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Hello! My name is Reese Sanderson and my capstone project was about reproductive health awareness. Under this overall goal, there were two main aspects of my capstone; getting period product disposal bins in all of the gender-neutral and girls bathroom stalls at SLA (for throwing away used period products), and a period symptom/cramp awareness campaign. As for why I chose to do this for my capstone project, the reason is simple: I saw a problem and wanted to be part of the solution. Menstruating individuals at SLA were forced to carry their used period products outside of the bathroom stall in order to dispose of them. With the social stigma surrounding periods, this is a really tough ask. Myself and many others had expressed frustration with the lack of trash cans in stalls and the unnecessary stress and discomfort it added to our school day every month. Additionally, as co-president and co-founder of the Reproductive Health Alliance (RHA) at SLA, I knew I wanted my capstone project to address reproductive issues like these. The question was, what could I do about it?

I started off by discussing with my fellow club members of RHA to see if they were interested in solving this issue as well, to which they all enthusiastically agreed. From there, I set up meetings with Mr. Lehman and Mr. Mike (the building engineer) to discuss possibilities and eventually order the bins. Many meetings and after school hours of planning went into the idea and execution of the Bin Decorating Event. By promoting the event and installation of the period product disposal bins through hanging up posters, and making announcements to advisory’s and over the PA, we were able to have a very successful event! There were tons of students involved (across genders as well!), which helped to ensure that the bins would be understood for what they are, and treated respectfully in the stalls.

The RHA and I also hosted a Period Cramp Simulator event in the commons, using a muscle cramping device and sticky pads as shown in the pictures. This event succeeded in introducing menstruation and common menstrual symptoms as a topic of conversation across genders at SLA. The event provided insight for people who do not experience menstrual cramps, and demonstrated what it might be like to go throughout the day or week with this symptom. As an often dismissed issue, it was encouraging to see people come to an understanding with what period cramps are like and gain empathy for those who deal with it.

For my capstone project, I created a full rebrand for Science Leadership Academy athletics called Rockets Refresh. I started with our school’s lack of visual identity and school spirit by designing new, modern, professional-grade logos for the SLA Rockets. As someone who loves graphic design and is invested in SLA’s culture, I saw this project as the perfect opportunity to hone my skills and bridge my passions, and create a lasting impact on the SLA community. For the process, I spent much of my time refining my graphic design skills, learning Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop in order to make my final result as professional as possible. Throughout this process, I learned technical design skills and valuable lessons in time management and creative problem-solving. On top of that, I developed a deeper understanding of how visual branding can shape identity and pride within a community.

Rocket Refresh is more than a logo, it is a step toward a stronger school culture. It gives students something to rally for and athletes something to wear with pride. I hope this rebrand can become official and become part of the legacy I wish to leave behind: one that helps unify the school, show spirit, and elevate how SLA presents itself to the world.

My capstone is about what it’s like to be a senior at sla. The goal of me doing this capstone was to show people who are rising seniors what it’s like to be a senior in highschool and most importantly sla. My capstone is a 7 minute video describing what it’s like to be a senior. The thing about this capstone that can also be good for people who might feel overwhelmed with moving up to being a senior.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UKRr9AxDKlixPcqE1whtH4xl1imJmRQU/view?usp=drive_link (The video)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18NUAV4RKrsO-YLxTHVjP2zQtEJvIRkfGvZAI-20drIk/edit?usp=sharing (The script I used)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a5njeLlJ5kR2UJWKx_8RGrzdHVLFgCrvkF2rPnWRZ3E/edit?usp=sharing (The old one)

For my capstone, I crocheted beanies and bonding squares for newborns and donated them to Mother’s Home, a women’s shelter in Upper Darby. This place provides shelter and support for pregnant women in crisis who choose to have their babies, helping them transition into motherhood. Items like bonding squares are especially important for babies in the NICU, where direct contact with their mothers may be limited. These squares are used in pairs, one is kept with the mother and the other with the baby, then they are swapped regularly so the baby can become familiar with the mother’s scent. This supports emotional bonding and healthy development. The beanies help newborns regulate their body temperature, which is something they often struggle with after birth. I started learning how to crochet as a sophomore in high school, so this project allowed me to combine a personal hobby with meaningful community service.

Bibliography

https://superheroprojectinc.org/preemie-hat-patterns/

This foundation works with other hospitals in the Philadelphia area with donations. On their website they have patterns for people to follow to make donations, I used their preemie hat pattern.

Bibliography

https://superheroprojectinc.org/preemie-hat-patterns/

This foundation works with other hospitals in the Philadelphia area with donations. On their website they have patterns for people to follow to make donations, I used their preemie hat pattern.

For my capstone, I decided to make a large canvas painting of the Ocean, flaws and all. This process involved a lot of planning ahead, such as selecting and ordering materials I would need to create such a project. At first my plan was to create a mural on an actual SLA wall, but I eventually figured that it would be too much work to fill an entire wall. I modified my plan so that I could take my canvas home and work on it whenever I wanted, which worked really well for me. Being able to work on the painting at home in my free time was important, because I didn’t feel pressured to work all the time, I was able to take breaks. This project is meant to go along with the SLA 2025 yearbook cover and theme, since we are the graduating class this year. This project helped me learn the responsibility of pacing and using my time wisely.

My capstone addressed the imbalance of student enrollment between the Engineering and DigVid CTE courses at SLA, where DigVid has always experienced significantly lower interest. The primary cause was identified as the lack of an introductory experience for DigVid, unlike the Engineering program’s “Engineering 101”. This disparity led to students applying to DigVid without firsthand knowledge, relying solely on faith and often losing interest quickly. To remedy this, I created a DigVid Mini Course that was created to provide freshmen with foundational video production knowledge and practical experience. The minicourse was structured as an eight-week program covering camera basics, photography principles, video genres, and production stages, culminating in group projects to create short films. I recruited Upperclassmen mentors who were recruited for support, and Nikon DSLR cameras were used for hands-on training.

For my Senior Capstone, my partner Ian and I created an expanded version of Media Day, a photography-based project that celebrates student-athletes at Science Leadership Academy. Together, we reimagined the project to not only photograph underclassmen and senior athletes, but also to edit and design custom-framed portraits as heartfelt gifts for each graduating senior. I worked hard, and it was not as difficult because of my passion for photography and sports. I aimed to capture more than just images, I wanted to highlight the pride, emotion, and dedication each athlete brings to their sport. Throughout the process, I engaged deeply with SLA’s core values, Inquiry led me to ask how to make each portrait feel personal and powerful, Research helped me learn about studio lighting, posing, and editing techniques, Collaboration taught me flexibility, especially when Ian had to work remotely due to medical challenges, and Presentation mattered as we created both a school display and personal keepsakes, and Reflection helped me grow in confidence, creativity, and leadership. The most meaningful part was when people were showing up and were excited to take their pictures. During the shoots, there were many moments of joy and appreciation. This project allowed me to turn something I love into something that honors others, leaving a lasting impact on the SLA community. I’m proud to have created something that made athletes feel seen and valued, while also showing how far passion and dedication can go when shared with purpose.

For my capstone I wanted to boost the school morale and create a stronger sense of Community here at SLA. During my past 4 years I realized that there was a lack of school events that brought students together so my partner Jon and I decided to do a students vs teachers basketball game with halftime events. As well as a concession stand that raised money for the SLA Basketball team. Throughout the process I was able to learn the power of collaboration, leadership, and the significance of building a relationship with your school community. It shows how student led projects can personally influence the support system in a school and the culture. It also showed how school morale is created through shared experiences.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ML_UT9yrwonRS_1Vdo5m6CvHYr9UPfd3?usp=drive_link

For my capstone, I spent the school year learning the ropes of Adobe Illustrator’s software and its different tools, created a set of example projects for future CTE students to recreate, and produced a set of video tutorials for these projects guiding viewers through learning the most fundamental basics of Adobe Illustrator.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QUC-KzetWZkQZgsLd2HH99ws-zimoMnK?usp=sharing

Throughout my high school career, I was not only recognized as a student but also as a student-athlete. For my capstone project I designed a platform called ‘Deflection’, where all student athletes can speak about their own experiences and feelings that they are having as they navigate their own journey through being a student athlete. The goal of this platform was to not only increase communication but to also expand education on the topic around sports psychology. The inquiry, research, and reflection aspect of this project connects to the whole idea surrounding learning with collaboration and how sports, although often competitive, can show how the teamwork aspect can be even more beneficial. I got a lot of good feedback and comments from various athletes around the school and I am hoping to keep this platform running after I graduate so a larger community can be built.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dgnCFRh1fU9vp0U4_T4MqeZ43_oGS3dpdD5qFy-YHew/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone I created three promotional videos for SLA. They’re meant to educate and excite prospective students and families about what SLA has to offer. I planned, filmed, and edited each video. I filmed tons of candid B-roll of SLA students and conducted interviews with staff and students. Each video is meant to highlight a different aspect of the school. The first video is a general highlight reel that shows the school community and has a bunch of students discussing SLA spliced together. The second showcases the CTE programs, with students and teachers describing them. The third explains mini courses and the intended impact of them while showcasing the different options. There were so many different parts of SLA that I wanted to focus on through these videos. I ended up creating what I thought would be most important for prospective families to understand, and also what the administration thought would be most helpful. I learned so much through this process about collaborating with other people, editing, and camera techniques.

Here’s a link to the videos

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DnaFapQ907BhNZvPOsD083OGFNJ9hjM2?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I created “Conscience” – a 4-minute animated story featuring 7 student voice actors. The animation also comes with an original storyboard and script, along with a soundtrack of 5 original songs. It was animated on Adobe Animate, edited on Kinemaster, and all music was composed on GarageBand. Roughly 4200 frames were created in total.

Through this project, I got the experience of scripting, storyboarding, composing, animating, working with a team in order to make a film.

Watch here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/119MPFMJs2BsCYQnRoMKW2vb91V-WUEi7/view?usp=sharing

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 aimed to create 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, and obstacles always hurt, but I am happy I faced them. Although the outcome is not what I was hoping for the overall experience of the project and what was gained from it was worth it, learning about myself and how I best work as well as getting some project experience having obstacles that occur so much more in the real world I am leaving this capstone feeling more prepared for the things I may have to take on in the future. 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.