News for Collegiate School Families and Friends
Spring 2012
Senior Projects … COMING SOON
S
pring at Collegiate is not only beautiful, as our park-like campus greens up and blooms, but busy with end-of-year concerts, plays and final class activities. AP exams at the beginning of May are the last academic effort our seniors will make as Cougars, and, after that week in early May, the 127 members of the Class of ’12 will be ready to roll. Not so fast—graduation is not until June 8. Created in 1997, the Senior Project program keeps seniors engaged during the last three weeks in May as they explore professional fields and personal passions. This year, the spirit of the program is stronger than ever as students have taken the initiative to create some interesting opportunities for their projects. According to Alice Massie, coordinator of Senior Projects, “There are two differences in this year’s program. Upper School Head Ben Rein has asked the senior faculty advisors to be more closely involved with each of their students, to guide them to make thoughtful choices. The projects have also benefited from the global connections made last fall during our International Emerging Leaders Conference. Some seniors have chosen to travel to schools in Morocco and Malaysia that participated in the conference and study with friends made during IELC.” To set up their projects, seniors must do some footwork—brainstorming, research, phone calls and emails—and some of that requires creative and bold steps. When Anthony Vita decided he wanted to work at CNN, he used contacts to get in touch with CEO Jim Walton’s son (via Facebook) who asked his dad if
Senior Project Sampler
A few of the places seniors will be in May … Sassafras River Keepers (Amanda Cole) Disney Studios (Corey Malone-Smolla) Richmond Circuit Court (Kate Murphy) Federal Reserve (Ted Fergusson) Big River Advertising (Caleb Wharton) Copenhagen International School (Anna Jones, Gianna Tondini) Hunton & Williams (Michael Howard)
Anthony could give him a call. “He told me I was clear to call so I called CNN’s main line and set up a conference call with him,” Anthony says. “Then I did a TON of research about multiple facets of the corporation to prepare. We talked for about five minutes, and he seemed to be satisfied because he got me in touch with the college internship program head. …I’ll be working in different departments at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta. I’ll be in the control room for some time, probably on the international news floor a bit and do some exploring of live sets and seeing how all of the camera equipment works.” Anthony says he plans to double major in broadcast journalism and graphic design with a minor in entrepreneurial studies at High Point University. Other students are taking positive past experiences to a new level. “Last summer I shadowed Dr. Jeff Sommers, who is a psychiatrist (and Sally’s dad), and really enjoyed it,” says Caroline Cooke. “It made me interested in psychiatry as a possible major. So I picked MCV so I could test it out more and see if I want to study it in college.” “I used to go on hikes with my Boy Scout Troop and just this fall I decided that
it would be a good learning experience to do the same thing for two weeks for my Senior Project,” says Charlie Whitaker. Carolyn Mitchell will be at the Trapeze School of New York’s Washington, DC office. “I’ve had opportunities to ‘fly’ on family vacations, and was instantly addicted … I’ll be taking classes in flying trapeze, silks, lyra, a hoop hanging from the ceiling, and acrobatics, like partner balancing. If I don’t show up at college next year, I’ve run away to join the circus!” “I have always been interested in cinematography, and when the opportunity to go to the Middle East and work under George Azar presented itself, I was ecstatic,” says Anya Aboud. “I can’t wait to learn from such an accomplished documentarian in a place I’ve always wanted to visit.” Whatever their choices may be—from the office of the governor (Austin Palmore) to the Barksdale Theater (Drew Colletti)— there is no doubt that lessons will be learned. Some students will find they do want to investigate further and others will rule out areas of study. Either way, the success of a Senior Project lies in the new perspective gained.