I was initially interested in writing a creative paper about what I want. My final goal is to write about the accuracy of diabetic screening tests for Black people. I want to write about this because I was initially curious and interested in diabetic neuropathy tests, and I realized that the tools we use aren’t always equitable or suitable for everyone. This relates to me because I want to make a career in building and innovating medical devices like those used in diabetic screening and neuropathy tests. I will examine the evidence and factors of disproportionate inaccuracies of screenings for Black people.

For my capstone, a friend and I worked together to build a series of devices we called nodes that would sync together in a mesh system that would allow people to communicate with each other without the use of cellular service, mainly focused on people who enjoy the wilderness, where service may be spotty depending on location. To do this, we used the basic software of an open-source project, mixed with added elements like a GPS antenna and our own cases to store everything in.

This capstone taught me a lot about building a product and the engineering process for perfecting one. While I’m not sure I want to pursue a career where I have to invent new things, this experience building my own invention will help me find new creative ways to solve problems. This project also taught me how to store and analyze different data points to better understand how the nodes were working and what we could do to improve reliability.

My capstone was centered around blending my CTE engineering education and music experience to improve the SLA music spaces. I did this in two main parts; first by starting the SLA Rock Band and then subsequently improving the band room using direct feedback from the musicians using it. It was also important to me to get the SLA band involved in school events so that I could cement it as part of the community. I held rock band practice every Monday, and we played at both the SLA Game Show event and the SLA Art Show in the spring. We also collaborated with Juni’s capstone by playing several hours of music at the fundraiser.

For the engineering portion of my capstone, after playing with the band for a while and assessing what would be the most beneficial, I decided to focus on organization and simplifying the sound system process. Using funding from Braskem, I was able to organize the room using a pegboard and buy new equipment to fix and replace broken instruments. I created a binder to guide students that includes explanations about setting up for a performance, how to fix common issues they might encounter and a long list of song suggestions for future bands at SLA. Overall, my capstone renovated and created a friendly space where experienced musicians and new musicians can play together, as well as simplified the technical process of live music so students are capable and feel comfortable performing in SLA future.

• Below I have attached images of the pegboard I put up in the band room to organize new equipment, the guitars I was able to replace strings on and the secondhand bass we purchased with remaining Braskem funding.

Here is a picture from one of our three sets at Juni’s capstone event!

Here is a link to the information I left in a binder for the band room (to help guide future students):

Band Information

Here is a link to my annotated bibliography:

Annotated Bibliography

My Senior Capstone was the teaching and revamping of the senior CTE Engineering Kerbal Space Program curriculum. Kerbal Space Program is a spaceflight simulation game, often used by educators due to its accurate physics model. I updated the software on all of the engineering computers, and I created a set of assignments for students to do. Throughout the process, I met with the Engineering teacher, Ms. Baruzzini, to coordinate and plan the lessons. I learned a lot about the responsibilities of teachers and the effectiveness of different types of teaching. During my teaching, I inspired multiple students to use Kerbal Space Program in their own time, which I consider a success. I believe this will inspire future SLA Engineers to pursue Aerospace Engineering.

Link to my Capstone: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iq084FQSbQJG35lJHnxRF1C1C6p3WyYt?usp=sharing

This Capstone project was undertaken with the goal of improving the engineering room as a place of learning. To accomplish this, three models were created for four air and spacecraft: a realistic model, an artistic model, and an educational model. The realistic models were designed in AutoCAD Fusion 360 and produced using a 3D printer. The artistic models were created as unique posters for each craft in Adobe Photoshop, and the educational models were presented as websites containing the history and functionality of each aircraft.

This project was selected due to the personal significance of the engineering room. More time was spent in Room 601 than any other room at SLA — not only for classes, but also for lunch, lab sessions, and after-school studying. As a result of this connection, the project was shaped by a desire to give back to the space and to Ms. Baruzzini, and to leave the room in a better state than it was found.

Link to site: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/milesbleicapstone/home

For my paper, I decided to research The Evolution of Soccer. And how it has changed the game. The reason why I chose this topic to research is that it’s been a sport that I’ve always grown up with. I started playing the sport when I was five years old, and as I’ve grown up, I’ve witnessed the growth of the equipment. And now that I’m someone in the CTE Engineering program, I took some time to see the bigger picture. My process started by reading articles and official FIFA posts that explain how technology has changed the game in many ways, from the timelines of how balls went from being made out of leather to now having sensor chips within the ball that collect data within seconds. And I expanded my research by doing the same with cleats, GPS tracking vests, and Goal Line technology. At the end, I included the reactions of the fans and their thoughts on the tech being introduced into soccer.

Research paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PkoASnu-hI9S-pyAziC8fLBZW-zQe6XSyQwAUrmHGg4/edit?tab=t.0

Annotated Bib: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v0i1rYrsH-eIIMNYWlsqI_UljIZvh1Nv_v26DpHNiss/edit?tab=t.0

For my capstone, I worked with Josh to build and test an open-source off-grid communication system. We call this system Ski Net. It is based on an ESP32 board called a Heltec V3 and V4. We created this system as a replacement or an addition to any skier, outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, or first responder’s personal carry. It allows users to communicate with a network of other users completely independent of any preexisting infrastructure. It doesn’t need internet, cell service, or satellite to communicate; the device does every aspect of the end-to-end encrypted communication. So for people who are outdoors, like hunters or skiers, it lets them talk and send their location when they have no cell service. However, for the first responders, it allows them to establish a critical communication infrastructure in a worst-case scenario when that preexisting network has been knocked out due to a natural disaster.

For my senior capstone project I adapted two 12V ride-on cars to make these devices more accessible for children with limited mobility, specifically children with cerebral palsy. This consisted of rewiring the built-in pedal circuit in the car to an easy access, external pressure-sensitive button that acted as the new accelerator. Simultaneously, I created a standardized adaptation process across most ride-on cars documented in a series of different academic and workshop-style media: instructional video, written instructions, and a mini-lesson slide deck teaching about accessible design that other CTE Engineering teachers in the School District of Philadelphia can use.

This project took a lot of planning, communication with my mentor and adaptation support network, and research to complete. The biggest thing that I learned when leading big design projects like this one is to always have multiple backup plans, anticipate miscommunications and setbacks, and thoroughly define the purpose of the project (aka the big takeaway you want audience to have).

The goal of my capstone is to help define what affordable assistive technology is in the scope of autonomous mobility in an easy-access and digestible format, increase awareness of the importance and impact of these devices, and inspire young engineers to consider a career in human-centered design, just as I was encouraged during a multitude of experiences throughout high school.

For my capstone, I built a wrist-worn heart rate monitor for my nonprofit rowing team, PCR. Rowing is an expensive sport, and my team works to make it accessible to kids who could not otherwise afford it. I wanted to contribute something that reflected that mentality.

The process started with a completely different idea. I originally planned to build a SpeedCoach, a device that tracks splits on the water, but after researching the cost and complexity, I had to pivot. I polled my teammates, landed on heart rate monitors, and went deep into research on how they work. Along the way, my anatomy teacher showed me data proving that heart rate monitors are less accurate for people with darker skin tones, which became a major focus of my research.

When talking to my teammates, they said reading a small number on a display while rowing was too difficult mid-stroke. So I designed the monitor around a circular ring of lights showing what percentage of your maximum heart rate you are at, with colors for each zone: blue for zone 1, green for zone 2, yellow for zone 3, orange for zone 4, and red for zone 5. At a glance, you know exactly where you are without breaking focus.

The biggest thing I learned is that building is a people process. Coaches, teammates, classmates, and even family solved problems I could not get alone. I also learned to trust making something over researching it before you start.

For my Senior Capstone I created a website called The Swing Blueprint, which is used to teach beginners the fundamental basics of the golf swing for no cost. The main purpose of making this website was to help beginners of the game get better without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money, so for The Swing Blueprint, users don’t have to give any money or get any subscription in order to use the website. The website divides the golf swing into seven different modules where there is an instructional video along with a mini quiz for each module to make it easier for anyone using the website to understand the information in the videos. I also designed the website to have a user tracking feature so that users can create an account to track their progress over time. After I got feedback from my peers I was told the website need to be more engaging for the users so I decided to implement a badges aspect to the website, so that when users completer a module they get a specific badge for that module to show they’ve mastered that skill. This website can be such as useful tool for anyone who is looking to get good at golf but doesn’t want to spend a ton of money on professional lessons because they can get the same information for free using The Swing Blueprint.

Final product: https://the-swing-blueprint-npos.vercel.app/

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LnuyTeZiOYyezrQfwYGB0mDY-FfVxwpXadIrk_D4PBA/edit?usp=sharing