Cohort Capstone Spotlight

Cohorts Capstones are led by seniors at the end of their Hope Squad journey. They selected a topic to explore then worked on a project to present at the end of the year. 

Mental Health Stories (Exploring Vulnerability)

Hi! My name is Amelia Eshman, a Hope Squad member in the class of 2026. As my capstone, I wanted to do something related to vulnerability. My mind immediately went to one of my favorite movies: Disney’s 2015 live-action version of Cinderella (I know, oddly specific!). The whole movie is great in my opinion, but there is one line in particular that has stuck with me over the years, as it relates to vulnerability. It says, “Perhaps the greatest risk any of us will ever take is to be seen as we truly are.” The students and teachers who chose to share their stories with you took a great risk. I have learned much from them, and I hope that their stories move you and maybe even inspire you to be vulnerable.

Hi! We’re Ruhi Kaneria and Megha Nadagouda, members of the Class of 2026 and part of Hope Squad. For our capstone project, we explored the role of self-care within our school community, specifically, how individuals practice self-care and adapt it to meet their own needs.

As part of our research, we conducted and filmed interviews with members of our school community from a variety of perspectives, including an administrator (Mr. Corratiyil), a school psychologist (Mr. Schlaeger), a student-athlete (Bella Teply), and a student leader (Lucas Joseph). Through these conversations, we learned how each person incorporates self-care into their daily life and how these practices positively impact their well-being.

Our goal is to highlight the importance of self-care and show that it can look different for everyone, while still playing a vital role in maintaining a healthy and balanced life.