwritten pages starting at his grandparents coming to the United States, up until when I was born. We worked together every Wednesday transcribing the pages onto a document, adding photos, and doing research. Through this process, I learned more about my family history, which I would not have ever been able to do without him. I also learned more about formatting a book and professional writing.

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13vpYwmtr2GGgpkem7hBizBi2-4PQdMKKBYBy72YgCNQ/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone project is an app called QTS, which stands for Quick To Save. This app guides people if they encounter someone in need of CPR. The app asks essential questions and depending on the answers, it’ll play a video showing a step-by-step process of performing CPR on a person. While the video plays, your current location is displayed on the screen as well in order to give 911 a quick and accurate address. If CPR is not needed, the app will say so and remind the user to contact 911, the current location once again provided on the screen. I spend long hours every week researching, coding, and fixing lots of unforeseen issues in order to get a final product that I am proud of. This capstone helped me not only learn how to perform CPR but also taught me about everything that goes on behind the creation and publication of every app we use daily.

Capstone: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vcs-qDMQEu6KN_9shKq1_OAQ8BtNkRGl/view?usp=sharing

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1We4iZUesQ9xKGolOqrR-6Jck1f4UilfeeyGlnDj1Zcs/edit?usp=sharing

Earlier this year, Ms. Angeles asked me to color-code the chairs in her classroom to prevent students from stealing them to sit in the hallway. This often left her with an insufficient number of chairs for her large classes. For my capstone project, I used this opportunity to creatively paint color-coded designs on the chairs, emphasizing the art-classroom vibe and just making it easier to identify and recover missing chairs. At first, Ms. Angeles suggested to just paint dots on the chairs to match the tables. However, I expanded the idea into an artsy project to make the chairs very identifiable and fun. Some students also joined in, which was nice to see the variation in artistic stiles come out.

I struggled a bit with finding the right sealant, managing time, and working around class schedules. Despite this, I was proud of how I improved as a painter. I started with simpler designs, and moved onto more complex ones, which made me happy about how everything turned out.

For My Capstone I created a live edge side table. These tables are special because they are generally made of one continuous slab of wood and sometimes the edge of the table is the actual edge of the tree. I knew I wanted to make something with my hands and because I am part of the SLA CTE engineering program I have access to the engineering shop. The Process for making a table like this started with creating engineering drawings to flush out your vision for the piece. Next I found a beautiful black walnut slab in a local lumber yard. I quickly got to work cleaning up the wood, removing dead wood, bark, and milling it so it was flat. Large slabs of wood almost always have cracks and holes which I’m choosing to fill with a black epoxy resin. The next step is to cut the slab down to the desired table size. In my case I wanted to leave one of the edges untouched to save the natural feel of the piece. Next is a slow grueling process of sanding the table in preparation for applying a finish. The finish I’m choosing to put on my piece is a Rubio monocoat, it provides protection while also looking incredible. The last step is to attach the legs, this can be done using threaded inserts, I chose to order black steel legs which will compliment the black epoxy running through the piece.

Through this capstone I learned an incredible amount about woodworking and some of the woodworking processes required to make a live edge epoxy table. It also opened a room for personal growth, learning about how I personally react and tackle big projects.

My capstone project “Building Bridges Through Illustrated Stories” was created with the intention of exploring and sharing my Sudanese culture with an audience, specifically children. For my project, I wrote a children’s book titled “The Lost Heirloom: A Sudanese Story” and worked with a small group of students at Penn Alexander School to help create the illustrations. The children’s book follows a young girl named Miriam embarking on a journey with her grandmother to explore Sudan. The book is written in a way to engage and educate a younger audience about Sudan and allow children to learn about celebrating culture and heritage. I was able to learn more about my culture through my family and learned about the power of storytelling and how important it is to share these cultural experiences with others.

This capstone project is a story about a trip I took to visit a boyfriend in Pittsburgh that began as an essay, and ended as a film. Included in the project are both the essay, and the film and written script. While the essay reads as more of a story, the film works to connect the idea of time and uses the train as a vehicle for it, while explaining how we hold onto it in different ways. By visiting this person, the main character is holding onto the past, as is a mysterious woman she meets on the train, and by doing this she is being invasive, as are large developments in the city, as are invasive vines that take over other plants.

Capstone: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1osHhPGAs-BTsu8di48tDhl_8_b0gT8oz?usp=drive_link

For my capstone project, I designed a Hidden Storage Bench. This bench can be used as a seating area and a storage place, with a large compartment hidden to store items like bats, plates, and baseballs. I created this capstone to showcase the skills and knowledge I gained over three years in the CTE Engineering Program, focusing on woodworking to challenge myself and improve my skills. I aimed to address a need in my baseball community, the Anderson Monarchs, and apply engineering skills to real-world applications. The project began with an inquiry into maximizing hidden storage while meeting space constraints. I researched designs, materials, and processes, created 3D CAD models, and sourced materials with the help of funding from Braskem. The construction involved precise measuring, cutting, and assembly, although I faced challenges such as warped wood and stability issues I overcame them with the help of peers and mentors. I documented my process and prepared a presentation to showcase my project. I learned valuable lessons in project management, problem-solving, and woodworking. This experience taught me the importance of perseverance and adaptability.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SewsaH8Vyh1TI5qGFbZARKm5JVVABMFmmeuva57qjsc/edit?usp=sharing

In my capstone project, I embarked on a journey to teach classes on Adobe Illustrator and laser cutting, inspired by the impactful experiences I had during my ILP at TinyWPA, a non-profit organization. Through inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection, I aimed to instill core values in my students. Initially drawn to the idea of creating a movable roller coaster, I redirected my focus towards teaching, guided by my passion and the encouragement of others who recognized my enthusiasm for education. Despite facing challenges in motivating students to complete assignments, I sought guidance from mentors and utilized resources like the school’s engineering workshop. By leveraging the laser cutter, I provided students with a platform to explore their creativity and make meaningful creations. While time constraints prevented the completion of a final collage showcasing student work, the impact of their learning journey was evident in their ability to utilize these tools beyond mere technical proficiency. Ultimately, my capstone project exemplified my dedication to teaching and empowering others to unleash their creative potential through hands-on experiences with technology.

For my capstone I created a documentary about the Philadelphia free library system, showcasing both the flaws, and immense triumphs in the different branches across our city. Filmed mostly on a canon camcorder, I visited multiple different branches of the Philadelphia free library and talked to librarians and staff, as well as people in my life who have heavily influenced my love for reading and the library system. I view this project as an ode to the libraries, which I’ve spent thousands of hours in throughout my almost 18 years living in Philadelphia. As well as a culmination of some of the most, in my opinion, important SLA core values. Inquiry, research, and presentation.

LINK TO DOCUMENTARY https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nnakWMlHshougB7_V57DtzFGFGy0WnfJ/view?usp=sharing

LINK TO BIBLIOGRAPHY https://docs.google.com/document/d/186oG9fsn1RwEQ0AxXeZND2PT7sXhOzm4QqRgZETgVtw/edit

I created three songs revolving around the theme of time. The first song, titled “We’ve Still Got Time” is about being in the last year of high school, and how it feels like time is moving quickly. It’s about the emotions that come with knowing that all things come to an end. The melancholy feelings of change come through in the lyrics and chord progressions. It is more traditional because I recorded guitar (electric and acoustic), drums, and vocals. The second two songs are tied together in an EP titled “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” They are completely made up of found sounds from my life that I recorded on a handheld microphone. I took these sounds, like trucks, car honks, city soundscapes, and manipulated them to sound musical. Each recording captures a moment in time, each sound is different from the next, unable to be replicated exactly the same way. These instrumental songs utilize everyday songs to bring the listener into new worlds of sound.

Career day was an afternoon of career exploration for SLA freshmen that exposed them to a variety of paths they could take in the future. In the beginning of the year, I polled the students on their career interests, and I found out that about 50% of 9th graders are interested in a career in STEM. This informed my decision to have a special focus on STEM careers for my project. Next, I reached out to professionals asking them to speak at the event, and coordinated logistics with SLA staff. I got permissions to use 6 classrooms, and talked with Mr. Lehmann and the 9th grade advisors to have them chaperone their advisories in each room. As I confirmed the availability of volunteer speakers and began to make a schedule, I realized I couldn’t run career day by myself, so I gathered some student volunteers to be ushers. Additionally, I had a couple students taking videos and pictures that I later uploaded to the career day website. With everyone’s help, career day was a huge success. All the volunteers and advisors reported that it was a positive experience, and the students mentioned lots of new things they’d learned in their reflections. My biggest takeaways from career day were to always be prepared, have backup plans, and expect the unexpected. Getting to see my project come to life was really rewarding, and I hope someone is inspired to iterate on career day in the future.

Digital representation: career day website https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/careerdaycapstone23-24/home

For my capstone, I created a new database to be used by SLA students to help them with questions about colleges and majors they may be interested in. Through my database, they will be able to search for SLA alumni that match their interests and who have agreed to be contacted to answer questions. I used surveys and lots of outreach, and because of this, I was able to compile a list of alumni who are on standby for when an SLA student has a question for them about the college process or specific colleges. The result is a new resource for the college office that will be updated every year. After completing this capstone I learned that the SLA community is willing to help when called upon to help with the stressful college application process. I have also now gathered interesting information about what our SLA alumni do after graduation.

For my Capstone, I decided that I wanted to make a photo mosaic. It took me a bit to figure out what I wanted to do but I decided that I wanted to make the mosaic a photo of myself made up of my friends. I used a website to upload all of my photos that I stored in a google drive folder. Once I uploaded all of my photos, I messed around with the mosaic to add more photos, change the colorization, and get it ready to print. I got It printed and framed. I hung it up on the fifth floor where all of my friends hang out. I felt like I learned how time consuming creating something like this is and that I need to manage my time better. It was overall a fun experience and I am proud of how it came out.

For my senior capstone project, I painted a mural on the SLA rooftop terrace. I collaborated with various members of the community including students, teachers, Braskem, and Mural Arts. Over this year, I have worked to make something that I would be proud to be a part of, an aspect of that was going on a personal journey. Creating this art was an experience with the community as well as an experience with myself and my artistic talent. I started by creating various sketches of the mural, by hand and also digitally. In my art design, I chose to feature many endangered marine animals, such as the blue whale, green sea turtle, hammerhead shark, and coral. I did not only want to make art that was inspirational, but also important. Once I had my plan for my art, I started to research materials. I collaborated with various artists who advised me on my art and helped me find supplies. I did extensive research on the proper materials for the wall. Once I got my materials, I got my design approved and started painting. As I painted, students were encouraged to help paint. Since the art was for the community, it made sense for the community to be able to come out and work on it. My biggest challenge throughout this process was creating the artwork itself, but I am proud of the work I have done.

Link to Annotated Bibliography

For my capstone project, I wanted to highlight one of the SLA core values that I have grown in throughout my years at SLA; collaboration. My capstone inquiry question is how can students take advantage of CTE programs as a way to collaborate and create something to help those in the community? I decided to explore this question through a documentary exploring accessibility in CTE programs. I documented the journey of collaborating with Amjed and Mashrur, and how we created a harness that will have an extended third arm and leather patch working to make it easier for Mashrur to film in his DigVid class. Collaboration is truly the heart of my documentary. This was inspired by the environment in the engineering room whenever I would work on the vest with Amjed. I not only was collaborating with him, but also everyone else in the room who was working on their own individual capstones. It was the first time I thrived in a space where collaboration flourished and genuinely had a good time. To me, this documentary is a reflection of this project that we have been working on for almost two years. It’s a way to look back and reflect on our experiences collaborating with other students who are in CTE programs and how impactful these programs at SLA really are.

Documentary: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1waSXgYgRgbupgQLbWxnztWLDKqjBuVrS?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wv-9wQNVgNdiygW2AA2WMwFTOaN29mZ6_nSq0okFex8/edit?usp=sharing

The AuthaGraph Map in my opinion is very innovative and different to your convention Gerardus Mercator map. The reason this map was made, was to provide a new pint of view. It was perfect for what I was trying to achieve. I wanted people to know that the world is not as separated as it seems to be. My initial inquiry was “How can I make sure everyone coming into SLA feels represented when it comes to art?”. My initial thought process was to actively represent that we are all different and can’t be categories into one group. But I feel that stems from my middle school mindset. SLA has changed my perspective on a lot of this. SLA constantly challenges my inner bias and thought process. My fellow classmates also acknowledged that we aren’t the same. After I made that realization there was a new goal to my capstone. This goal made my inquiry change. My inquiry had shifted into how can future SLA students acknowledge the difference without categorizing themselves. I’m asking how can we start proactively show students that we all have differences but not letting that stop us from interacting with each other. What better way to show a physical example of the world. This project also has a quirk. It’s purposely left unfinished.

Rocketfest is a film festival that is open to all high school students in the Philadelphia School District, it allows them to showcase their work, build a portfolio, and network. It was a day-long event that took place May 1st, 2024 and was open to all district school students as well as the public. This was a highly collaborative effort, with each of us breaking into leadership roles and organizing our portion of the festival. In particular, I became our social media, marketing, and merchandise chair. I began with the question, “How can marketing expand and increase the film community among high schoolers in Philadelphia?” I spent hours researching marketing strategies and how to improve my use of social media to target an ideal audience. Then every week or two we had group meetings to discuss our work and the next steps. May 1, 2024, Rocketfest took place at the Philadelphia Free Library on 19th and Vine, we were able to display films and photographs from schools all over the city and sell hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise that will be put towards the festival next year. Reflecting on this project, we have been able to look at our statistics and strategies to determine steps for those to take next year. We wanted this project to be a fresh start in a line of many Rocketfest Capstones as students began to show more and more interest in this festival.

Rocketfest Film Reel: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rf8JLeTsjd_eppE4TxbVGo44DwTQGo_r/view?usp=sharing Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aL4X4-6-qNNaIXJH41tQPgKOaDpVUqIsZOQH1QpxiWg/edit?usp=sharing

The wrestling experience is practicing insanely hard every day, and competing for your spot on the wrestling team every week. I began to think about what specific part of wrestling taught me the most, and I came to realize that it was learning how to lose. For me, losing has always been hard, and it’s hard for most people I think. Getting good at losing is a life skill that’s not talked about a lot. The skill of losing, getting up, and training harder than you did before is something that wrestling teaches you immediately. I felt like learning this had a really great impact on me, and wanted to capture that. I decided to choose three of my teammates, who all seemed to have very different personalities.

Documentary: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c1EzWwgWW6m_iaOgkLVSoNUzH0_9mebi/view?usp=sharing

My capstone is about how to properly stretch as an injured athlete. I first got introduced to this by getting injured as a high school softball player who had to go to Physical therapy for elbow tendonitis. This really inspired me to create this booklet because before going to physical therapy I didn’t really know how to do these stretches at home without the trainer. So coming up with this will help the SLA community if they get injured by knowing what to do when stretching and how to stretch. I was able to interview Physical Therapists. Going and shadowing them helped with the creation of this booklet that I began making. I also was able to read books and collaborate with the physical therapists so they could look over this booklet and help me with any questions on what stretches to include and what not to include and how long to make it. By the end of this I was able to pull everything together and made sure it is digital so everyone can access this at home or at school before and after games. I just wanted to make an impact on the SLA sports community and help get players to continue to play after getting injured because they probably want to play!

My capstone is an original stained glass window that I designed and created in collaboration with Josie Silver. We worked with The Stained Glass Project, which was also both of our internships last year. The window will be installed in the main entrance of the school building, as a way to welcome everyone entering the community and to make the school a more beautiful place. The space theme is inspired by our school’s mascot, the Rockets. The process of making a stained glass window is very fixed and specific, and also takes a lot of time. In completing this project, I was able to expand on and further develop skills I already had. This was the biggest art project I’ve ever taken on, but I couldn’t be prouder of the finished product. I’m so excited to share it with my peers and the future of the SLA.

Anyone, coaches, players, or managers, will know how difficult and confusing navigating Arbiter Live and Maxpreps is, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. There is often so much information on so many different schools that pops up when you only want to see yours. Additionally, there is not a lot of information on anything besides scores and final results. I wanted the SLA community to know what happened at games they couldn’t watch in person. Due to our location, almost every single sport plays home games up to half an hour by car away and not easily accessible by SEPTA. Most students can’t go to watch games even if they wanted to. From all of these shortcomings, my capstone project emerged. As a response to all of these issues I founded a weekly sports newsletter. I named it the “Rocket Recap” and I released an edition every Monday recapping the previous week of sports news. The Recap would include summaries of games, scores, individuals’ stats, player interviews, teacher trivia, and so much more.

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11TX0MzMomAC8OjIE4tBlFyd_1mupLY8OjILvUzymZgM/edit?usp=sharing

For our Capstone project, my partner Wiktoria and I created and taught a six-week mini-course about digital video at Science Leadership Academy (SLA) Middle School. We introduced the students to the basics of filmmaking, guiding them through scripting, storyboarding, and filming, culminating in producing four short films. Our goal was to provide middle schoolers with a creative outlet and help them learn more about themselves through filmmaking. This project matched very well with SLA’s core values of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection.

The process involved extensive research on digital video techniques and effective teaching methods, developing a detailed curriculum, and coordinating with staff at both schools. We spent considerable time commuting, teaching, and reflecting on each session to improve our lessons. Despite initial challenges in engaging the students and communication issues with the middle school principal, we adapted and persevered.

I am most proud of the connections I made with the students, witnessing their growth and enthusiasm for filmmaking. This Capstone matters because it introduced students to new skills and boosted their confidence. This experience taught me to expect and adapt to unforeseen challenges and the importance of allowing people to grow beyond first impressions.

ANNOTATED BIBIOGRAPHY:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tKBcOvol9HUX0q8EnRwa6A4QQdmjFSw5_ZLpOiHwydE/edit?usp=sharing

For my Capstone project I designed and painted a mural on the formerly ugly wall on my block. When I heard of this project, I almost immediately knew what I would be doing. I’ve always liked art, but mostly small things like drawing and small paintings. I knew going into this that a mural would be tough work, and I wasn’t wrong. Getting the materials for this was also tough, because of the way I chose to go about it. I decided that I would not be buying paint for this, so all the paint used here was either trashpicked or something I already had. After the design was done, I started sketching out my work on the prepped wall. Then I painted it. Painting took the longest out of everything, and was definitely the hardest. But I did finish, and I am happy with the product. This mural includes a welcome to my neighborhood, “Francisville”, a map of the place, and some architecture you will see when you visit. I went in on what would be good for my community on this project, and I think I succeeded. Having completed this project, I know all the mistakes I made along the way, and have learned so much. For example, don’t mix oil based paint with acrylic paint because it will turn into sludge. But more importantly, doing something kind for your community is very important, and something everyone should try and do, no matter the size of the action.

Seen above is the completed mural that I designed and painted with all recycled (or trash picked) paint.