Senior capstones are right around the corner, and seniors are continuing to learn more about their future career choices and where their lives may lead them.
Senior capstone’s are a project that all seniors must complete to graduate. The capstones consist of different options such as job shadows, internships, and community outreaches. Each senior chooses a topic they feel called to pursue and completes various journals, essays, and products. Seniors then present the topic of their capstones during a week in December to judges from around the community. Capstones serve as a way for seniors to be integrated into the world and prepare themselves for the next step.
Senior Davis Arthur’s capstone project was an opportunity for him to grow his love of a game he has played for his entire life.
“I’ve been playing competitive golf since I was in eighth grade. I’ve always loved the game and have grown passionate about it. My love for the game of golf inspired me to shadow a head pro at Valle Vista. A head pro is someone who helps with grounds maintenance, teaches lessons, and manages the overall course. During my shadow, I learned how to spin bunkers and sand traps which helps even out the sand, how to mow the tee markers, and was able to observe how they keep the grounds in golfing condition. I also learned how to change the location of a green, which was a cool experience,” Arthur said.
Often students begin their projects with certain career fields in mind but learn through the course of the projects that they are going to pursue alternate careers.
“I really enjoyed my project, but I also learned that it is not something that I would like to pursue in the future, so it is good that I did it so I know I don’t want to go to college for that,” Arthur said.
Some capstone projects do not go according to plan. Often seniors have to make adjustments or have last-minute changes that cause them trouble.
“For my project, I decided to shadow a pharmacist. I found my mentor through a family friend and decided to shadow him. However, when I contacted my mentor to plan my shadowing hours, he had left for a two month vacation. My mentor only works every other week, so it was incredibly difficult to find a time that would work for both of us, but in the end, it taught me time management and the importance of scheduling in advance,” senior Brayden Hafen said.
The senior capstone project serves as a way for students to see into their futures and decide if certain careers actually fit them.
“The topic of my project was engineering, and one of the big things I did when I shadowed my mentor was sit in on the meetings when they created a new encoder, which is a sensing device that provides feedback for different machines and makes it run much better. I hope this will provide me with an easier route to engineering in college and help me find a job more easily when I start. I found my mentor through my brother, who went to college with him,” senior Michael Schraeder said.
Finding a mentor can often be the most challenging piece of the capstone. Many students shadow family friends or adults they know. However, some decide to step out of their comfort zones.
“For my project, I shadowed the head of the Music Department at Indiana University. To find my mentor, I researched Indiana University’s Music Department and asked her if she would be willing for me to shadow her. My capstone product was a teaser video for the Make Music Day, which will be used for the next event. I also made promotional posts on their Instagram page and helped with rehearsals and behind the scenes stuff,” senior Natalia Orozco said.
