For my lead project, I organized a group of people to remove garlic mustard, a highly invasive plant, from the local forest. We were able to fill six large garbage bags with plants and clear a large section of the trail. Elementary school students from my neighborhood use this path everyday during the school year to walk to Lilja, so removing these overgrown weeds makes it easier to navigate. This also will help to encourage the native plants to grow back now that they aren’t being pressured out for resources and overall create a more healthy ecosystem.
For my lead project, I filmed and edited a Unified Basketball video for students on the team and anyone considering joining. Over the course of three months, I attended the majority of the Unified Basketball games and practices with my camera to film the athletes and interview them about their experiences. After gathering the footage, I edited together hundreds of clips to create an engaging video that highlights the season and gives the athletes and participants the opportunity to reflect upon it. The project was successful and was viewed as a thoughtful recap of the season, shown during the sports banquet. The video is planned to be linked on the club’s form for students to watch next season, encouraging them to get inspired and sign up.
My lead project was planning and organizing the National Honor Society Induction Ceremony with 3 of my peers. We bought cake, decorations, snacks, and refreshments and set up the cafeteria. I chose to do this for my lead project because I wanted to help create a great induction experience and because I enjoy decorating for events. Organizing this event involved having meetings to plan, shopping for decorations and food, and communicating with faculty members, custodial staff, light and sound volunteers, and Ms. Chakraborty and Ms. St Jean. Overall, the induction ceremony went well and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with everyone who helped to make this event possible!
My lead project was to represent National Honors Society at Step-up night, get incoming freshman interested in the organization, and give them all of the important information that pertains to applying to and participating in National Honors Society. I chose to do this for my lead project because I wanted to help promote National Honors Society because I believe in what the organization aims to accomplish and I wanted to spread the message and opportunities with incoming freshman who might be interested. This project got incoming Freshman interested in this organization and encouraged them to participate in community service. I worked with my partner to organize the event. I made a poster with all of the important information as well as a QR code that leads to the National Honors Society website. I bought candy and a bowl for the incoming Freshman and their families. I also gave out information verbally during the event, and sent a lengthy and detailed information email after the event to those who were interested and provided their emails. I worked with Sofiia Kazyrid, Mrs. St. Jean, and Mrs. Marino to conduct this event. The event went very well. More people than I expected signed up for the informational email, and demonstrated interest in person about National Honors Society. If I were to do this again, I would prepare some talking points to say to the students and their families, as I struggled more than I expected to get my thoughts out in an efficient and persuasive manner. Other than that, I would not change anything.
I did the lead project with Katie McMahon and Liesl Neidemeyer who are the other 2 captains on the softball team. Our lead project is a softball clinic at the Natick High School field. On November 2nd on Sunday. Girls from grades 3rd-5th and 6th-8th grade. Our main focus of the clinic was to introduce the younger girls to the high school softball program and get them excited and interested in sticking with the sport and hopefully playing at the high school level. We are helping girls improve and develop all their softball skills by working on hitting, infield work, outfield work and base running. In addition to the clinic time, we also spent time planning for the program. We all got together with Coach Brenna planning the time and dates of the clinic, marketing the clinic to parents and kids to see. We made a video to promote the clinic and share on social media. That video we made was published on Natick Little League instagram and we also created a social media post to put on our own instagram page giving time, date, ages, and location.
For my lead project, I organized and ran the Milestone Church booth for Natick Days. This included overseeing the schedules of all the volunteers who helped run the stall over the course of the day, assigning them roles, guiding them through the operation of the different stations, and adjusting timetables in accordance with attendance. I was also in charge of keeping track of inventory, limiting how much we gave out to make sure our stock lasted the whole event and handling cleanup once the event ended. I chose this as my lead project as it gave me the opportunity to help my Church community, while making a positive impact on the wider Natick community through our interactions with attendants and our distribution of prizes and gifts. Everything ran smoothly over the day, and we had more than enough volunteers to help out and keep wait times down in all but face painting. In future years, I would look to reach out to more artists to participate in face painting, as the lines for it tended to get rather long. All in all though, a great event and a wonderful memory.
My lead project was to lead a 4-day fundraising swim clinic run by high school team captains and volunteers. I chose to do this because I have always been involved with swimming and it is also a significant team fundraiser for things like our banquet. This project helped younger children learn how to swim more safely and correctly. We organized pool time at Longfellow Natick and made a curriculum. I advertised the clinic to the public at physical locations and also had it posted on Facebook. I also asked others to do the same along with the help of the Longfellow aquatics department. We also decided upon a loose curriculum that could be adapted to swimmers of different levels and ages. Before the first session, I estimated the swimmer's abilities based on their parents’ emails, and adjusted accordingly during the session. I was helped by other swim team members and team captains, as well as my mother and the staff of the Longfellow Aquatics department. It went very well, with many parents expressing their appreciation for our help and enthusiasm. In the future, it may be beneficial to advertise the clinic earlier in order to get more sign-ups.
For my lead project, I organized the National Honor Society Induction Ceremony for Natick in a team with three other peers. I wanted to take this opportunity to do something for the school community both because it let me celebrate the students who worked hard to make it into NHS, and because I believed I could do a good job at organizing events meticulously. Organizing this ceremony allowed for my peers to experience a successful induction into NHS. To prepare, my fellow organizers and I planned the food, decoration, and music needs as well as communicating with various people in the community to coordinate lights, sound, and tables. I believe the ceremony was successful and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the school community to make it happen!
For my leadership project, I taught three students how to play Dungeons and Dragons, and I ran the beginning of a campaign for practice. I chose to focus on a community based project because with the recent increase in popularity of the game from the show Stranger Things, Dungeons and Dragons has become a great way to make friends and build relationships. I was in charge of helping with character creation and what goes into a well written character, initiating the four meetings, purchasing materials, and creating a campaign so they would learn using real time examples. I feel that the lessons were very successful because by the last session, the players were able to understand and interact with their character sheet without help from me, had incredibly witty and character driven roleplay moments, and held their own in combat. Now that these players know the rules and what truly makes this game magical, they can take these skills to play Dungeons and Dragons in college and beyond as a way to bond and share this wonderful experience with others.
For my lead project I was responsible for running tour guides during step-up night at the high school. I wanted to have this for my lead project because I was able to show the incoming freshman and their families how great of a community and school we have here at Natick High. In preparation for step-up night I had to recruit tour guides while coming up with a plan of how tours during step-up night would be run. I was also responsible for informing and organizing the tour guides during step-up night. Although there was a little shortage of tour guides, I think step-up night went well and with the guidance of Ms. Dalton-Thomas, I was successfully able to run tours and organize tour guides while keeping things in an orderly manner. In the future I would urge other organizers to try to recruit more tour guides and try to limit the amount of people on each tour. Overall this was a great experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the community.
My lead project was hosting a theatre showcase for my theatre company. I chose to do this because I have always been a part of theatre and performing arts at Natick, so not only did it align with my interests, but it also gave the people in the company a chance to share their own talents that they wouldn’t get to show elsewhere. To prepare for it, I worked with Liat Stock. We spent a lot of time recruiting people, organizing and holding rehearsals, getting together the tech details such as lights and sound, publicizing it, and actually holding the showcase. It went really well and was a great kick-off event for theatre at Natick. In the future, if I were to hold this again, I would try to have it be on a different night than one with a big home football game to hopefully increase how many people would be in the audience.
For my lead project I directed a team of freshman and sophomores during the Columbus Day Soccer Tournament in Natick. I directed them in photography and coordinated locations for each person to be at and cover. I chose to do this for my lead project because I am passionate about photography and this was a way to give back to the community while also mentoring young photographers. This fulfilled a major need in Natick as now parents were able to enjoy watching their child play rather than worrying about capturing photos of these memories. To prepare, we met as a group so I could assign locations and make sure everyone understood their responsibilities. It went really well, I was able to review their work afterwards and it met a high standard that the Natick Soccer Club was looking for. In the future I would try and work with these student photographers and help them set up a system where they can directly deliver photos to parents and athletes.
My lead project was planning the National Honor Society Induction Ceremony. My partners and I purchased cake, decorations, and refreshments and set up the auditorium and cafeteria. I chose to do this for my project because I wanted to help organize a memorable night for this year's inductees. We prepared for the event by meeting to discuss logistics, shopping at local stores, and communicating with Ms. Chakraborty and Ms. St. Jean. We worked with the photographer and the light and sound volunteers, and on the day of the event, the janitors helped us set up the tables and decorations. Overall, the event went smoothly. We got everything ready on time and had enough refreshments for everyone. If I were to do a similar event in the future, I would do most things the same way, as I felt that working together and planning things out beforehand was very beneficial.
For my lead project, I planned and ran a cheer clinic for children between the ages five to thirteen. I chose to run a clinic for my project because I first learned what cheerleading was from a clinic and thought it was a great idea for other kids to try it as well. When doing this project I hoped to be able to help get kids interested in cheerleading and maybe want to try out for a team one year to help grow the youth and high school program. I spent two months planning for this clinic and had meetings with the varsity head coach. During the meetings we talked and confirmed dates along with how I can advertise the clinic. I also made flyers that I could post so I could get more engagement from kids and parents. This clinic went extremely well. I had many kids show up for both dates excited to learn some cheers along with stunts. If I were to run another clinic I would change the times to make them shorter so we could keep the kids attention for longer.
For my lead project, I led a Natick Babe Ruth Baseball team as an assistant coach. On the team, my tasks were to organize and run drills during practices, create a lineup so everyone has equal playing time, track every pitch through an app, and ensure that everyone is still having fun while trying to win. I wanted to coach because I have participated in Natick Youth Baseball every year that I could play, and now that I could no longer play, I still wanted to be a part of the program. I also wanted to give my advice on sportsmanship, respect, and competitiveness during this experience. Overall, our season was successful as everyone had a great time, and we even won a playoff game. This has deepened my appreciation for teaching and mentoring young students, and I definitely want to continue doing this in future years.
For my lead project I partnered with another student to run the Loved to Death Workshop sponsored by the Northeastern Game Changers. We started by creating a slideshow and using the Game Changers research to complete our presentation. Then, we reached out to the father of Lauren Astley, a teen who was murdered by her boyfriend, asking him to speak. We presented statistics from the MetroWest Health Survey, examined the tragedy, and led discussions. These discussions were focused on parents and adults who were interested in doing their part to fight relationship abuse. Spanning about an hour and a half, we received an immense amount of compliments which told us about how helpful the event was!
For my lead project, I was a core member for TOPSoccer, a program for young athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities. In this role, I coordinated with the directors, communicated with high school volunteers, paired up volunteers with athletes, and organized drills for each session. I also helped run the drills and ensured that all the athletes were engaged and having fun. I chose to do this for my lead project because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to be involved with team sports. I have loved to build deep connections with all of the athletes throughout the season, and it has been rewarding to see their confidence and joy for the game grow.
For my lead project, I will be planning, organizing, and running a youth softball clinic for grades 3rd through 8th. The two other Softball captains and I will be reaching out to Natick Softball Little league coaches, parents, and volunteers to gain interest from youth players, and also posting flyers on social media to spread the word. I will be creating planned schedules for the camp and personally coaching different age groups of players. The other captains and I will also be collaborating to brainstorm fun and engaging drills for all age and skill levels, with the goal of creating interest and love for Softball and teaching important skills like sportsmanship, teamwork, and determination to the younger players.
I worked with Sophie Bourgery to set up and run a long jump clinic for middle school athletes. Since these athletes typically do not get a lot of coaching in this event, we wanted to offer them extra instruction and share a sport that we are passionate about. The first thing that we had to do was contact the middle school track coaches so we could gague the athletes interest. Then, we reached out to the parents and athletes about when and where we would be hosting our clinics. Before the athletes arrived, we set up drills and prepared the pits for them. During the clinic, we lead a warm up and lead the athletes through drills. At the end of each clinic, each athlete took a full jump to track their progress. All of the athletes showed improvement after the clinics.
For my lead project, I organized a clothing drive to benefit the Natick Service Council. I chose a clothing drive because I know that many families cannot afford to purchase clothing, especially warm coats and jackets for the cold winter months. I collected clothing items at my temple, Temple Beth Elohim, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. I created a flyer for the drive, advertised the drive in the weekly emails to temple members, and placed a bin in the temple lobby to collect donations. In total, I collected over 350 items, including coats, sweaters, pants, professional clothing, pajamas, shoes, children and infant clothing, and much more. Dropping off the clothes at the Natick Service Council, I saw just how impactful my clothing drive was. I was able to collect hundreds of clothing items that would allow Natick residents to have enough clothes for the winter without price tags standing in the way. Overall, organizing this drive was a great experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in giving back to our community.
For my lead project I created a video montage of the unified basketball season. For this project I had to learn how to properly use a video camera to get adequate footage. I filmed during practices and games, and compiled interviews of players and coaches. I also worked to edit the video into the final product to be shown at the banquet. Overall this project was successful because it showcased the true meaning of unified basketball and brought joy to the parents, coaches, and athletes during the banquet.
For my lead project I planned a group of 4-5 people to clean up any pollution around Natick Village. I supplied the group with trash bags, gloves, and any other required supplies. I also personally disposed of all the trash we collected in an adequate manner. I chose this as my lead project because I work in Natick Village and constantly see trash around the barbecue area. I wanted to help make it a clean shared space for families and individuals to be able to enjoy themselves in. Furthermore, I know how special this location can be due to the fact that I used to live there and would always use the space with my friends to grill and have picnics. In return I wanted to help the community keep a clean environment. To prepare for this project I first looked around my home for the materials needed, and any missing items I simply bought from my local dollar store. The project was a great success, the area was left clean and the trash was disposed of in the local dump. I wouldn't change anything about this project for the future due to it being such a success.
For my lead project, I organized and led a shampoo donation for A Place to Turn, which will provide the necessary supplies to those in local communities, such as Natick, for the year. I was able to collect nearly fifty bottles of shampoo, ranging from two-in-one shampoo to kids' shampoo, through creating posters, handing them out, reaching out to local businesses, posting online, and going door to door in neighborhoods. This is a project that A Place to Turn specifically asked me to do, as every year, they need a new supply of shampoo to hand out for the year to those unable to afford hygiene products, and this not only contributes to my own community but other communities and towns nearby.
My lead project was organizing the National Honor Society booth at Natick Days, our organization’s only fundraiser. The booth was a cake walk, which I chose because it directly benefits all members and gave me an opportunity to get to know them better. Through this project, I also connected with members of the Natick community, which made the experience even more rewarding. The money raised funded NHS’s induction ceremony and supported Natick Days, which in turn allows other local clubs and organizations to fundraise as well. To prepare, I worked closely with Ms. St. Jean, attended Natick Days planning meetings, created a schedule for cake drop-offs, communicated with NHS members, and gathered all necessary materials. I collaborated with Dhwani Prakash and Sandra Kintu, and together we raised about $1,000. The day was well-organized and the booth ran smoothly. In the future, I would stagger cake drop-off times more to ensure plenty of cakes remained available toward the end of the day.
For my lead project, I helped design, modify, and beautify Natick High School’s STEM alumni website. This included updating website information, formatting website pages for readability, and ultimately sharing the website with all members of our school. I chose this for my lead project because as an aspiring scientist, I am passionate about STEM fields and eager to learn about potential career paths. This website makes it accessible and easier for students to explore possible careers in STEM and see what alumni from Natick have done in their own STEM paths. Along with the help of Jessica Liu and Nick Reichman, this project was creative, fun, and inspiring for young minds. I am excited to have this website officially published for the future and current students of NHS.
I completed my lead hours at the National Honor Society's annual cake walk fundraiser on Natick days. Natick Days is a fun and engaging day, and I thought it would be an enjoyable way for me to get my hours in while also getting involved. Alongside two other peers, we ran the cake walk and NHS's tent in exchange for tickets. The tickets were collected in the end and cashed in. To prepare for the fundraiser, two other peers and I met with Ms. Marino and Mrs. St.Jean, went through all the details and made sure that we would have a poster, tables, tents and a way for members to sign up for the cake drop off. The fundraiser is the only NHS fundraiser, so it is really important because the money raised goes towards graduation stoles. Overall it was pretty successful. All members dropped off their 2 required cakes, setup and clean up went smoothly, and almost all the cakes were taken.
I worked with Melanie Lempitski to aet up and run a long jump clinic for middle schoolers. We wanted to offer extra instruction to those middle schools interested in jumping and share a sport that we are passionate about. The first thing we had to do was to reach out to the middle school track coaches to gather interest. Then, we communicated with parents and athletes about where and when we were hosting our clinics. We set up drills and prepared the pits before the athletes arrived. When the clinic started, we led a warm up and ran the drills. At the end of each clinic, each athlete took a full jump to track their progress. All of the athletes showed improvement after the clinics.