Scholars of 2012 Senior Profiles
Research Professional Experience Global Learning
Distinguished Scholars Program
Distinguished Scholars Class of 2012
Dr. Perry’s Reflections on the Distinguished Scholars Class of 2012
A
s I have contemplated the past four years that I have spent with the Senior Scholars, aka the Scholar Class of 2012, Jesus’ words “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” in Matthew 19:30 and His words in a similar fashion from Matthew 20:16 “Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” resonate. These two verses come from the answer that Jesus gave to the rich young man who posed the question “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16b) and the parable of the workers in the vineyard that He told the disciples after they posed the question “Who then can be saved?” In these two chapters of the New Testament, we are once again reminded that simple obedience to His Commandments and walking in faith is the path of least resistance as each of us bears our own Cross. The Scholars of 2012 have grown stronger in carrying their individual crosses and at times, laying down their personal ones, to help others.
A vivid memory of their time together comes from their sophomore year. We were seated around the table in the former classroom when the Scholars started sharing what was wrong. It was just one of those days that all teachers experience as they sense that something is amiss with her or his students’ souls, their spirit. On this particular day, the issue stemmed from group assignments. The Scholars were struggling with how to address group members in other courses who were not fulfilling any of their responsibilities as well as those group members who were fulfilling their responsibilities but not at level that would earn the group the highest grade possible. The Scholars’ solution was: just do the work – the entire work – on their own. Well, that solution brought back memories of my high school, undergraduate, graduate, and yes, even some of my professional years. How does one get one’s peer to do what they should do at a level of excellence? is a question all scholarly leaders have bemoaned. Dr. Yvette Perry
In my butt-in-sky way, I offered advice that I now forget. Perhaps I have forgotten because reading their expressions clearly communicated to me that none of them bought what I was saying. So, I went to God. And He told me to tell them to seek the guidance of that class’ teacher. That advice was not well received. I went back to Him. He encouraged me to tell them that since each situation and each group member is different that the best answer will always come from the Spirit, for the Spirit is Truth (1 John 5:6) as the Spirit gives us wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, strength or fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2). I also added that as we celebrate others’ successes, we also experience the darkness of their shortcomings. The Scholars listened that time and honestly, I had forgotten about this conversation until the subject resurfaced only two weeks ago.
This time, the Scholars were discussing group work and the angst of it from a different perspective. Their frustration stemmed from other classmates not recognizing and utilizing each group member’s talents to produce the best product. Their conclusion was that everyone would then pull his or her own weight and not make the burden so heavy nor the time so consuming. They did mention the final grade as a consequence, but the majority of their conversation centered on knowing which classmates had the best talent in certain areas and how simpler it would be if groups completed the task with that as their framework. I agreed; however, it was not until later that day while I was sitting in my office, that I had an epiphany on how the Scholars have grown. As Sophomores, they were putting themselves, their grades, their reputation first. It was all about the impact on each of them as individuals. In a span of two years, they have allowed themselves to be transformed to see the impact on others first, themselves second, as a result of their personal prayers, the prayers of others on their behalf, and the experiences with which God has blessed them. I am so proud of them. Jeremy, Janice, Alexandra, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Christopher, and Matthew: you will be first in God’s Kingdom if you continue on the path that you are currently traversing. You respect, treasure, and receive the blessing that each of you offer to one another through your gifts, talents, encouragements, and convictions. How you boldly live life as the person that God has created you to be is so courageous, so confident, so strong. And, yes, we were right to celebrate that you are the first Scholar class to all be on the Honor Roll for how many consecutive semesters? Is it six or seven? Yes, we were right to celebrate that you are the first Scholar class to all be inducted into National Honor Society as sophomores. Yes, we were right to celebrate that you are the first class of Senior Scholars to present in the George and Barbara Bush Center for Scholars and Leaders. However, you are also the class who now, without a second thought, puts yourself last to help your fellow Senior Scholars first. You are also the class that offers prayers for the juniors first and yourself last since I shared the news of God calling me away. You are the Scholar Class that challenges other Scholars – past, present, and future – that through faith in God’s Word and obedience in His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), that what you forego for the sake of His Name and Will for your life grants you eternal life. May God continue to bless you on this journey with boldness as you continue to serve others and allow others to serve by using their gifts, talents for His greater glory. Thank you for the wonderful ride!
In Christ, Dr. Yvette Dunn Perry
Research Abstract
This Scholar’s research concentrates on the factors that influence the future value of a common stock. The literature classifies these factors as internal or external. Internal factors, such as cash flow, volatility, relative strength, and insider buying, are components that a company controls about its business. External factors, on the other hand, are variables that a company cannot control and include interest rate, aggregate output, supply and demand, risk, and investor sentiment. This researcher conducted a statistical analysis involving over 100 companies to investigate the impact of cash flow and insider buying on future success. His first hypothesis focuses on the level of correlation between cash flow and success; the second relates success with insider buying. For the correlational study of cash flow, this researcher plotted change in cash flow divided by average market capitalization against success, found the graph’s trend line and R² value, analyzed the randomization of the graph’s residual plot, and performed a linear regression t Test. Executing this methodology revealed no correlation between cash flow and success, but did suggest a weak-to-moderate correlation between cash flow and the natural logarithm of one plus success.
My favorite hobby is disc golf. A meaningful Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” A great HCHS moment was getting to be Andy Biar’s little brother. If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Garrett Nondorf. My favorite famous person is Tim Tebow. The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is Dairy Queen. DSP is Dr. Stinkin’ Perry. Enough Said. College: Texas A&M University Major: Accounting In five years I will have nearly completed the PPA (Professional Program of Accounting) at A&M, graduating with a Master’s Degree in Accounting and earning enough credit hours to take the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) Exam.
The foundation of this research was on the differences between the left and right brain, and teaching styles that support right and left brain learning. The dominance of one hemisphere over the other determines the basis of how a person learns, and becomes defined when engaged in problem solving. The left hemisphere primarily controls the right side of body, language skills, logical thinking, sequential processing, and comprehends symbolism. The right hemisphere primarily controls nonverbal processing, the left side of the body, concrete processing, random processing, and creativity. The two hemispheres of the brain are physically divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobe. Children with a right brain preference learn best with personal connections to the information, visual presentations, and interactions with the information (Golon, 2008). Left brain students prefer a methodical and logical learning approach best displayed in lecture form (Connell, 2002). The greatest teacher ever was Jesus because he explained his teachings in different ways. He gave lectures and demonstrated His teachings with examples. The Scholar’s null hypothesis examined whether right or left brain teaching styles changed in frequency between elementary and high school. An electronic survey was sent to the Spring Branch ISD elementary and high school social studies teachers, and the findings prompted the researcher to retain the null hypothesis that stated there was no change in frequencies of teaching styles between elementary and high school teachers.
To test insider buying, this researcher categorized each company’s insider buying trend as positive, negative, or neutral, and then compared the average success of each trend against the others via two sample t Tests. The P-Values determined in these t Tests provided no statistical evidence of a correlation between insider buying and success.
Q&A
Research Abstract
Jeremy Biar
Son of Scott and Kelly Biar
• Eagle Scout, and featured in the Houston Chronicle for earning four Eagle Palms • HCHS Globe Trek Senior Leader • Soccer Captain • Discipleship-Group Leader at HCHS • Gold Presidential Service Award • National Honor Society Member • Varsity Letterman in Cross Country, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Orchestra, and Football “If I can just make it through today... I will have made it through today.” Chris Mosser “Yours is the kingdom. Yours is the power. Yours is the glory, forever.” Chris Tomlin “Those pro football players... it’s like a job! I mean, in a normal job, you gotta walk here, and walk there. BUT THEY GOTTA RUN!” Crazy Lady at Burger King
Q&A My favorite idol is THE EYE (in the English Hall). A meaningful Bible verse is Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” A great HCHS moment was swimming with the piranhas in Amazon and walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel in Israel. If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Kim Possible.
Janice Byth
Daughter Kurt and Jan Byth
• DOXA Dance Company member 2010-2012 • National Novel Writing Month Winner 2011 • Co-President of Book Club • Gold Award • India National Geographic Student Expedition Participant 2011 • Adaptive Buddy for Dive Pirates • NHS Member
My favorite famous person is Andrew Evans. The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is La Madeline. DSP is intensive writing, researching, and learning experiences that usually involves exploding hearts, laughter, and good food. … It’s also not a class! College: Goucher College
“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” St. Augustine “We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” Japanese Proverb
Major: Anthropology In five years, I will be writing and traveling.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Suess
Research Abstract
Research Abstract
This year, the researcher studied the image of human cloning in five films utilizing a researcher-designed questionnaire. After the questionnaires were completed, the results were collected and placed into pie charts. The questionnaires’ results generally portrayed the films as negative. A 1-propotion z-test was performed on the first question in the Overall Image section, which concluded that the probability of observing 0 neutral films, if the null hypothesis were true, was 0. Together, the questionnaire and the statistical test provide evidence to reject the null and accept that Films do not present a neutral image of human cloning.
The quantitative data that this researcher collected suggest that there was an association between the profession of a person or the time a person has spent in his or her profession and his or her ability to decipher the codes. General conclusions drawn were based on the quantitative data available and this researcher’s knowledge about the topic. The qualitative data supported that an association existed between a person’s profession and his or her ability to decipher the code. This led to the rejection of both null hypotheses because they stated that a person’s profession or duration of work had no effect on his or her ability to decipher a code. Therefore, both alternative hypotheses were accepted.
Q&A
Q&A
Human cloning is currently a polarizing issue in religious, scientific, and ethical debates. This research investigated the history and ethical viewpoints of human cloning. Roslin Institute first brought the possibility of human cloning to the public’s attention with the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 (United States Department of Energy Genome Program, 2009). Thanks to Dolly, human cloning became a major ethical concern. The science and technology regarding cloning continues to be developed, researched, and tested. However, there are numerous risks, benefits, and arguments about cloning; therefore, the ethical debates continue. For Christians, God is seen as the One who creates humans in the womb; therefore, humans attempting to create life is debatable. Others believe that the cloning benefits outweigh the risks. While human cloning might not be entirely safe to perform yet, scientists are working on perfecting the techniques of cloning.
Alexandra Constantinou
My favorite Internet musical team is Team Starkid. A meaningful Bible verse is Psalm 31: 23-24 “Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” A great HCHS moment was was swimming with “vegetarian” piranhas that ate chicken. If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Sweet Tooth from Holy Musical, B@man! because of his fabulous candy puns and sense of style. My favorite famous person is Orson Scott Card. The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is La Madeline. DSP is A program that does not allow injuries, death, or explosions to occur, for it might result in the firing of Dr. Perry. College Texas Christian University Major Undecided In five years I will have an apartment with Janice and work at a museum…. Or still be in school.
Daughter of Andrew and Mary Ann Constantinou
Cryptology encompasses all parts of making and breaking codes and ciphers. First the code or cipher is hidden using cryptography. Three main types of cryptography are transposition, substitution, and quantum cryptography. After the message is enciphered or coded, often using multiple different forms of cryptography, there is the challenge of deciphering or decoding the original meaning. Breaking the code or cipher without the key is called cryptanalysis. Cryptology has changed due to advancements in technology. Messages were not sent electronically when cryptology was first used. Messages sent were tattooed or written on the skin of the messenger. Eventually, people turned to technology to speed the advancements in cryptology, starting with the rotor machine. Cryptology is constantly changing and will continue to change until an unbreakable code is developed.
My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.
• Basketball Manager • Co-President of Book Club • NHS • WAC tutoring • Paying homage to totem pole and sacrificing to the EYE
A meaningful Bible verse is Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” Zora Neale
If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Supergirl.
“I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.” The Doctor “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope… And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” Dr. Seuss
A great HCHS moment was when the girls’ soccer team stayed on campus for community service day my freshman year.
My favorite famous person is Meryl Streep. The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is Café Express. DSP is a program filled with a group of students with many different talents. College: University of Texas / Austin, Texas Major: Mechanical Engineering In five years I will hopefully be finished with school.
Kaitlin Handel
Daughter of Mike and Kelly Handel
• Honor Roll 9, 10, 12 • NHS Member 10-12 • D-Group Leader 11-12 • HCHS Varsity Soccer Member 9-12 • HCHS Volleyball 9-12 “Camouflage is a game we all like to play, but our secrets are as surely revealed by what we want to seem to be as by what we want to conceal.” Russell Lynes “May the odds be ever in your favor.” The Hunger Games
“Laughter sounds the same in every language.” J. E. Reed
Research Abstract
Communication is comprised of both the verbal and nonverbal. The nonverbal is the most basic form of conversation and humans’ primary means of communication. In fact, seventy-nine percent of communication is nonverbal. But, males and females sometimes have trouble communicating. This can be attributed to 1) history (a woman’s role in the tribe), 2) brain (women making connections between the left and right brain) and 3) meaning verses gesture (for example, a man will nod his head in agreement, while a woman will nod her head in encouragement). However, other than gender, age, profession, and ethnicity also affect the interpretation of body language. In order to test this assertion, this researcher, in her Methodology, used both quantitative and qualitative data. For her quantitative data, she took a survey, analyzed the data using a chi-square test for independence for each category of gender, age, profession, and ethnicity and concluded that, according to her population, to retain the null that states that these factors do not affect body language. For her qualitative data, she found sources discussing each of the same categories and concluded that, according to her population, to support the alternative that states that each category does affect body language. The quantitative and qualitative data did not match because the population size was not diverse. In addition to the proceeding sentence, this researcher would recommend changing the definition of “profession” to not be a paid occupation and analyze the amount of hours spent with others in the business place.
Q&A
My favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. A meaningful Bible verse is Matthew 20: 26-28 “...Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” A great HCHS moment was traveling to Delaware and Disney World with the Varsity Basketball team.
Kaitlyn Hirschbuehler Daughter of Dan and Justine Hirschbuehler
• Student Council • National Honor Society • Passport to Lead • Varsity Basketball • Discipleship Groups • Student Ambassador
If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Catwoman. My favorite famous person is Esther from the Bible. The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is Canes. DSP is a program that allows a person to grow personally, with others and with God because of the values such as honor, respect, community, and perseverance that are stressed in the program. College: Texas A&M University Major: Business In five years I plan to have graduated from college and be working in whatever job God calls me to.
“Through the cracks, the Light shines through.” Anoymous
Research Abstract
The electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and guitar sound modifying equipment changed significantly from 1960 to 2009. The electric guitar changed from a basic piece of wood with a magnet and a few metal strings to a customized piece of wood with a carefully measured neck curve, specially designed strings, and custom body designs to match the guitarist’s personality. The electric bass underwent a transformation from the unloved instrument no one wanted to play to the musical foundation of Rock and Roll bands. Guitar sound modifying equipment evolved from musicians breaking their equipment in the hopes that it would sound better to scientists modifying circuits and sound waves to alter sounds. With regards to tone alteration, this researcher found evidence that suggests that high school students have heightened aesthetic perception of Classic Rock music with bass tones amplified, and normal aesthetic perception with treble tone amplification based on results of two separate matched-pair t-tests. For researchers trying to duplicate this experiment, this researcher suggests they have a larger body of participants for the experiment and find a way to control the change in tone amplification. Manually control the level of tone alteration, as opposed to using preset tone alterations from a music playing device, would yield more reliable data and the manual manipulation of tone alteration would give the researcher the ability to set a benchmark alteration level to test.
Q&A
My favorite person to blame for everything is Matthew Schwartz. A meaningful Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” A great HCHS moment was when I played Gamecube™ with Malachy Lyons-Letts on the TV’s in the foyer of the school before school. If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Ash Ketchum. My favorite famous person is Stephen Colbert.
Christopher Mosser Son of Mark Mosser & Terri Mosser
• Eagle Scout • 3rd place in 2011 State Ultimate tournament • TPSMEA All State Orchestra 5th Chair Upright Bass • Bronze Presidential Service Award • Junior Olympics Qualifier in the 2000m Steeplechase • 5:01 1600m time/ 11:00 3200m time • Safeguarding my grandfather’s pocket watch “As the operator of a coin-operated artillery cannon might sarcastically yell to a retreating army, ‘You should never be afraid of change!” Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw
The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is Pho Huy. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Albert Einstein
DSP is more than a class. It’s a program. College: Baylor University
“Howard, you know me to be a very smart man. Don’t you think that if I were wrong, I’d know it?” Sheldon Cooper
Major: Electrical Engineering In five years I will be older, taller, smarter, and maybe a little wiser.
“Your mind can’t just go off of definitions. There are no definitions.” Anonymous
Research Abstract
This research is about the social and economic impacts of the Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup socially benefits its hosting country because it creates a sense of unity and harmony among the citizens of that country. The largest social impact created by the Super Bowl is the amount of parties that are thrown; the majority of Americans either attend a party or host one. The Super Bowl and the World Cup have similar social impacts in that they both cause a rise in crime rate in their hosting city/country. Economically, the impacts of the Super Bowl are similar to the impacts of the World Cup because the Super Bowl brings millions of dollars to the economy of the host city due to the rise in tourists. The first Null Hypothesis examined if there is a trend in how much money is generated in a country due to hosting the World Cup. Using a t-test, this researcher concluded that the data does support the Null Hypothesis and that there is a trend in the amount of money generated. The second Null Hypothesis examined whether or not two cities in a country hosting the World Cup generated the same amount of profit. Research related to the Null Hypothesis was unable to be found. The most important recommendation to future Scholars is to do a lot of pre-research. This way they will always be able to find information on their topic.
Q&A My favorite hobby is racquetball. A meaningful Bible verse is 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” A great HCHS moment was placing third in state with the HCHS Ultimate Frisbee team at the state tournament. If I were a Superhero or Villain, I would be Captain America. My favorite famous person is Daniel Radcliffe. The best off-campus Senior lunch spot is Subway. DSP is far and away the best program anyone could possibly take at HCHS to prepare them for college. College: University of Virginia Major: Liberal Arts and Sciences In five years I will have hopefully graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
Matthew Robert Schwartz
Jeremy Biar, Kaitlin Handel, Kaitlyn Hirschbuehler, Christopher Mosser, Alexandra Constantinou, Janice Byth, Matthew Schwartz, Dr. Perry
Scholars For Life
Son of Robert & Kim Schwartz
• Volunteer at Camp Smiles (3 yrs.), a camp de-
signed to help campers with Cerebral Paulsy. Par- ticipate in normal camp activities such as swim ming, fishing, and bathing. • Made area band twice on oboe, and I also made Jazz region band once on tenor saxophone. • Studied Spanish abroad in Granada, Spain for five weeks. • Participated in the student led Global Trek to China. • Head of School Honor Roll (9th-11th grade) • Presidential Bronze Service Award for having over 100 hours of service (10th-12th grade) • Active member of Church youth group (3+ hrs./wk.)
Scholar for Life
Scholar Class
College or University
Andrew Biar 2010 Carnegie Mellon University Nitin Bhardwaj 2009 Boston University Hallie Byth 2010 Colorado School of Mines Benjamin Chacko 2009 Texas A&M University Priya Chacko 2011 University of Texas
“The world is a book, and those who have not traveled have only read one page.” Saint Augustine
Zachary Dotson 2011 University of Texas
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” John Powell
Rebecca Driver 2011 Texas Christian University
“Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.” Albus Dumbeldore
Adam Everist 2008 Auburn University Alumnus
Bryan Ericsson 2009 Macalester College
Scholar for Life
Scholar Class
College or University
John Haier 2010 Auburn University Ensign Charlie Hasenbank
2008
United States Naval Academy Alumnus
Jacqueline Helms
2008
Houston Community College
Hannah Holmes 2011 Furman University Trevor Johnson 2011 New York University R. Trey Jolly 2008 University of St. Thomas Christopher Kirkland 2010 Texas A&M University Ryan Konopka 2008 Pepperdine University Alumnus Nina Lakhani 2006 Barnard College Alumna Michael McArthur 2006 Duke University Alumnus Rachel Mercer
2006
Northeastern University & Virginia Commonwealth University Alumna
Garrett Nondorf 2010 Vanderbilt University Sarah Ott 2011 University of Texas Abigail Palmer 2007 University of Texas Alumna Jennifer Parrott 2008 Houston Community College W. Taylor Payne 2010 Texas A&M University Margreta Ralston 2007 University of Texas Alumna Ashleigh Rogers
2010
University of Virginia
Lauren Scott 2010 Texas A&M University 2nd Lt. Joseph Swain
2007
United States Military Academy Alumnus
Elizabeth Tienda
2010
St. Mary’s University
Nicholas Weiss 2009 Boston College Victoria Weiss 2007 Boston College Alumna Leslie Wu
2010
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Houston Christian High School Inspiring Leadership 2700 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N. Houston, TX 77043 713-580-6000 www.houstonchristian.org