For my capstone, I designed and produced custom volleyball team gear for the SLA boys’ and girls’ teams. My inquiry question was, “how can student-led fundraising and custom apparel design strengthen school community and team spirit for the boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams?”. I had received team gear in my first two years of being a volleyball player during high school. The merch was organized and produced by upperclassmen and when I came to that age, I was inspired to do the same for my own teams to make teammates feel special and connected the same way I did. During my junior and senior year I decided to research companies, create original designs, organize team orders, and fundraise to cover costs. I worked with two different companies, one being a local Philadelphia print shop, to create sweatpants and hoodies. In order to raise money, I organized multiple three-day bake sales which consisted of designing promotional posters to hang around the school and baking and selling food items. I tracked finances and other data through Google Forms and Google Sheets and during this process I communicated with teammates, school staff, and printing companies to manage sizes, quantities, and delivery logistics. I advanced my skills in graphic design, budgeting, fundraising, time management, and professional communication. I am very proud of my final product and its impact on the school community. It took a lot of patience, organization, and collaboration to turn my ideas into successful physical products.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u9OoM9jG_EYVahk0Dx9j13CS_QHaf9rjNy8o_G-_r04/edit?tab=t.0

For my Capstone project, I created a short documentary exploring the impact of fashion, specifically focusing on fast fashion, thrift stores in Philadelphia, and the role of reselling. Throughout the process, I researched the history of thrift stores and the environmental effects of clothing waste, while also filming my own experiences thrifting, sewing, and reselling clothes on Depop. I visited multiple thrift stores, recorded footage, and included interviews to show different perspectives on secondhand shopping. My final product is a mini documentary that combines voiceover, videos, and real life examples to explain how clothing consumption affects the environment and how thrifting can be a more sustainable option. Through this project, I learned how to plan, film, and edit a documentary, as well as how to communicate a message clearly through both videos and voiceover. I also gained a better understanding of how everyday choices, like buying clothes, can have a larger impact than people realize

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13-r9mzPnSMYWH1vJOl_wcDijoUefhkzs/view?usp=drivesdk

For my capstone project, I explored the question: “How can public art communicate social and environmental issues within our communities?” I collaborated with Onna Richburg to create a mural of the Philadelphia skyline above a vibrant river representing the Schuylkill. The mural includes QR codes linking to a website Onna designed, which explains environmental challenges facing Philadelphia’s water systems, the watershed, and the Lenape people’s historical relationship with water—highlighting how that respect has been lost over time. We chose this project because of our connection to art and our experience growing up in a polluted city. We wanted to contrast that reality with a vision of clean, thriving water. My role was painting the mural, while Onna developed the website. We faced several challenges, including redefining our project to meet requirements and overcoming a lack of funding after missing a grant opportunity. After struggling to find supplies, we connected with a local mural activist who donated recycled paint, allowing us to continue while supporting sustainability. I spent over two months painting, revising, and refining the mural based on peer feedback. This project reflects SLA’s core values by encouraging inquiry, collaboration, and real-world impact. It invites viewers to reflect on environmental issues and take action. I’m proud of our resilience and growth, and I hope this mural inspires others to use creativity to raise awareness and make a difference in their communities.

(linked below: capstone slideshow with picture of mural, annotated bibliography linked on last slide) https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Pis1IB8islhGC6yALDbf5GGiCpwWsSMPV_9hOj-lo5g/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p