Class of 2022

Tomer Carmeli

For my lead project, I worked alongside a group of three juniors and Mr. Hausermann, the vice principal at Kennedy Middle School to help tutor students in areas they were struggling. The goal of this project was for middle school students to seek any extra help they need by reaching out to high schoolers. I met with each student once a week for approximately an hour. In addition, I was also responsible for communicating with the parents of the student and the other juniors as well as coordinating what days everyone can tutor. Each week I would send an email to the parents, updating them on their child's progress. By doing this, I developed more organizational skills. Overall, this was an eye-opening experience for me as I was able to connect with younger students and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Matthew Haskell

For my lead project I lead a team of high school tutors and tutored students from Wilson Middle School. I worked with parents to arrange tutoring sessions and topics for tutoring. I coordinated tutoring sessions for other tutors on the team, emailing them and the parents of students. I not only helped middle school students academically, but worked to connect with them, remembering what it was like to be that age. I feel that we made a difference for middle schoolers coming out of COVID, helping with some of the skills they needed to catch up.

Hadley Green

For my lead project, I coached the U8 Natick girl's hockey team. During practices, we created drills in order for the players to learn and develop their skills. We were able to create a fun atmosphere for the kids, well teaching them the fundamentals of the game. It was super special making a connection with each player and they were excited to have us there to look up to. Every practice there was a ton of improvement and it showed that our coaching really helped! I am looking forward to doing something like this again in the future!

Ella O'Connor

For my NHS lead project, I managed the National Honor Society tutoring program. I supervised a group of eleven NHS members with strong knowledge of their respective academic subjects and paired them with underclassmen interested in being tutored. To get in touch with underclassmen students, I created an interest form that I shared with teachers and guidance counselors, who then reached out to their students. Each time a new student emailed me or filled out the interest form, I matched them with a NHS tutor who was comfortable with the subject matter and whose schedule aligned with the student’s. I continued to pair new students throughout the project, while also checking on each existing pair to make sure their schedules were still compatible, keeping track of hours for each tutor through a google form, and seeking out new tutors when there were none available for a particular student. While I had hoped to find more tutors to maximize the number of underclassmen we could help, I think the project still went very well. Students were able to get free, accessible academic support on a regular basis, which not only helped improve their skills and confidence in class, but also freed up their teachers’ time after school. I was particularly impacted by one student who came up to me in the hall to express how proud they were about the improvements to their test grades since beginning tutoring!

Jessie Tallino

For my lead project, I helped organize the junior induction ceremony. In the weeks prior to induction I helped collect money from other National Honors Society members, and budget the different items we would need including decorations, food, and water. I was also responsible for showing up an hour before the event to help set up and hand out pamphlets to audience members as well as staying later to help with clean up. I worked with three other students to make this project possible. We were able to coordinate, set up, clean up, and make the ceremony a special time for the new inductees and their family members to celebrate their great accomplishments!

Zoe Napurano

For our co-lead project, my friend Calli Recck and I founded NHS’s Mental Health Awareness Collaboration Club (MACC for short). I chose to do this because we thought there should be more attention brought to the subject of mental health in our community, especially with the effects of the pandemic. Leading the Mental health club has been a very valuable experience. Through discussions with club members, members of peer advocates and our club advisors, the club has worked to identify the issues in awareness of the resources at the high school. We recognized that the existing resources for mental health provided by the school were disorganized and difficult to find easily. To help remedy these issues, the club has worked for the last 6/7 months on an official website for the school which provides easy access to any mental health resources they may need. We are also working on creating presentations to run during studies and CDS that give a tour of the website and the mental health resources that are available at natick high. I am incredibly grateful for this experience to lead alongside my friends and for the opportunity to work with my peers on something I'm so passionate about advocating for. We have accomplished so much already, and I am excited to see what the group will take on after we graduate.

Antonela Losada

I participated in the new middle school tutoring program for my lead project. I led a team of high school tutors and tutored students. The Covid-19 pandemic was a difficult time for all students, and I wanted to be a support for middle schoolers to readjust to going to school full time. I communicated with families to set up sessions for myself and other tutors. This required weekly planning and emails. I think it was very successful because I established a consistent schedule with my students. I also communicated with teachers for material to work on during sessions. In the end, I found working with the middle schoolers to be an enjoyable experience.

Elora Barros

Over the course of a weekend (April 9th-10th, 2022) I organized a Cochituate Rail Trail clean-up! I made flyers and hung them around the school on the bulletin board in the stairwells and outside the bathrooms. I also posted about the clean-up on social media and had a form that people could fill out if they were interested in helping out. The first day of the clean-up was a small group, only about 4 of us. We dealt with very unpredictable weather, but we were able to fill 6 trash bags with trash that we picked up along the trail, and those 6 bags were only from the first half of the trail from the Navy Yard Field to Home Depot. The second day was much better weather wise and consisted of a bigger group, about 10 people. We picked up trash along the second half of the trail, from Home Depot to the end of the trail. After finishing the entire length of the trail we had about an hour left to clean-up trash, so we traveled to Wilson Middle School and cleaned up trash around the parking lot and around the entire school building. It was a very successful and fun event!

Kelli Murphy

For my lead project I decided to involve the club I am a part of in school called The Game Changers. We work to promote the stop to domestic violence and teach students to learn about keeping themselves out of unhealthy relationships and helping their peers stay out of them as well. A story we talked about alot while in the club was the Lauren Astley case. She was a senior in high school in Wayland, the town next to Natick, who was brutally murdered by her ex boyfreind before she went to college. Mr. Hoye wanted the game changers to lead a community wide event and I proposed we do one where we talk about this case. Lauren's father Malcom, has gone to several schools since the passing of his daughter to discuss the importances of healthy relationships and the damage unhealthy ones can lead to. We asked if he could come to speak for our presentation and he was glad to. The night of April 5th after we spent several weeks preparing, Malcolm came to talk to parents and students about his daughter's story. We then broke the parents into breakout rooms and showed them the documentary about lauren. Afterwards we lead a discussion with the parents asking their thoughts and feelings about the story. We also taught them more information to know and have when it comes to their own and their children's relationships. Overall everyone took away something they learned and had many questions and thoughts about the presentation. It went very well and I hope this program continues to have this event every year after I graduate since it is so important to learn.

Ryan Maltzman

I walked around local baseball fields in Natick and picked up any trash or items that were lying around, pretty much trying to clean up the fields. Overall it went very well. For the most part, the field was clean, but some had lots of things like empty cans and water bottles. I brought trash bags to put the items in and used gloves to pick up everything. Overall I learned that to better our community, we need efforts from so many people. Not one person can make a massive difference, but together we can. As long as we continue to give an effort to help our community, we will be fine.

Calli Recck

For my co-lead project, I (along with Zoe Napurano) founded Natick High’s Mental Health Awareness Collaboration Club. When starting the club I wanted to create a voice at Natick High that could advocate for mental health issues and foster wellness in relation to mental health within our school community. I felt that it was important to have a space at the school that was dedicated to helping students access school resources and voice concerns regarding mental health. Once we started the club we worked to identify issues within our community, and we found there was a large lack of awareness of the school's resources and how to access them. To remedy this our club had worked over the past school year to create a website for Natick High that provides easy access to the resources our school provides. We are also working on presentations that can be run during the school day that give a tour of these resources in order to further broadcast awareness to our study body. We are so proud of what this club has accomplished and the community it fosters and we are excited to see its future endeavors.

Kate Killam

For my lead project I organized a trash clean up. We cleaned public places like Coolidge Hill, the town forest, Pegan Hill and Elm bank. I chose this project because I love walking my dog at all of these places and have noticed so much trash over the past few years along walking paths. I got friends, family members and other community members to come together to help with this project and I would say it was a success overall! I would definitely do it again!!

Kate Levesque

For my lead project, I worked with the Middle School Tutoring Program helping 5th and 6th graders with math and reading while leading a team of tutors. Every week I would tutor one of the students as well as coordinate meetings for the rest of my team so that all of our students were getting help with homework, organization, studying, and practicing different types of problems to help their understanding of the material. I chose to do this project because I struggled with math when I was in 6th grade and I wanted to be able to help students that were in my position before. This project helped better the community by helping students have a better mindset about school and their work which sets them up for a successful future. The three people on my team were amazing to work with and were so helpful and flexible when it came down to scheduling sessions that it worked out perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed my time meeting some great kids and I wouldn’t change how the project went!

Ava Levinson

For this year's equity collaborative conference, I saw it as a great opportunity to improve my social speaking skills and work in a group setting. For the Equity Collaborative presentation, I worked with Margot Brady and Gianni Storti and we made a presentation about equity in our society, around us, and our school community; we wanted people to know how exactly we as a school can speak out against racism and microaggressions. We previously had last year's presentation which we liked the format of, but we had updated it with new videos and added more relevant information on the topic. Our presentation did focus on the four pillars of the National Honors Society and we went into depth about leadership and character. We added current events like the BLM protests, and a variety of social media influencers' contributions to social justice causes. Overall, the presentation went smoothly and the students contributed to the questions we asked along the way. I felt confident in the presentation and would love to do a similar idea in the future. The equity collab is a great way to speak out and have more people engaged in global causes.

Thea Beattie

My lead project was participating in the Middle School Tutoring Program as a tutor team leader. My team consisted of four tutors including myself. As the team leader, my responsibilities included communicating with middle schoolers’ families and my tutors on a weekly basis to coordinate tutoring sessions, keeping track of scheduling documents, and tutoring students directly. During the pandemic, my elementary-aged brother struggled with remote learning. He started to meet with a tutor weekly and once I saw how much progress he made, I wanted to be able to help other students who were struggling in the same ways; hence why I chose the Middle School Tutoring Program as my lead project. To prepare for this project, I attended two training sessions that taught the participants of the program how to meet students’ needs. These training sessions were organized and led by the head of the tutoring program and Vice Principal of Kennedy Middle School, Daniel Hausermann, who also connected the tutoring teams with different families in need of tutoring. Accompanying me in my tutoring team were three Natick High Juniors, who met with students each week. I believe that my project was a success as I was able to help students grow into successful middle schoolers by teaching them to develop valuable organizational and study skills that I hope they will carry with them into high school.

Ella DePratti

For my lead project, I participated in the BOKS morning program at Brown Elementary School. During this time I helped plan curriculum activities for the Boks program along with other teachers, helped to take attendance each morning, managed student behavior as well as organizing and cleaning materials after games had finished, and helped to research nutrition and muscle facts to teach the younger students about the importance of the program. I chose to do this for my lead project because I have always enjoyed working with children, and I was able to experience a hands on approach within a teaching environment. I hope to continue working with children after college and getting this opportunity has made me become aware of that even more.

Leah Goldman

For my NHS lead project, I organized and collected raffle prizes for the Natick High School After Prom Party. This event is held directly after the prom and it is free for all seniors and their prom guests. I found it important to donate my time to this event because it provides students a fun, safe, substance-free place to be on prom night. To begin my project, I reached out to seniors at Natick High to gauge their interest in certain prizes. Then, using students' feedback, I made a list of raffle prizes to be won at the event including Airpods, a Nintendo Switch, tickets to sport events, lots of gift cards, and a cash prize. Once the prize list was finalized, I created an Amazon Wishlist through which community members could donate. During the first 24 hours, over $600 worth of prizes were donated! Donations are still rolling in and the project has proved to be a success. In all, the raffle will incentivize students to attend the party and stay safe on prom night.

Emma Choe

For my NHS lead project, I led a group of volunteers for a series of neighborhood clean-ups. My goal for this project was to help better our community by connecting with other individuals dedicated to both our town and being environmentally conscious. Together, we cleaned up the fields and land surrounding Ben-Hem elementary, Wilson Middle School, and Elm Bank over the course of 4 days. To ensure the safety of our group and the areas, I made sure to research and inform everyone of proper safety procedures, how to proceed with biohazards, and how to dispose of the collected debris. I equipped our group with gloves, trash bags, and pointed out the available recycling bins for disposal. As we cleaned, we engaged in conversations about climate justice, environmental issues, and our goals to be active members of our community. Ultimately, this experience has shown me the immense difference that responsibility, passion, and respect for others and property, can make on our town. I was able to further my leadership skills, and thus project inspire me to continue my efforts past high school.

Nicole Dion

For my lead project, I decided to take on the role of organizing a tutoring team. This was the first year that Natick had its student-led Middle School Tutoring Program and I believed it was the perfect chance to have some leadership in my community. As a team leader, it was my responsibility to plan sessions, make Google Docs, spreadsheets, etc. to help the three other tutors on my team. I communicated with the middle school students and their families in order to ensure the best tutoring experience possible in these abnormal circumstances we are facing in the classroom every day. I also was able to gain both leadership and communication skills while working alongside the other high school students in my group. It was a nice balance to get the opportunity of both working on the outside of it all as well tutoring the students myself. It was such an amazing experience to see these students grow both socially and academically throughout these past couple of months. I am so grateful that I was able to share my support with them as a way to end my high school career.

Katharine Polep-Sawyer

For my lead project, I organized a kid's bike ride for the National Brain Tumor Society and taught them about the cause that they are attending. I created materials that would help the kids learn about the impact they are making by joining us for the National Brain Tumor Society ride. I choose this for my lead project because my family volunteers every year at this ride and I wanted to give something back to the National Brain Tumor Society community. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed learning and preparing to educate the youth on how their participation in the bike ride is helping make a change. I have been able to accomplish creating a fun, and engaging curriculum ad activities that will help the youth understand the cause they are biking for. I felt that I have helped the National Brain Tumor Society spread awareness of their fight for a cure.

Margot Brady

For my lead project, I worked alongside Gianni Storti and Ava Levinson in creating a presentation on Leadership and Character in Social Justice and then presented this hour-long lesson with other NHS members at the Equity Collaborative. We discussed how Natick students could embody the pillars of NHS (Leadership, Character, Scholarship, and Service) to promote equity in both our own community and the broader world. I chose this because I believe that everyone assumes the responsibility of improving themselves and helping others work on their own biases, our world will be a lot kinder and more accepting. I think overall it went pretty well. We had enough people discussing so that we could a bit of a conversation between the students and the leaders, and most people seemed pretty receptive. The only thing that was difficult was that it was hard to get everyone to participate so it tended to be the same few people answering the questions, so I think it would be a good idea to make it much more interactive next year to get everyone interested and participating.

Jessica Harriss

My lead project was leading a workshop for helping seniors with their technology problems. I chose this project due to an interest in technology and with the aid of my robotics team, which had an interest in contacting the seniors in our community for outreach purposes. This provided me with the idea as well as volunteers who could assist me with this project. This project helped seniors who were disconnected from friends and family due to covid-19 reconnect with others through their technology and generally aided seniors with technology problems. I prepared for this project by contacting the Natick Senior Center and planning this event with the Natick council on aging. I was helped by Lorraine McNally who is the assistant director of the Natick Council on Aging on finding a time slot and getting the word out about the event. The event went well, I was able to gather enough volunteers so each senior got a personal assistant to help them figure out their technology problem, and I set up future workshops so that events like this could continue in the future. One thing I might do differently in the future is better instruct the volunteers on what their duties entail and train them on fixing different operating systems of different devices. Overall I think that my lead project was very successful as all the seniors went home happy.

Isobel O'Connell

For my lead project, I was a lead tutor for the middle school tutoring program. I led a team of three other tutors. I communicated with parents and other tutors about scheduling. I also tutored two students both in-person and over Google Meet. I helped students complete their homework, study for tests, and stay organized. My experience tutoring middle school students showed me the importance of building connections with younger members of my community. The students I tutored looked forward to meeting with me because it provided them with consistency and helped them with their schoolwork. My experience also taught me leadership skills and communication skills.

James Carr

My lead project was a Co-lead project with Nick Haswell regarding trash pick-up at all the Natick fields across town. This included the fields and paths at Ben-Hem, Wilson, Lilja, and the Cole center. We felt this was important as many people use these fields for recreational activities from exercise, to dog walking, pick-up sports games, and even organized youth sports. These are fields that are constantly being used by many people in the community and could use a trash pick up to keep usable and nice. We organized teams of volunteers from the lacrosse program to assist in this effort. Things went fairly smoothly with our only main issue being a little underprepared with the number of trash bags we brought but that was solved fairly easily with a quick run to the store. Overall I would say this project went very well and I am pleased with the successful results.

Sammy Scharr

For my NHS lead project, I spent my time organizing tutoring teams and tutoring middle school students. I choose this as a lead project because I am passionate about helping others and I enjoyed reteaching some of my favorite subjects. I was able to help younger students, that advocated for their learning ability, succeed in the topics that were once challenging. I was assisted with this project by some members of the junior class, where I organized their tutoring sessions as well. I think this program was successful because of the commitment students and their families put into it, as well as the dedication from the high school students that made all this possible. The tutoring was very impactful as I watched students learn new ways to stay organized and on top of their schoolwork, thus allowing them to no longer need our help. I enjoyed working with all the students and staff that were involved and I will remember this project as it taught me to be a leader and prompted me to help those who took initiative in their educational opportunities.

Sam Shuster

My project was to prepare and deliver a lesson for the equity Co-op day. I chose this for my lead because this day is something that is worth taking the time to explore issues of equity, respect, anti-racism and identity. This project fulfills the needs of inclusion in the community. To prepare for this project I attended meetings after school with the equity collaborative club. In these meetings we would go over the plans for the equity Co-op. Ms.Burns was very helpful in this process. She directed everyone on their group and room assignments and put us in touch with who we needed. The presentations went extremely well. The classes I taught were well engaged and offered a lot of good insight on the topic. I would not do anything differently in the future. The lessons were very well written and delivered. The prep got us ready for the day which was successful.

Khushi Chauhan

For my lead project, I was a student presenter at the Equity Co-op Conference this March. As a part of this project, I had to edit, refine, and give a presentation centered around music and mental health on behalf of the A Cappella Club at NHS. The presentation tackled many topics such as how music can affect mood and mental health as well as how artists use music to discuss and de-stigmatize mental illness. I chose this as my lead project because music is something that plays a huge role in how I process the world around me and so, helping other students understand how music plays a role in their lives was something I wanted to do. In the final month before the Equity Co-op Conference, I helped my peers edit our final presentation and create additional activities that students can engage in. Overall, the presentations during went incredibly well and students seemed to connect to the material on a personal level!

Drew Wallace

For my lead project, I helped clean up the trash at JJ Lane Park and Coolidge Park. My inspiration was formed when Harry and I were playing spikeball at JJ Lane and noticed all of the trash in the outer areas of the park. I always wanted an easily accessible park when I was growing up and now that the town has built one so close to my home I really cherish it. To prepare for this project, I organized a group of people to help me with the cleaning. We all got trash bags and gloves and went to work. It took us a while to dig through the leaves and walk the whole perimeter, but it was worth it to clean up the area for our community. Now nobody will have to step in used dog poop bags and the area looks much cleaner. Harry and I are now brainstorming ideas on how we can get trash bins to be more accessible in the area to further encourage the park users to throw away their trash. The first project at JJ went very well and we wanted to clean another park. We went to Coolidge and started cleaning up the basketball courts and baseball field. We then walked up the hiking trail and found some more trash that was floating around in the woods. As community members, we are very grateful to have so many areas to play and were inspired to help keep them as clean as possible for others.

Cam Kozul

For my NHS Lead Project, I was responsible for leading a day of camp at the West Suburban YMCA. For the entire day, I made the decisions with the guidance of the camp director on the activities and games that would be played. In addition, I took attendance when signing kids in and out of camp. I prepared for the project by making a schedule for the camp the previous day as well as an attendance sheet for all the campers' parents to sign. Many families need assistance in taking care of their kids during school vacation breaks. This camp is how kids stay active and social with other kids which helps their mental health and well-being. It gives kids a stress-free environment where they can be themselves outside of the classroom. I’m confident that the campers had a great day and my project goals were fulfilled!

Ty Ganz

My lead project consisted of picking up trash at Elm Bank to ensure the sanctuary remained clean. I chose this project because I have frequently seen trash disrupting nature and the outdoors. During my time spent at Elm Bank, I saw at least half a dozen people picking up trash; many of them wearing full-body makeshift suits to maximize efficiency. While I couldn't compete with only my gloves and trash bag, I made sure to cover areas that they didn't cover. Overall, the project went well and I felt I made a positive contribution to my community. If I were to do something similar in the future, I would choose a different location because it seems Elm Bank is already in pristine condition.

Ariana Tahmili

For my lead project, I organized two neighborhood trash clean-ups. My two chosen locations were Natick and Brighton. Given my mom lives in Natick and my dad in Brighton I am familiar with these communities. It saddens me to see litter thrown along the sidewalks and in green spaces. By providing gloves, bags for trash and recyclables, and transportation I organized a group of friends and neighbors to help clean up trash around these locations. With the ability to have two different clean-ups I was able to communicate specific times and days that worked well for each person volunteering to help. I chose to organize a lead project like this as I feel it is super crucial to contribute to a cleaner community. I have assisted in other trash pick-ups that were successful and left a positive impact. I wanted to do the same in areas that I call home. It was a great opportunity to spend time outside, chat, and help keep neighborhoods clean. Both clean-ups were successful and afterward, I properly disposed of the trash and recyclables. One of my favorite aspects of this clean-up project was people who were on walks that stopped and thanked us or smiled as they went by. Not only were we able to help clean the planet but also bring joy to others’ days. I believe that taking care of our environment is crucial and small actions to help restore and keep it clean are necessary and can be very enjoyable!

Nick Haswell

For my lead hours, I Co-lead a project with James Carr. We lead trash pick-up at all the Natick fields across town; Ben-Hem, Wilson, Lilja, and the Cole center. I felt picking up trash on these fields and paths was important. Many people use them for exercise, dog walking, pick-up sports games, and organized youth sports. These fields are constantly being used by many people in the community including the two of us. When we play lacrosse in other towns our coach stresses that we clean up our side of the field. So it made sense for us to pursue a trash clean-up to keep the fields in Natick usable and nice. James and I reached out to the lacrosse team to assist us in our efforts. We got the majority of our varsity team and some of the JV players as well. Things went fairly smooth, however, our only issue was that we were underprepared with the number of trash bags we brought. This problem was quickly fixed by running to the local convenient store. Overall, I would say our efforts paid off and the project was a success. I was also pleased with the contributions of my teammates in making sure the fields and paths remain a clean place for people to enjoy.

Lilly Grogan

For my NHS lead project I wanted to do something that would put a smile on people's faces. I decided to organize a group of 15 people to make uplifting cards. I supplied the markers and paper that we needed and we ended up making around 40 cards. After making these cards I then delivered them to Sunrise of Wayland which is a community of elderly people. It was very rewarding to see how much these cards helped brighten everyone's day.

Josh Libby

For my lead project, I created a website for the Natick High Ski Team. The website includes dates, forms, and information any new or returning skier can easily access to stay up to date throughout the season. We are losing a lot of returners next year, so having a place where all the information is stored is going to be very helpful. Overall, I was very pleased with how the website came out and think that the athletes will find it extremely useful. While doing this project I learned a lot of new features that google sites has to offer and also got some practice with photo editing.

Caite Cohen

My lead project was to work with a teenager with autism to become more confident and comfortable being social with others. For my lead project, I took him to various places, such as the mall, elm bank, and restaurants to give him the opportunity to practice being more independent when it comes to communicating with new people. I chose this for my lead project because I know how he can become uncomfortable and nervous interacting with new people, and I wanted to help him. I am very close with him, and so I wanted to see him feel more confident. I prepared for the project by determining the best places to take him to practice communicating with more people and by brainstorming conversation starters he could use. I wanted to ensure I had suggestions for questions he could ask people and employees if he needed them. Overall, I believe the project was a success because over time, he seemed to be more confident talking to new people. In the beginning, he was nervous and heavily relied on my suggestions for starting conversations and for expressing his needs. By the end of the project, he relied much less on my suggestions and was more independent when he communicated with new people.

Kiyo White

For my lead project, I was a presenter/facilitator on Identity & Belonging with Starfish International for the Equity Co-Op. As a member of Change the World Club, I’ve been working with Starfish International, a Gambian educational program and non-profit organization, to promote girl’s education. Fatuomata Jaiteh, a past student at Starfish International who is currently working at the NHS library and looking to further her education in the U.S., reached out to me and some other members of Change the World Club to help present a lesson for the Equity Co-Op. As a team, we met several times before and after school hours to plan and rehearse for the lesson. Overall, the equity co-op presentation went smoothly thanks to prior preparation and strong teamwork. I facilitated conversations with students and built personal connections through these conversations. I also shared personal thoughts and experiences to lead by example and help take discussion to a more individualistic level between students. Through this presentation, students came away with a sense of belongingness and community. They were able to explore their identities and feel empowered to celebrate who they are.

Bradley Thompson

For my National Honor Society Lead Project Joseph Frumkin and I ran weekly sessions where we’d play educational games with kids from the community. To prepare we gathered up games such as Spot It, Proof, and Set, all of which are designed to be fun while also strengthening logic, reasoning, and other fundamental skills. Additionally, we would meet beforehand to review the games we were playing each week and how we would structure the session. I believe this project fulfilled a few important needs in the community. The first was assisting the parents by providing an opportunity for them to drop their child off in a safe and educational environment so they could take a much needed break. Furthermore, this project helped the children involved because they were able to socialize with other kids, strengthen their brains, and enjoy fun games each weekend. Ultimately, I believe this lead project was a very big success. We were able to give back to our community and I was able to practice and improve my leadership skills with children.

Ella Sheidley

For my lead project, I presented a slideshow on 'Equity in Leadership' during the Equity Co-Op. Along with roughly 10 other peers, I taught classes of 9th-12th graders on how they could use both social media and person-to-person conversations to combat racism, homophobia, and inequality in general. The slideshow was prepared by three other presenters, giving us a base idea of what we were going to spend the two periods talking about and allowing us to branch off and have meaningful conversations. I used strategies such as turn and talk, writing on the whiteboard, and watching videos to make sure the classmates I was teaching were engaged. I felt that this presentation was important to contribute to in light of the many incidents of bigotry that have happened at Natick High this year, and I also saw it as an opportunity to improve my confidence while speaking to large groups. I felt that the conversations went smoothly, and in addition to teaching, I also learned a lot about how to use my privilege to create change.

Kyle Chase

For my lead project, I volunteered for BOKS(build our kid's success) a nonprofit organization that aims to get kids more active before school. I volunteered at Kennedy Middle School in Natick, preparing and teaching lessons from 7:10-7:40 on Mondays and Wednesdays. I was able to learn from the existing trainers and determine what works best for the students and what activities they enjoyed most. From there I was able to successfully plan and teach lessons to the students, for them to get moving before school started and get them ready for learning. This project went very well for me, as I was able to not only improve the mornings of the students at KMS but improve myself as a leader.

Venkadesh Eswaranandam

For my lead project, I led two presentations during the Equity Coop: one for National Honor Society, and another for Global Citizenship Club. I presented and taught both alone. Though I was not a member of Global Citizenship Club at the time of presenting, I still led their presentation during the coop. I led discussions about equity and leadership and about the various aspects of sustainability. I also taught a city planning activity during the presentation for Global Citizenship Club. By encouraging students to critically think about what makes a leader and expanding the definition of sustainability to include societal sustainability, I helped Natick High School students think critically about these issues. Overall, the presentations went well and people were engaged in discussions. One thing I would do differently if I had this opportunity again would be to plan out timing in the presentations so that we could cover more of the slides and discussion questions.

Matthew Tavares

For my lead project, I lead a group of children (ages 5-12) to care for, learn about, and have fun with animals at Sweet Meadow Farm in Sherborn. I was in charge of organizing and implementing a unique daily schedule, making confident judgment calls regarding the kids’ safety around the animals, and reinforcing farm rules for the safety of the children and animals. As a kid, I routinely visited farms around Natick to look at and learn about the various animals. For my lead project, I wanted to bring this experience to other kids in the community. This project helped provide animal education and awareness to younger children, but also care for the farm animals living in our community. It was very tough at first, because I had very little experience working with and leading children. However, my colleagues were incredibly helpful, and they provided me with the capabilities and confidence needed to succeed in both my project and in life. Overall, I am very satisfied with my lead project, because I achieved all the goals I set out to complete, provided a unique impact on my community, and grew so much as a leader.

Talia Gitlin

For my lead project, I founded the Student Voice Forum at Natick High School alongside a group of my fellow PAC classmates. Noticing an increasing amount of discontent amongst students regarding student influence in the community, I chose this for my lead project to provide students with a more respectful and effective platform forum to communicate their compliments, concerns, and suggestions for the school community. Since proposing the idea to Mr. Harrigan, I have co-led two monthly forum meetings focusing each meeting on a different, relevant student challenge. To fulfill my role as co-president of the forum, I have crafted meaningful agendas for each meeting, created virtual forum advertisements and PA announcements, promoted the forum through various email updates, provided snacks for each meeting, and established the forum's Instagram. Prior to the conclusion of the school year, I plan to lead the recruitment of faculty advisors and thoughtfully assign leadership positions for next year to foster a healthy, constructive, and collaborative environment where students feel heard. With the support of Mr. Harrigan, we have found great success in establishing our forum. In the future, I hope that the forum continues to serve as a comfortable setting for students to freely share their thoughts.

Ben Bradley

For my lead project I went into Boston with primarily Otto Pressler and secondarily Rohan Sharma, who the two of us recruited, with five trash bags and three pairs of gloves to clean up trash along the Charles River between the MIT and Boston University campuses. Early on in getting my community service hours done I spent some hours cleaning up trash around Natick High School afterschool with Caroline Kidd and I really enjoyed that experience, finding it not only very fulfilling as a good act which helps the community and the environment but also as just a relaxing but healthy way to spend some time outside talking with friends, which is why I thought doing this along the Charles River in my favorite part of Boston would be such a great experience. While Boston is not in my experience as trashy as some other cities like New York City or Los Angeles we found a large amount of trash along the bike path between the BU Boat take-off and the playground later down the river, the area direly needed time to be spent cleaning up the trash which had piled up and we did a good job of cleaning it up. In preparing for the day Otto and I had to find a day which worked for both of us which would have good enough weather for us to be out by the river for an extended period without being rained on or it being too cold. The day went well with Otto, Rohan, and me starting off working quickly and getting on well but after 2 hours we were very hungry so, since we hadn’t packed any food, we had to find somewhere on Boston University campus with cheap food, the only other issue we ran into after eating was finding where to dump our trash and so we spent some time driving around the city to the nearest dump and dropping off our trash there. In order to better plan doing something like this again in the future, I would bring more comfortable gloves, more trash bags, not have any plans for after the trash pickup as driving to my grandparents house afterwards was a huge drag since I was so tired, bring packed food beforehand to save time and money, and plan out where we were going to drop off our trash beforehand.

Megan Nguyen

My lead project was a trash clean-up at the Sudbury Aqueduct Trail. The trash clean-up was co-led with Rohan Sharma. I chose this project as a lead because I was walking on the trail and noticed a lot of trash in such a beautiful forest. Both Rohan and I organized the gathering of the people who came with us. I organized the scheduling and timing of the cleanup while Rohan found the location and was the driver. We spent about three hours cleaning the trail and ended with two trash bags full of bottles, wrappers, and plastic bags. In the future, I would like to continue cleaning up more trails.

Charlie Messinger

For my lead project, I lead a technology assistance service under my dad's IT consulting business. In addition, I also organized a schedule for each week that I held sessions through Zoom. I chose to create this service for my lead project because I have always been good at helping people with their technology problems and questions so I wanted to specialize in helping senior citizens in my community who were experiencing technology issues. Also, I have helped my grandparents with their technology issues in the past and they were always very grateful for my assistance. Through my lead project, I helped my community by helping senior citizens with daily technology which can be confusing for them. This allowed them to enjoy their technology after it was fixed and continue to use it in their day-to-day life. While working on my lead project, I learned how to provide better guidance when resolving problems during each session. I really enjoyed my time helping senior citizens in my community with their technology questions.

Catie O'Neill

During the week of April break, I gathered some friends and a couple of my neighbors to make a group for my neighborhood cleanup. We met up at my house 5 days in a row and walked to Coolidge ( a nearby park/ hiking trail) and spread out into different areas to clean up trash. There were mostly bottles and cans so we used black trashbags to separate the recycling. This project went really well. I've always felt like that park could have a much better look and feel for the children and dogs that play there and by cleaning up as much of it as possible in a week, I feel that I accomplished that. I also learned the value of leadership by seeing how many neighbors I received help from on this project just by leading it.

Rohan Sharma

For my lead project, I worked with Megan Nguyen. In order to contribute to our local community, the two of us organized a trash cleanup on the Aqueduct Trail in south Natick. Walking all the way down the path and back, we successfully filled two trash bags with various types of litter found in the area including bottles, wrappers, and plastic bags. Ensuring that we were able to get a good group of people who are up for the task, we established a set date that worked for those who wanted to be involved and chose the Aqueduct Trail because it is not as popular as other trails that are often cleaned up and it may be neglected. The project was a success and we were able to collect a lot of trash from the area, leaving it much cleaner than it was when we had started. I am thankful for the opportunity to have contributed to my community as keeping our environment clean is something that is very important to me.

Otto Pressler

For my lead project, my friend Ben Bradley and I recruited our friend Rohan to clean up trash in the BU and MIT area. Boston is pretty covered in trash, and seeing as it is so close to home we thought it was important to do our part to keep it clean. Our preparation was pretty limited. It took us a while to find a date that actually worked as all three of us are super busy, and we regretfully only brought a pair of gloves per person, five trash bags, and no food. We spent a lot of time down by a bike path and playground down by the Charles River. Eventually, we ran out of trash bags and then into the problem of having nowhere to dump the trash we had actually collected. So, after about two hours we packed back into Ben's car, hungry and tired, and drove around to find somewhere to dump our trash. I think the project was an overall success. The area looked a lot cleaner once we were done. In the future, we should plan a better way to dispose of the trash, bring more supplies and bring some food because food in Boston is pricey.

Lauren Hughes

For my National Honors Society lead project, I was a presenter in Natick High School's Equity Collaborative Co-Op. During this conference, members from school-based clubs presented to the student body on topics such as systemic racism, healthy relationships, and diversity in leadership roles. I represented and led a presentation for the Indian Cultural Club. In my presentation, I raised awareness about cultural appropriation in the media to two classes of about 20 students. First, the students took a pre-test about cultural appropriation, and most did not have any prior knowledge on the topic. My presentation informed students about the topic through common examples in our world on popular platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Then, to reinforce the students' understanding, we broke out into small group discussions and shared instances in which we have witnessed cultural appropriation in our personal lives. Finally, I led a Kahoot review game to provide additional aid in the comprehension of this topic. I am confident that the students walked away from my lesson with the ability to stand up for minority groups when they witness disrespect towards anyone’s culture. As a leader in this conference, I strongly believe that the students became more socially aware through their participation in learning about topics like cultural appropriation in the media.

Jacob Reinach

For my lead project, I created a presentation that is aimed to teach my community about wildlife in Natick, and inspire them with photography to promote the idea that conservation is important. I chose to do this project, because conservation is an issue that is very important to me, and I also wanted to be able to use something I am passionate about, photography, to help my community. After talking to my friends, I realized that many of them do not know about all of the wildlife and natural places that exist just outside our houses and in Natick. I wanted to share with everyone some of my own knowledge about Natick's wildlife since I am fortunate to have seen lots of it on my own while hiking and going on photography trips. To prepare for this project, I scheduled a time that I would go take photos of some wildlife (both afternoon and evening, since those are the best times to see animals besides very early), and made sure that it would be a warm and sunny day so that I could see some of the rarer reptiles around town too. I also planned an outline of my presentation and found resources that talked about wildlife observations in the town and why conservation is important. Overall, I think that the project went very well. I was especially successful in capturing photos of animals in my backyard that can inspire people to take conservation seriously and realize all of the cool stuff that is just outside. In the future, I would probably do a bit more research on some of the species I identified and also learn more statistics about Natick's own conservation, but I think that my project does a good job introducing this topic without being too confusing or lengthy.

Ethan Bost

For my lead project I presented on cultural appropriation alongside Lauren Hughes and Rosemary Iwakura during two sessions during the Equity Co-op Conference. I chose this as my lead project because it was a unique opportunity to be an ally and help lead a school wide event that would have a tangible impact on our community. Presenters were needed to conduct the Equity Co-op Conference at the High School which helped to educate students and teachers on issues of race, gender, inclusion, and many other important topics. To prepare for the conference my fellow presenters and I studied the slides and designated speakers for each section of the presentation, as well as educating ourselves on the specific topics. My fellow presenters Lauren and Rosemary helped me complete my lead project through their help during the presentations, and Gianni, Ava, and Margot helped through their creation of the slides. During the presentation we discussed issues with cultural appropriation, how to identify it and why it is important to prevent it. We brought up different examples of cultural appropriation, and discussed the important issues of power dynamics between an oppressor and the oppressed, and how that relates to cultural appropriation. In the future I would have liked to find more ways to engage students in the conference through our presentations.

Cam Steinberg

For my National Honors Society Lead Project, I chose to lead a series of discussions on mental health, and specifically how music affects it. This happened during Natick High's Equity Co-Op, after months of planning during after-school hours. Representing Natick High School A Cappella, I lead morning and afternoon presentations to two medium-sized groups of underclassmen. The conversations ended up going very smoothly, and I was surprised by the number of students who spoke up to contribute their own thoughts and opinions on the subject. In running these discussions, I learned a great deal myself about the power that music has in connecting individuals despite their differences. I really hope that similar events to the Equity Co-Op continue to be organized each year, as I feel they do so much in educating, and bringing the school community together as a whole.

Carson Moellering

For my lead project, I chose to share information about a decision the town has to make about the future of the Charles River Dam. I chose to do this project because all of the environmental impacts of the dam fascinate me. I wanted to educate those around me about this project because the board of selectmen will be voting on this issue, and since they represent those around me, I wanted them to be more informed about this issue. This project ultimately went very well. I gathered a lot of information about the dam and the decision. I believe I put the information together in a way that fills the viewer in with quality information while being relatively succinct. I hope that this will help inform those around me about this issue and ultimately help the town make the best decision they can.

Molly Rodman

For my lead project, I put sticky notes that had nice messages written on them on bathroom mirrors all around Natick. The messages included sayings such as “You are beautiful!” and “The world would stop spinning without you in it!” I put them in restaurants, gyms, and shopping mall bathrooms. I lead a small group of friends to do this kindness project with me for the community. I chose to do this as my lead project because I have always found that little messages and positive sayings improve my mood and day, and I think that it would do the same for many others. This project brought positivity and light to my community as well as helped community members who needed a little pick-me-up. The project went really well and we were able to put a lot of sticky notes around the town. I wish I could have seen people’s reactions when they saw the notes posted on the mirrors. In the future, I’d like to put sticky notes in the schools as well. I think students tend to have many insecurities and are going through a lot at their age, and seeing messages like these would really brighten their days and could help way more than one may think.

Patrick DiMento

For my lead project, I presented during the equity co-op on the topic of cultural appropriation in the media. I believe the presentation went extremely well and was effective in giving the viewers a better understanding of culture appropriation and its relevance within their own everyday lives. In addition to the actual presentation that went through definitions and examples of cultural appropriation, the entire room contributed to a great conversation on the topic. During the dialog, students were able to share their views, questions, and own experiences relating to the topic which I believe allowed many to put real effort into thinking about the problem. We also gave a number of tips to combat the issue and inspire people to consume media more thoughtfully. The only change I would make if I were to do it again would be that I would like to reach a larger audience with the message because the more people who are informed, the larger the lasting impact.

Jake Adelmann

My lead project has been a strength and conditioning course for underclassmen athletes. I was asked to lead workouts by one of the freshman coaches, Mr. George Varoudakis. In this program, we meet at 4:00 at the field and train for their upcoming summer and fall sports seasons. These workouts last anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, and we usually meet two to three days a week. In this program, I participate as a coach and coordinator. I feel like giving these athletes a young coach gives them a role model they can relate to. Through this program, I am making relationships with young student-athletes, as well as training these young men to be better athletes and men. I hope this can be approved for my leadership hours.

Rachel Bastian

For my lead project I worked as a captain for the Natick High School mentorship program. By being a part of the mentorship program and a captain of my group we were able to help freshman and transfer students adjust to a new school environment as well as highschool challenges. Since being a mentor is all year round I would prepare weekly by going to training, planning each session beforehand, and sending reminder emails. Overall I think it went well, even though it was stressful at times but it was also a good learning experience that helped me manage my time better.

Nick Belev

My lead project consisted of recruiting fellow volunteers and cleaning up various locations in Natick to rid them of littered trash and recyclables. I decided on this project because I am an avid environmentalist, who enjoys spending time outdoors and wants to keep our planet clean for generations to come. As for the recruitment process, I emailed classmates and spread the word to friends, until I had a willing group of high-schooler volunteers. To maximize our effectiveness and impact on our community, we decided to focus our clean-up on the Natick High School premise (the student parking lots, playground, tennis courts, front area of the school, as well as the Dug Pond beach and surrounding forest). On the first day, we tackled the beach. Equipped with plastic gloves, hand sanitizer, and trash bags, my fellow volunteers and I cleared the beach and collected over 20 pounds of trash (consisting of: metal chains, alcohol bottles, beer cans, plastic bags, broken tennis balls, paper, straws, glass, and much more). Through collaboration and determination, Day 1 of the clean-up was efficient and successful! On the second clean-up, we made significant progress, ridding the junior and senior lots of trash, scanning and picking up trash that had accumulated on and around the beach, and cleaning up the tennis courts. We had a successful second clean-up, and accumulated around 15 pounds of trash. This experience taught me many valuable lessons, including the importance of planning/coordinating, as well as persistence in completing them, even when the work takes lots of effort and time. I have also learned the value of cleaning up after oneself--it doesn’t take much not to litter, but the impact, as I’ve witnessed firsthand, is immense.

Sam Gondelman

For my lead project, I gathered a group of people to walk around Medfield State Hospital to collect and throw out litter we found. By creating this project we helped to keep an area used by the public everyday clean. The trash was collected and put in the trash bins found around the hospital. By cleaning up the area it helps to keep the environment clean and create a better community area that people love to walk through. We worked hard to create a difference and overall the project was determined successful after filling a few bags of trash and seeing a positive change in the area.

Sam MacLeod

My lead project was working as the lead tutor for the middle school tutoring program. I chose this as my lead project because I did the middle school tutoring program last year and enjoyed doing it and when I saw the opportunity to be able to lead a group of tutors this year I was excited to do it. This project helped middle schoolers succeed in certain subject areas that they are struggling in along with assisting them with organization and communication skills that may have been underdeveloped due to COVID. In this project, I was the lead tutor for two other tutors and as a group, we tutored two students. I would say that it went pretty smoothly in organizing and completing tutoring sessions. In the future, I might make a more set schedule so we didn’t have to deal with emailing and finding a new schedule each week.

Colleen Quirk

For my lead project, I asked some of my family and friends to contribute time into making cards for staff at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. I chose this as my lead because I can't imagine the stress and emotions they have been through at work, especially over the past few years with the pandemic. I feel it is important to show our appreciation for their time, effort, and the risks they have taken. By doing this, I hope it spreads awareness and encourages people to recognize the heroes in our community more often. Overall, after gathering craft materials and spending a few hours making cards and writing messages to hospital staff, we delivered them and it was very rewarding to see their reactions. Given their appreciation of the cards, my friends and I have decided to do this more often. We are looking forward to recognizing more and more workers and all they do for our community.

Nina Petulla

For my lead project, I designed, manufactured, and donated stickers to Girl Up Natick in order to help them raise funds and awareness for female empowerment and inclusion, particularly through STEM education. I chose to complete this lead project because I am very passionate about increasing female representation in STEM careers. I have taken every core AP STEM class that Natick High has to offer, and I will be pursuing biomedical engineering in college at MIT. I hope to help grant the same opportunities that I am so grateful to have received to hard-to-reach adolescent girls around the world. I prepared for the project by organizing and designing three new sticker lines that were marketed to the target audience (Natick High) while promoting Girl Up’s awareness initiatives. Alongside my twin sister, we decided that the following sticker lines- Celebrity Female Representation, Redhawk Pride, and Girl Up Natick- would best fulfill these goals. After multiple rounds of brainstorming and rough drafting, we selected the final designs that would be incorporated into each of the lines and began drawing. Once the sticker designs were complete, we began manufacturing the stickers and packaging them for delivery. Girl Up Natick President Ellie Pantekidis and Vice President Jessica Chen worked with us to figure out order forms, inventory, and order packaging. Overall, the fundraiser was a success. Around 100 stickers were purchased and sold, totaling roughly 160 dollars.

Sarah Dorey

For my lead project, I organized tutoring sessions for middle school students. I supervised a team of tutors, answering their questions, providing resources, and communicating with them and their students’ families. I organized sessions and had to think creatively to address scheduling conflicts. My project supported middle school students academically and helped provide some juniors with community service hours. This project was made possible by Kennedy Middle School’s vice principal, Mr. Hausermann, who matched my team with middle schoolers and provided the necessary training. My interactions with students and their families taught me many valuable communication skills.

Joseph Frumkin

Bradley Thompson and I came up with the idea to play educational games with children to improve their social skills with other kids their age, and also work on their math and comprehension skills. The project went very well and spanned across 4 weeks although we may continue this over the summer. We had 4-9 kids every weekend and we were able to get them to socialize with each other so I would call it pretty successful. We prepared every week by discussing what kind of games we wanted to play and figuring out how to split the kids up by age group and interest. The only thing that I wish we could have done differently was try to hold one of these sessions outside when it was nice out, as I think it would have been more enjoyable than sitting inside.

Zachary Sullivan

For my project, I helped lead several presentations on healthy relationships on equity co-op day through the Game Changers club. The goal of these presentations was to help NHS students recognize the warning signs of abusive relationships, and understand the role they can play in ensuring they and their peers stay safe while navigating intimate relationships. As a member of Game Changers for the past two years this was an easy choice for my lead project because I have spent so much time learning about how many high schoolers experience dating violence, and how much more prevalent it is than many people believe. I believe my time in Game Changers actually was my preparation for the presentations, the many training meetings we had on leading discussions were necessary for learning the skills to facilitate classes during the co-op. Overall, I would say it was a very positive experience, and one I would be very willing to do again.

Natalie Cohen

For my lead project, I worked with A Place to Turn, a food pantry in our community, in order to donate food items. I lead some of my other peers in creating Easter themed baskets, filled with snacks and candies, in order to donate to A Place to Turn, to provide gifts for children and families in need during this period of several culturally significant holidays including Passover, Easter, and Ramadan. I lead my peers in purchasing materials, creating the baskets filled with various food items, and donating other items that A Place to Turn constantly needs, including nonperishable items and canned goods.

Ryan Kaplan

For my lead project, I lead a presentation and discussion about diversity in leadership for a classroom of students. I was happy to see how many students participated in the discussion and contributed interesting ideas. I would like to continue to lead presentations with thoughtful topics in the future and I hope that my presentation will have a lasting impact on these students.

Rylee Kelleher

On Thursday, May 17, 2022, I led a discussion during the Equity Co-Op. Before the discussion, I created several slides that touched base on gender roles and stereotypes, along with the importance of preventing discrimination. These slides also lead to talking about healthy relationships and examining the role we play in preventing relationship violence and assault. While presenting I made sure to create a judgment-free zone where students could share out their thoughts, but also learn from the lesson. I chose to present this topic for my Lead Project because I believe it is a problem in our society that often goes unnoticed. Through the Game Changers Club and the Healthy Relationships class, I have learned that these problems are present in our community and need to be addressed. I felt like I could take advantage of my resources and education to teach others in my community. Cheryl Seiger and Maggie Woods also took this class and are members of the Game Changers Club helped me with this discussion and the organization leading up to the presentation. Overall I think my presentation went well and I think a lot of my classmates in the discussion walked away reflecting on their behavior and how they could help other people in their community. Many of the students also asked how they could get involved in the Game Changers to further their education. In the future, I would like to gather a larger group of people so the discussion is more diverse and I will be able to leave an even greater impact on my community. Overall my lead project inspired me to continue educating my peers and myself on these topics to prevent relationship violence, discrimination, and assault.

Ryan Heffler

Recently, many of my elderly neighbors have reached out to me inquiring about spring cleanups for their properties. For my lead project, I provided full service landscaping, free of charge, for these elderly neighbors. In order to complete this project, I began by inspecting each property, to see what equipment was required, and what had to be done. Soon after, I scheduled these properties, and organized friends and family to help me complete these tasks. Throughout the week during April Vacation, we were able to complete three spring cleanups. It was very successful, and everyone was very happy with their properties. Each cleanup took about five hours a piece, for a total of 15 hours. In the future, I would like to organize more people to help, so time would be cut down at each property, and as a group we would be able to help more of those in need.

Jessie Burgoyne

For my lead project, I ran a cheerleading clinic for youth cheerleaders and anyone else who was interested in cheerleading. I was assisted by other members of the NHS cheerleading program and planned what we were going to be doing at the clinic. A few weeks before the clinic occurred, I created a flyer with all the information about the clinic and sent it out to the head of youth cheerleading. During the clinic, we started off with stretching and getting to know each other. About ten girls showed up, and the ages ranged from kindergarten to 6th grade. After stretching, we did some tumblings and helped some of the girls achieve new skills. We taught them one of the high school cheers and pushed them to be more confident in their motions and themselves. When we stunted, we made the girls go out of their comfort zone and try new positions. We mixed high school girls with the youth girls and gave everyone a chance to try any position. To end the clinic, we played some games and bonded more with the youth girls. This clinic was very successful and allowed young girls who have an interest in cheerleading, to learn more about it.

Kate Chouinard

Starting in December, I became a lead tutor for our middle school program. I coordinated a team of three tutors and two younger students. I spent hours emailing parents and creating schedules that worked for all. Since January 3, 2022, I have spent approximately 45 minutes per week with my student. I help with writing short stories about vacations and completing functions homework. This has been an invaluable experience that has taught me the importance of service.

Charlie Catching

For my lead project, I reached out to the Department of Public Works through email and asked them what was most needed for the town. I then had a meeting with the head of the DPW and he explained to me that the pollution in the woods around the Recycling Center was a huge problem. People bring their trash and recycling to the center, but a lot of it doesn’t actually get recycled and gets blown into the woods. A few days later, I assembled a squad of my friends and showed them what the plan was. We then picked up all the trash in the forest area around the recycling center and threw it away. The project went very smoothly and it wasn't too hard to find help. My friend Andy was very helpful with picking up the trash and recycling.

Ave Gagnon

For my lead project, I went during my lunch period every Friday to meet with a student at NHS who is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The goal of my lead project was to help this student with their conversation skills with others in their community. During our meetings, we discussed topics such as their interests, what they do outside of school, and also what they do in school. I gave them tips to help with their struggles with school work, and we discussed different mechanisms they could use when they struggle during conversations. I am very appreciative for this opportunity I had, and I learned a lot about the struggles that students with Autism Spectrum Disorder go through everyday. This was a very eye opening experience, and I hope to participate in more opportunities like this one in the future!

Alana Bownes-Ciccarelli

For my lead project, I was going to help plan the Junior Induction party for the incoming class of the 2023 inductees. My job was going to be planning out different materials and party items to get at the grocery store, like the cake, plates, utensils, etc. I worked with three other members and we collected money from the 2022 inductees to buy the party supplies. I choose this for my lead project because I like working with groups and being able to organize parties by myself.

Jacob Simon

I worked to coordinate the Junior Induction Reception. I chose this because it was a good opportunity to get leadership experience while helping national honors society and the school. This project would have helped national honors society and given the incoming Juniors a good experience. During this project I found people to volunteer their hours to help set up and clean up the event. I worked with Jessica Tallino, Ave Gagnon, Alana Bownes-Ciccarell to coordinate the funding and food for the event. The event got canceled due to schedule conflict, so the work we put in did not materialize. In the future even though it got canceled I think it would be better if the four of us working on the project communicated more.

Gianni Storti

For my lead project, I helped to run National Honor Society's presentation on equity in leadership for the equity collaborative. In completing my project, I worked with Ava Levinson and Margot Brady. The first step was updating the previous year's presentation to be more topical, and better suited for our eventual presentation. Our goal was to teach our audience about not only what it means to be equitable, but also how they can be leaders in their community. Next, I helped recruit more members for the equity collaborative when there was a shortage of presenters. I communicated with leaders of the equity collaborative, as well as NHS members who were interested to help get them involved and prepared for the presentation. And finally, on the day of the equity co-op, I was a student presenter, and led two lessons on the presentation. I think the presentations went very well. At times, there were difficulties with things like student participation, but we pushed through, and I feel that it was successful overall.

Amanda Blinn

For my lead project, I will go into the daycare and the preschools that I work at with materials to make cards. I would have the kids decorate the cards with suns and smiley faces and talk to them about where the cards will go, a nursing home. Doing the project with the kids was a bit of a challenge with the younger children but the older kids got the hang of it and the projects came out really well. After the kids painted the sun and drew a face I glued them onto a card and wrote “sending you sunshine” on all of them. I then went to visit my Great Grandmother at Oak Knoll Healthcare Facility in Framingham and handed out all of the cards. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the residents made me feel really happy that I had done this as it brought them joy during a possible hard time in their lives and for those who have memory impairment it brought them joy seeing the sun and the smiling face.

Evan Liner

For my lead project, I coordinated the Natick PMC Kids Ride. This event, put on by the PMC, raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Riders have a $40 minimum fundraising commitment to take part in the ride and 100% of all donations to the ride go directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. My responsibilities were managing the venue, sponsorships, and rider/volunteer registration. I was also in charge of ensuring that the ride and post-party ran smoothly on the day of the event. Overall, the PMC was able to raise thousands of dollars due to the event and it felt great to give back to the community.

Cate Mulholland

For my lead project I, along with a few others, picked up trash in community spaces around Natick. To prepare for this project the only thing needed was to plan dates and gather gloves/trash bags. I felt this was an important thing to do for our community because trash doesn’t belong in public places such as parks and forests. If there are going to be great outdoor spaces for people to enjoy, they should be clean! Not only does this benefit the citizens of Natick who like to hang out in these spots, but it benefits the ecosystems in and around Natick that may be thrown off by pollution. It’s an easy and great way to better our town.

Kate Doherty

For my lead project, I organized the Natick High inclusion week. This week was in April and was all about spreading inclusion throughout Natick. During the week we celebrated wacky sock day, encouraged students to sign the inclusion banner, shared how people can get more involved to work with people with intellectual disabilities, and had different spirit days each day. I did lots of planning for this week including working with different teachers to get everything approved as well as working with other students (both with and without intellectual disabilities) to help make this week happen. Overall this was a very successful week.

Rebecca Riley

For my lead project I decided to create a program, running from March-April of 2022, engaging with senior citizens within the community. Last year, I participated in a portrait project with local residents of Whitney Place Assisted Living Facility, along with a classmate, Alicia Owens. We decided this was something we wanted to do because of the isolation many senior citizens faced during COVID. We came up with this idea through both participating in a similar program called the Memory Project. This year I wanted to expand the project to NHS students. Unlike the Memory Project which pairs two students together, our project included pairing a student with a senior citizen. Each student was assigned a photo of their resident to recreate and were given a small description of their resident’s interests, favorites, and some words of wisdom. I coordinated with the Whitney Place staff member, Sydney Gilbert, to assign photos of residents to 5 NHS students. The students were given a time frame to complete the portraits and an accompanying "Letter from the Artist". I then delivered all of the completed pieces to Whitney Place. I believe that this project was impactful because it allowed students to connect with Whitney Place residents to help build deeper intergenerational bonds within the community.

Kevin Feeney

My project was to go around and help elderly people shovel snow during a winter snow storm. For many years you would drive by these houses after the storm had passed and their driveways and walkways were still covered with snow. I had always wondered why they didn't shovel the snow to be able to go out. Once I learned that they were physically incapable of doing so I took it upon myself and a couple buddies to go out during a storm and shovel the driveways for the elderly. The happiness that radiated off of each individual made it completely worth the labor and hours.

Cody Jones

My lead project was a fundraiser set up outside the Roche Brothers. I ran this on Sunday April 24th from 11am-4pm. For this, we brought out a stand and was able to recruit members of the volleyball team to help attend the stand throughout the day. I chose this for my lead project because I am passionate about the boys volleyball program at Natick High. It went well, as we raised over $425 for the program! Some things that I would have done differently is to ask more people to help volunteer. The dream would have been having everyone participate in the fundraiser but I understand how some people aren’t available for the whole day.

Kendall Jackson

My lead project was organizing and participating as a volunteer to help the Natick Girls' Volleyball team run their games. I chose this for my lead project because I love the sport of volleyball and I can empathize with the girls team that is in need of these important volunteers to be able to run a fair and regulated game. I was helped by my fellow captains who helped me send out emails to recruit more volunteers from the rest of the boys volleyball team. I would say the project was a success as every game had volunteers for the various jobs. The one thing I would do differently is to recruit more underclassmen to help to get them more involved in the community earlier on and replicate this project for years to come.

Abhi Mummaneni

My lead project was tutoring high school students. I created review sessions for AP tests and helped students with topics they were struggling with. The sessions were conducted both online and in person. The interactive review allowed for collaboration and discussion with the students and the sessions went well. Preparing for and leading the project showed me how much I enjoy teaching and I hope to continue tutoring in the future.

Joel Hinrichs

On January 29 and 30, me and two other volunteers shoveled a total of 5 driveways, each one taking approximately 1 hour to shovel after the record amount of snow we received. This project served as a great bonding experience for us all, as we communicated efficiently to divide up the areas that we would each shovel. We also talked and cracked jokes along the way, further bringing us together. At each house before we started, we would knock on the door and greet the residents, and then ask them what areas of their yard/driveway they needed cleared. We had previously communicated with the 5 neighbors through Joel Sr Newman to determine who needed assistance. After we were done with the shoveling and clearing of cars for each house, we would knock on the door once again to let them know we were leaving and wish them a good day. The thankfulness on their faces each time really struck me deep. They were so appreciative of the simple task we had just done for them as most of them were unable to do it themselves with the large amount of snow that had just fallen. Without our help, they likely would have been snowed inside or needed to hire someone to do the job for them. I am thankful that I got to lead this project and was able to help out my community while growing closer with my peers.

Harry Pagnini

For my lead project, I organized a group of friends to go with me to both JJ lane and Coolidge field. I chose this as my lead project because I like to go on walks at those two places with my dog, but I noticed a lot of trash on the ground. I know that many people like to go to these places, and it is better and safer for the environment and the community if they are treated properly. This project went very well. There was a lot of trash at both places that we were able to pick up and by the time we left both places, it is safe to say there was nothing left on the ground. Unfortunately we know that this will not be the case for long, but we are now seeing what we can do to add more accessible trash and recycling bins so people can throw out their trash properly.

John Dunajski

For my lead project I helped the National Honor Society at step up night. I chose to do this for my lead project because I thought it was important for all incoming high schoolers to be aware of the National Honor Society but not to be worried about it quite yet. I made sure they knew this and for right now they should focus on adjusting to their new school. To prepare for this project I went to the grocery store in the morning to purchase candy to attract the kids (this worked very well as it was usually the main thing they were interested in). For this project I worked with Molly O'Neil and Maya Uyar to fulfill our tasks. The key points that we made sure they knew was what the requirements are to get in, and that it doesn't start until junior year. I did enjoy doing this project because I was able to help out and welcome the next class to Natick High School.

Eni Gjoka

My lead project was to be in charge of the Step Up Night tours and tour guides. I chose to do this because it is a perfect way to help others, in particular the incoming freshman and their families, navigate throughout the school and learn more about what their continued education will allow them to explore and pursue. I also enjoy being social with others and getting to know them so they are more comfortable to ask questions or have a conversation. This was a great opportunity to do so. Being in charge of Step Up Night tours was a crucial step to familiarizing students and parents with a new chapter in their lives. The incoming freshmen are transitioning from being middle schoolers to high schoolers which is a big transition for them, socially and academically. Because of this, it is only fair to them that they have leaders like myself and other upperclassmen to lead them through unknown but exciting territory and answer their questions and assure them that they have much freedom along with responsibility coming their way. In order to give them the best sneak peak into what high school has to offer, I needed to be fully prepared. I sent out emails and talked to friends and coworkers about being a tour guide. Along with this, I conversed with my guidance counselor to see if I had the ability to send a group email to my graduation class. Unfortunately, I could not, but another administrator could. Mr. Hoye sent out a group email to my graduation class and the junior class. From there, students, senior and junior, expressed interest directly to me in being a tour guide. After receiving interest from about 15-16 people, I sent an email to them with information regarding what time to arrive, what floors should be covered, what should be talked about on each floor, to answer questions, and to be polite. Ms. Dalten-Thomas was the guidance counselor overseeing everything so I made sure to communicate with her throughout the entire process so everything went smoothly. When the night came, there were moments where there would be a wave of people coming and other times where we would have to wait ten minutes for people to show up. Overall, the tour guides and I ended up showing 13-15 tours around the high school and we got great feedback from parents and students. I had a lot of fun showing people where to go and who to follow for each individual tour. The group of tour guides that I had worked very hard to give great tours, be open to questions/concerns, and make incoming freshmen feel welcomed. I was happy to see smiling and satisfied faces among students and parents. In the future, I would probably recruit another person to be a co-lead with me to get more people interested and spread the word farther and quicker.

Monica Petulla

My lead project was a success. I was able to use my design, sticker production, organizing, and leadership skills to help raise over $200 for Girl Up Natick, which will be donated to Girl Up to support female

empowerment and gender equality around the globe. I ended up designing a total of 22 stickers, including three new sticker lines called Girlboss, Celebrities, and Redhawk Pride. I manufactured and packaged approximately 90 stickers and made multiple DIY packets for Girl Up Natick members to assist in the process. I am proud of my work in both the designing and execution aspect of this project, and I hope to be able to use such talents to assist in more fundraisers in the future.

Briar Grady

For my NHS Lead project, I was a part of the core group for the TOPS Soccer program in Natick. TOPS, The Outreach Program Soccer, is an organization that was made for children with physical and mental disabilities. The TOPS community is very diverse with kids coming from all over Boston who have varying disabilities. I volunteered to be a part of this program when I was a Freshman and now I have grown into a leader by becoming a CORE member. The CORE group puts in extra hours to organize the stations and solve any problems that may come up during the sessions. Being a CORE member requires a lot of dedication, but I wanted to take on the challenge to make sure every kid and volunteer had the best experience possible.

Caroline Gates

For my lead project, I coached a U8 girls ice hockey team for the Natick Comets. I chose this for my lead project because I grew up playing in the Natick Comets organization and wanted to be able to give back. When I was younger I always looked up to the high schooler and wanted to follow in their footsteps. I was able to coach for 25 hours with a combination of practices and games. In order to prepare, I made practice plans with a wide variety of drills for the girls to do each practice making sure that it isn't repetitive and they always had something new to do. This was definitely one of the best things that I've been able to experience. Seeing each player improve in their own ways and overall as a team was such a rewarding feeling as a coach. The team ended up winning the championship in overtime showing that all their hard work paid off. There is nothing I'd do differently in the future, this was very enjoyable for me.

Caroline Kidd

With the melted snow, trash is often uncovered in wooded areas (especially around snow banks) and neighborhoods. Not only is this visually unappealing and a detriment to our community, but the litter is also terrible for the environment. As a lead project for NHS, I will gather a group of students and peers to help clean up trash in the neighborhoods around school and the wooded areas. We will meet after school for an hour or so starting the week of March 7th and continue to meet at least once a week depending on when people are available.

Maddy Siegal

In my lead project, I organized a group of people within two or so weeks and I led all of us to help the neighborhood we were in, shovel their driveways and clear their roofs, etc. In January, we spent lots of time helping those in need and worked as a team to make things safer and easier for elders and those who are not able to do that themselves. The project was successful and many people were appreciative and all of us were glad to be capable to help during snow storms.

Sofia DeLuca

For my lead project, I cleaned up trash around my community with a group of friends. We did trash clean ups at Memorial Elementary/fields, Elm Bank, and the South Natick Falls. I choose this for my lead project because I love the outdoors, and I care for the maintenance and health of our planet. I prepared for the project by reaching out to friends that would be interested, and I went to the store to buy trash bags and gloves. Three of my close friends helped me out. The trash clean up was very successful, and felt good to know we were helping our community and planet. In the future, I would have researched where there is known to be a lot of trash, and areas that need help, and go there.