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For my capstone, I wanted to create a project that displayed a side of myself that is out of the box and shows creativity. while also collaborating with people within the SLA community, from other students to also Alumni who you will see are featured in my project. I was able to create a line of hoodies a mock brand of ideas that I wanted to bring to life. The brand name is “Uncovered”. The meaning behind this is to consider the ideas of which I pushed aside and had finally felt was the right time to express. To express the ideas of who I am where everything started and different ideas of myself portrayed within each design. I was able to show a side of myself people don’t regularly see. I learned how to manage within a timely manner. While in the process of acknowledging the process of how to outsource and use it beneficially, allowed me to create my line without trying to break my pockets. I was able to work on this clothing line by brainstorming with a former SLA student who is a graphic designer. This allowed me to bring my creations to life while allowing them to display their artistic work. With that being said it also began to give me exposure to being able to be in charge of planning out an entire photoshoot. Being able to be a director and display work that may be used in the future.

Bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oJCTFBlWFbBDeHfp_LFbZlv_6gO-b1Y7UXc5jRFSfRg/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone project is a “survival guide” to senior capstones, with some tips and things that I have learned throughout this year. I drew inspiration from the 2004 Nickelodeon show “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.” My original capstone project was about virtual learning in early childhood classrooms, and my annotated bibliography will reflect the research I did for this project. While this topic is one I’m interested in, I procrastinated so much that my original project idea was no longer feasible. I turned the process of completing my first project idea into the “research” for my “survival guide.” I thought that was best way to not waste the research and time that I put into my original capstone idea. It includes a table of contents, five tips that I found helpful while working on my capstone, and some do’s and don’ts’.

Annotated Bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fjudrSwxtI17huoLTNPZtNEOksRHzLuZ7KNX1XGH5hg/edit?usp=sharing

During the 2019- 2020 school year many students grappled with the unfamiliar reality of nationwide virtual schooling. The Philadelphia School District has been online since March of 2020 and there have been many cases of students struggling to stay motivated,Many seniors and juniors of less fortunate/funded high. Most 2020 high school graduates lost their privileges to go to prom, take a senior trip, and close out their high school journey strong. Nationally the perseverance of students and teachers was the essential part in making sure online school was a success during the following year . For my capstone I wanted to focus on how students grappled with the new norm of virtual schooling. Furthermore I aimed to open up what it means to maintain your mental health in a pandemic.

Link to Capstone: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iEyZUg_T8ss2l4tHDCv7kR_rKnPpzB2g/view?usp=sharing

Link to Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q7pk4yJ3OuSSlF-hf0RnnEDD3QP6TwrSeZ_lFKnbdqA/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I did ASL lessons with a Kindergarten class at my old school for a half-hour twice a week. I wanted to help implement a way (there are many more) to make younger classrooms be more inclusive and have more “mirrors” overall; and for students who are used to being included, I wanted them to understand why it’s important for others to be as well. Due to unavoidable conflicts, we have only done 3 lessons so far but they will continue until the quarter is over (there should be 4 or 5 more.)

I was unable to record any of the lessons or take a class photo as they do not have a photo release but I have attached the slides I made for the lessons, and the notes I’ve taken after the classes.

Link for the changing slides (with speaker notes): https://tinyurl.com/ASLslides

Link to annotated bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lhsADeoLtt5DvP9gcGH4x1pdsYahXnuMYTu3zc7ufCU/edit?usp=sharing

For my senior capstone project, I decided to document the journey of me turning a quarantine hobby into a side hustle. I wanted something good to come out of such dark times. In May of 2020, I began doing my nails and documented my progress on my instagram page and then it turned into me doing my close friend’s and family’s nails. Eventually I started charging people and I just kept it going. Below you will see my first time recording myself while doing my own nails, along with my annotated bibliography.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vIzRE24QXi1ZVHbSFBbxybSLwHpbUWMRGn954BEldhs/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone is a mini-series inspired by myself and my co-creators stories and experiences with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Wisemind, the name of the series, is also written to educate its audience and challenge their misconceptions about OCD and people living with it. I used the tools I learned in my CTE digital video course to put this project together, and thoroughly enjoyed the process of its creation. Attached below is my presentation and annotated bibliography.

This website takes a look at the concepts that make up the complex idea of sustainability. There are three pillars of sustainability and there is no such thing as sustainable development if all three pillars can’t improve simultaneously.

Link:

For my capstone, I decided to research one of America’s greatest areas of concern, how so many people end up living a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. I understood people could be poor(obviously), but what I didn’t realize was that half the population of America live anticipating their next paycheck. I talked about the effects of student loans as well as medical needs and how these two affect one’s possibility of living a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. I created a youtube video talking about these two subjects and a workaround to the lifestyle, not a solution. I have also included my annotated bibliography below the video.

Annotated bibliography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ShFYrlzwpAFpcHO6ypgvvZT7tlgkZdjCMXujhg7YhvQ/edit?usp=sharing

For my Capstone, I wanted to make a website to show off all of the knowledge that I learned from my research and from the interviews that did for my Capstone. I wanted to look at females in the NFL and what jobs they have and how it is like since this is a field that I want to get into when I am older. I was able to interview two women from the Eagles organization for my project and have them talk about their experiences. I was able to get all of the information that I needed and put it neatly into my final product that was my website.

This is the link to my website: [https://sgpaul2003.wixsite.com/femalesinthenfl] (https://sgpaul2003.wixsite.com/femalesinthenfl)

For my capstone I decided to address the issues that related to health and the ways you can build and maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle. I did this by adding and documenting my own personal experience dealing with health. I realized that the mind,body and soul is all connected and that’s why I wanted to show my peers that health is not just what you look like on the outside but on the inside as well. In my slideshow you will see the steps I took to get my health in better shape, the challenges I faced, pictures of the foods I ate, of me at the gym and a video of the fitness class I hosted.

Link to slideshow - file:///home/chronos/u-134546276a52aafd9729e622f6a4741ff4ce59cd/MyFiles/Downloads/Capstone%20presentation%20(4).pdf

To be an engineer is to be committed to expressing yourself unapologetically. That is what I believe. Last year, I was worried about what I wanted my capstone to focus on. I was thinking everything engineering, traditional engineering. However, after some meaningful class discussions with Mr. Ugworji, I concluded the best capstone would be something I would do in my own free time.

So I decided to focus my capstone around Fashion. Something I knew very little about when it comes to production and its direct relation to engineering.

After intensive research, I came across Virgil Abloh, a Mechanical Engineer, Founder of Off-White, and Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. Virgil helped me understand how I can use engineering concepts to aid my clothing designs.

I quickly realized that Virgil specializes in Deconstruction, an aesthetic that sheds more spotlight on the materials that make up the final product. Deconstruction is very similar to reconstruction, the aesthetic I emulate, directly influenced by my favorite designer house Sacai.

So why?

Well, we need more engineers in Fashion. Clothes production is one of the leading causes of the climate crisis. To produce one T-Shirt, it takes 40 gallons of water. So during the early stages of my capstone, I decided to work with second-hand clothing. I, alongside my brother, started a collective that focuses on using old materials and creating something new. This leads to a reconstruction aesthetic and a less polluted environment. Although I faced many difficulties while finishing this capstone(such as breaking my sewing machine three times and deciding to just hand stitch), I persevered, and I am glad to say I made something I am proud of.

For my capstone I wanted to make a project that involved my interest while also getting me out of my comfort zone. Since I plan on going to cosmetology school next year, I decided to revolve my capstone around haircare and general information on hair. My final product is a 3-part mini video series of me talking to the camera and giving tips and information about hair that is not necessarily general knowledge for everyone. I learned a lot while researching, and I hope those who watch the mini series can take the information and implement it into their own personal hair care routines.

First Video (go on channel to find the rest of the series): https://youtu.be/0oX5ontNV6o

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1UvbTVVsDuk4EN1hEejhlrdHuEWz_6SkwQ3RlH51Xo/edit

For my capstone, I recreated photos of Philadelphia taken from between the 1950s and 1970s. I chose those two decades in particular because that was a period of conflicted change in Philadelphia. My final product is a booklet that compares each old photo with the ones I took of the same locations in 2021.

This project is very exploratory. There were two main goals for it, the first being to help people who are new to Philadelphia by providing ideas on where to go or what to explore. The second goal is to give historical context in an attempt to answer why and how things look the way they do today. The booklet starts with chapters about recreational areas, areas in Philadelphia that are designed and/or used for activities done for enjoyment. Its second half talks more about structures that have been present for a long time or have an interesting history. Nevertheless, anyone can pick up this booklet, read through it, and even go to the locations listed to witness how attractive they are for themselves.

Link to my booklet on Google Drive (If the file is too large for preview, you will have to download it): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sSG_4Vwroz1pFHFKa5QV_o7ERpDBLZIS/view?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CcUKHH5yYR-yPunHAxoLE8DTl5YfU5Ce8yE-HN5j5p4/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone project, I wanted to use my passion for running to somehow help the SLA community. What I came up with was to create a virtual 5k race. People inside or outside of the SLA community are welcome to sign up for the race. Participants of this race are allowed to complete the race however they like. They can walk, run, bike, swim, or a combination of other activities. The participants had a one-week window to complete the race. They have the freedom to choose a time, a route, and a method to accumulate a distance of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) They have the option to do it all in one go or break it up over the week. My first step was to get the word out to the community about an upcoming 5k race. I sent out an interest survey to get an idea of how many people will participate. After getting my responses I was able to gather a rough estimate on how many people were interested. I started to budget my expenses on Google Spreadsheets and create three columns on the Sheets: a low bar, a middle bar, and a high bar. In the meantime, I attended Braskem meetings and pitched my proposed budget for my race. Once I reached full funding from the race, I ordered T-shirts and medals for my race. I set up my registration site and marketed my race all over social media and in the SLA advisory memo. The race sold out with 104 participants in total and raised $1942. After race week half of the participants submitted their results onto the result page and a few have submitted photos of themselves doing the race. Throughout the process, I learned a lot about what it takes to create a race from scratch and get people on board to participate in it. The COVID pandemic also presented me with challenges like how large gatherings are prohibited and not being at school to market my race in person. I had to work my way around those challenges but I am proud that I complete my capstone in an all-virtual learning environment.

Link to the registration site: https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Philadelphia/SLAAnyWay5k

My annotated bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TwxOZmRq4nalAj4PMKo7IAcx7P8YnKOQSp0zqGG_FZY/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I created a food blog that promoted a nutritionally well-balanced diet. On my blog, I posted weekly recipes as well as articles (written by myself) to present the research I conducted. With my capstone, I wanted to show my audience that healthy eating comes with many benefits that are integral throughout our body, including our immune system.

http://mindfulkitchen101.simplesite.com

For my capstone, I wanted to do something that explored the question of “How can we connect with other cultures and have meaningful experiences through a pandemic?” Through my experience with the SLA exchange program to Poland, I learned to understand the true value of connection with places different than our own and the importance of creating a community full of diversity. Because of the pandemic, I knew that the typical exchange programs would not be able to continue, but I knew there were still ways to have these same experiences, even in our own homes. With the help of my mentor, Ms. Giknis, I was able to connect with a group of people from the Rudolph Brandeis Gymnasium, a school in Germany. With a group of SLA students and our partners from Germany, we designed a tapestry depicting our core values of community and connection and are currently working on putting it all together.

While the Tapestry isn’t fully finished, I have compiled a few documents to show the work I’ve put into this project for the last couple of months. I have a google drive with photos showing the process of assembling the tapestry, and a google doc of research for the design on the tapestry.

Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hR1q0CByuJdKZwbhkk2NNIY2vC_yRDzJ?usp=sharing

Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MqlTXDltO3tb5d96qfFBdmyjoECwJsb-uvqzJLtAEBU/edit?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LuEsB6vyrBchM99KwvAZ5vQjiFkd2PUoA9upCLk6Jf8/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I wanted to use the skills I learned in CTE Engineering to make the new building feel more like home. One of the things that everybody misses the most from the old building is all the unique spots spread out across the building where people would hang out. In the new building, a lot of that is missing because those spots haven’t been created yet, so I set out to make one. I decided that the best way for me to accomplish that would be to put some benches and wall art in place. For the location, I chose the 6th floor, outside of the Engineering and DigVid rooms. I chose that spot because it was important to me as an engineering student and because I noticed many people working in that hallway and sitting on the floor. Another important thing that I wanted for these benches was for them to be made out of recycled plastic material. Since the benches will most likely be there for a long time, I wanted them to be more than benches and have some kind of reminder built into them. Being made out of recycled plastic, they will stay as a reminder that SLA is a place that values sustainability and the environment. The finished product of my capstone is two park benches, made out of 100% recycled plastic material, and two pieces of art (both the work of SLA alumni), one for Engineering and one for Digivid.

Additional Pictures: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JIS66rDFQCjH7vkKFI5-RAQHHF704_Rd/view?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1njJbzGf63gV_ayiaeuWFfO6GXjrols5mPY2IncYrdcM/edit?usp=sharing