For my capstone, I made a website that presents information about the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that most people should know such as the definition of autism, facts, causes, symptoms, and treatments. I also added two podcasts where I interviewed a mother of a son on the spectrum and a special education teacher. I was originally going to make a series of podcasts with organizations and publish them on the radio and social media. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, I had to dismiss that idea and simply interview people I know through the phone. Most importantly, I learned how to make a website using Wix.com and adjust it to the way I like. I also learned a lot more new information about autism such as the comorbidity of autism and other disorders that I shared on the website. My goal for this capstone is to spread awareness about ASD. I feel confident and proud of this project because I was able to share a lot of information about autism. I have a dream that one day people on the spectrum will be independent, receive the proper education, get a job, and not only benefit themselves but also the community as well and most importantly, get accepted in the society.

Google Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16wcAIS9ZMioQyEz_BrBxc05zY7IMsVuhax5—zw93lE/edit?usp=sharing

Website: https://agouri20.wixsite.com/mysite

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b6gHGX3VVUR-nxNMaPLDfKyz_7JRyOpGpaNWkhzNs1A/edit?usp=sharin

For my capstone, I decided to write, produce, and master an EP of my music. An EP is generally 3 to 6 songs long, mine ended up being 5 songs, and titled “Sick and Tired.” The goal was to have a polished and publishable product. Making music is something I’ve always wanted to do but it also has been a big source of insecurity. Making my capstone, “Sick and Tired” forces me to release music which is something I’ve been struggled with doing since I was a freshman. The songs on the album explore the topic of self-perception and letting go of societal pressures. It is a collection of music that shows the growth and setbacks I’ve run into while becoming the person I am today from the point of view of outsiders and myself. For Example, in the case of “Loser” the second song on the EP. The song is about how I felt and feared I was perceived. Another song on the project “Pretty in Pink” discusses my own struggles with femininity from my point of view.

To be published June 1, 2020

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uMr5VkLrU3-Ny_X1fo8uHDphiram8lR4O_Z2parhv00/edit?usp=sharing

Animal cruelty is a large issue all over the world that many people are not aware of. Each year, the numbers of animal abuse cases increase and this must be changed. For my Senior Capstone, I was determined to inform my community about what animal cruelty is and provide ways to prevent it. Initially, my goal was to host a gallery event. A gallery event would be able to bring our community together in order to learn about this issue and spread the word. The gallery event would include photos and footage taken by me at a local animal shelter to create a documentary and showcase my Digital Video skills that I have gained through the years while I was part of the program. With my modified project, I decided to create posters instead, as they are effective in conveying an important message. My Capstone is built upon the inquiry of how digital art can help convey a message about animal cruelty to the community that will result in an emotional response. I am still able to be creative while also being informative about animal cruelty. With these posters, I want to be able to show that this is something that happens in our world every single day. These posters will encourage my community to speak up and help animals as they are unable to speak for themselves. Make a change today!

For my Capstone, I have partnered up with Keyonne Johnson to create a way for kids to get more active outside. With the physical health of youth in the city in mind, we built a rickshaw for them to ride and drive. The other part of this project is a city-wide event. This event would include a skateboard ride and kickback. We would have food, music, giveaways and much more. At this event is where we would unveil the final product of the rickshaw. Clearly, because of the ongoing pandemic, we are not able to have this event, however, we still have the layout of what we have already done. We have built a prototype, searched for sponsors, and done event planning to make all of this go smoothly.

Slides Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vFuO86fZ67lxjIH4gKhY7XicSLlSZFwAcxuI2jKFlhk/edit?usp=sharing

Bibliography Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IfqPyZ3BPQfrEJlpjlkXUHMHisLpQF41aUZMMFXa12s/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone goals are spreading cultural differences so that people could feel less intimidated about Asian Culture. Before the pandemic happens, Valerie and I created an Asian Alliance Club in school, our goal is to let people know about the Asian representation in the SLA community.

The second part of our capstone is to create a gallery of the Asian culture but we could not do it. So instead of a gallery, I created a website that is specifically focusing on Vietnamese Culture. And for Valerie part, she will be creating some infographics as well as a poster!

This is the website: https://nlai0612.wixsite.com/capstone

This is the presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1x9AX_rFmFE6kNjWVVxFX9S6taj4sI4uQJK8tOzJyjIw/edit?usp=sharing

This is the process paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17w634Y6GUeJWMoPExZAyU08yTirEJ4OzO1cv5K2lPYA/edit?usp=sharing

This is the bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n4LIezA1VsVYu4xDuEwkxDyp5Q2fKxtosQ8wduTs1tU/edit?usp=sharing

I spent the past eight months putting on the She’s Reel Film Festival with my dear friend Grace Conley. The festival was designed to give young female filmmakers in the Greater Philadelphia Area a platform to share and be recognized for their art. The final product takes several forms. Most notably is an hour-long award show (which was initially live-streamed) that now lives permanently on YouTube, alongside the films that were selected to be part of the festival.

Grace and I worked almost nonstop from September until May, so it’s difficult to describe the process briefly, but these are the major steps: creating a brand (logo, color palette, name, Instagram), finding a venue, pitching to Braskem and receiving full funding, listing the festival on FilmFreeway to begin accepting submissions, finding judges (all of whom are women working in the film industry), analyzing the judging results and assigning awards, learning how to live-stream, hosting the live festival, and assembling and delivering gifts packages to all the submitters and judges.

Every part of this process was foreign to me in some way, so there was plenty to learn. I learned the importance of creating a detailed timeline and adhering to it, especially when other people are involved. I learned about using my network of people and their networks to find resources. I learned about the value and challenges of relying on other people. And I discovered what a difference there is when I truly love what I’m doing.

Bibliography

Over the course of my senior year, I worked to put on the She’s Reel Film Festival with my best bud and co-creator Ruby Ginsburg. The She’s Reel Film Festival is a festival made by young female filmmakers, for young female filmmakers. We wanted to give artists like us from the Greater Philadelphia Area a platform to have their art showcased and awarded. The final product is a combination of many works. The first being our virtual festival. This was an hour-long festival that we streamed on youtube, we awarded 11 films, and the video now has 200 views. Along with this is a youtube playlist of all of the official selections.

I have broken down the process of putting on this festival into three stages, stage one being the conceptualizing and branding stage. This is where we made decisions about the ethics of our festival, created all of the guidelines, and made our brand. We made a logo, color palette, name, slogan, Instagram page, and website. After that is stage two, the marketing and organizing stage. Here we searched for a venue, created a budget, found judges, created a timeline, pitched to Braskem, received full funding, posted on Filmfreeway, and then started accepting submissions. Stage three was the presentation stage. Here we had to switch our festival from in-person to virtual, learned how to stream, had the judges score the films, analyzed the results, assigned awards, created a script, highlight reel, and slide show for the virtual festival, and then hosted it. After the main event was over we designed and ordered swag for our festival and crafted homemade She’s Reel gift boxes that I hand-delivered to every submitter, judge, friend, parent, mentor, and supporter of our festival.

I learned a lot over the course of this project. I learned how to effectively collaborate, how to stay organized and follow a schedule, how to strengthen a community, and how much better it is to complete a project when it’s something you’re truly passionate about. I’m really proud of this project, for all it did to help me grow as a person and the joy it brought to the community of young female filmmakers in Philadelphia.

Bibliography