Former Project Lab student Javon Calmese

A college sophomore with a 4.0 GPA at North Arkansas College, Javon is especially interested in business, environmental science, journalism, psychology, and computer programming. We’re thrilled that Javon will be returning to Project Lab St. Louis as our first-ever summer intern.

It’s been nearly seven years since I first stepped foot into the now demolished Normandy 7th and 8th Grade Center. The two years I spent there were a transformational period for me. A lot of things I learned I carried over into high school. When I think about 7th and 8th grade, I think about the relationships I had with everyone, from the teachers and staff to my peers. I think about all of the events that I experienced there, from catching sight of the solar eclipse to having detention after school. Most of all, being in Project Lab is almost always what comes to mind when I think of 7th and 8th grade.

The first thing that pops into my mind when I think about Project Lab was the classroom itself. I miss the bean bag, the rectangular tables in the middle of class, the tall green chair, the keyboard, the comedy and tragedy masks, the chess boards. I miss all of it so so much. I still wish that I could walk into that classroom and experience that ambience again.

I loved how different it was from all the other classes. The only thing that made it like other classes is that we followed a curriculum. However, we followed an unconventional curriculum. Instead of sitting and being assigned to do classwork after a lesson, the curriculum was more interactive. The variety of things we did made for a fruitful and worthwhile time. In addition, the classroom setting was far from the conventional, lined-up seats, facing the teacher. The days I had Project Lab were always exciting.

All of the field trips, guest speakers, and activities we had is what made that class the most exciting. I remember a couple of guest speakers Dr. Schaenen brought in, one of them was a guy I talked to about attending the University of Kentucky. I remember the day Dr. Schaenen brought in kosher food. I also remember we tried challah and that it was very tasty. And that we learned about Jewish culture, practice, and identity. I thought it was all very fascinating. Another time we went to an Islamic school and then they met us at our school. I enjoyed being with the students and learning from them so much. That was my favorite experience. I connected with the students so well. I also remember the field trip where we got to go into the Arch. That was my first and only time there and I’m glad I got to spend it with the class. I remember the field trips we took walking across the street to meet with the police officers for the Day of Dialogue at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. I recall going to the Audubon Center at Riverlands and geocaching.

As far as activities go, there is so much to remember! Yoga and meditation

I miss the bean bag, the rectangular tables in the middle of class, the tall green chair, the keyboard, the comedy & tragedy masks, the chess boards. I still wish that I could walk into that classroom and experience that ambience is something that I do to this day. Chess is something I most definitely remember and do to this day. I’ve also introduced the game to some friends and family of mine. I still remember the day one of Dr. Schaenen’s children came in – he’s a circus artist and I learned how to juggle. I still do that for fun from time to time. There was also a point when I really wanted to pursue journalism because of The Viking Times, our school newspaper. In high school, I went on to take media literacy and scholastic journalism. I still do love writing, and I can say that definitely stems from my time writing for The Viking Times. During my Spring Semester of college, I had an English composition class, and I always thought back on my writing in middle school and how much I have improved since then. Another activity that I remember was drawing spirals in class. I still do that to this day; it helps a lot with my attention span and being mindful. Random other memories: reciting a poem word for word and practicing writing in cursive!

Becoming a Project Lab intern, I feel very excited for many reasons. Gardening to me is fascinating, and I think this is a great opportunity to learn many valuable lessons and embrace them in another part of my life.

With much love, Javon