About the DAAPS 2022 Class and Links to Project Pages

Sydney Bayliff: Sharing the Gift of Dance

Bio: Sydney has been in the DAAPS program for four years. She is one of the Varsity Track and Field captains, treasurer of NHS, and a member of the NVAA dance program. She is a competitive dancer and is known to be a graceful faller. She also enjoys watching sports, hiking, skiing, and meeting dogs. In the fall, Sydney plans on studying aerospace engineering and the architecture of doggy doors.

Abstract: The objective of my project is to provide dance classes to underprivileged kids. I am working through MentorKids to teach dance to K-3rd graders once a week. While also teaching dance, I hope to foster collaboration between the kids and inspire them to pursue something they are passionate about. I am also digging deeper into dance by approaching it from a teaching standpoint.

Kimberly Brown: Eloise and Kimmie's Murals

Bio: Kimberly has been an active member of both DAAPS and NVAA for her four years of high school. She is vice president of the Spanish Honors Society, Treasurer of Sows, and Captain of the Tennis team. Kimmie spends her time painting and playing tennis. In her free time, she loves singing and playing guitar, ukulele, and piano. In the fall, Kimmie will attend a university to get her Bachelor of Architecture and start booking gigs for her band, The Weird Alices.

Abstract: After spontaneously painting a mural in the DAAPS classroom during the last week of school in 2021 with Eloise Rank, they had the brilliant idea to turn their newfound love of mural painting into their DAAPStone project. They started by reaching out to four schools in the community, and soon other businesses and people began requesting murals as well.

Caitlin Campos: Two Novels: One Writer

Bio: Caitlin has been in DAAPS for 4 years. She is President of Veterans Heritage Project and helped publish five editions of “Since You Asked.” A teen entrepreneur, she designs Christian artwork for her small business, Sweet Poiema. She enjoys playing percussion in her church band and creative writing. Caitlin hopes to study Business Entrepreneurship and Extraterrestrial Languages at Baylor University.

Abstract: Writing two novels in a year is a lot harder than it sounds. As I’ve discovered, there’s more to it than just writing. Encompassing research on plotting, publishing, and character and world development, this project explores all the ways to bring a story to life and defy traditional novel formatting. With one novel written on my own and the other co-authored with a friend, the goal is to build my writing skills.

Jason Datta: Artificial Reactions to Social Expressions

Bio: Jason is a senior who has been in the DAAPS program for four years. He is an editor of the Yearbook and a Captain of the Baseball and Golf teams. Next year he plans to double major in biomedical engineering and computer science with a minor in petrol gleaming.

Abstract: Throughout the last few years we have seen an uptick in the control that social media has had on the financial market. Noticing this, I decided to write an artificial intelligence program which could seek out financial posts on social media platforms, discern their sentiments, and then make predictions on the resulting fluctuations of the financial markets. The program is written in python and utilizes a Natural Language Processing model called VADER in order to make its predictions.

Catalina Dick: Thinking in Between

Bio: Catalina is a senior DAAPS student who is the student leader or Corp Commander of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. She has participated in many clubs, such as Drama, NHS, SSS, SOWS, Drill/Color Guard, and so on. Per my project, not much history but I have been talking since I was one and thinking since I was born.

Abstract: Psychology is an obvious science, the science of people’s minds and behaviors, many things learned have already been observed. This is my journey through the career of psychology, the aspects of the job; branches, background, research, experimentation, analysis, and a scientific paper. All completed over the course of the school year. The goal of this project was to analyze people’s comfort with questions of different moral layers.

Alexa Fahrer: Math Advancement Review Site (MARS)

Bio: Alexa is a senior DAAPS student who has been involved in Key Club, Societies of Spanish Scholars and Women Scholars, Tennis, NHS, Link Crew, and Veterans Heritage Project. Outside of school, you can find her enjoying Arnold Palmers, steak dinners, fantasy football, and James Bond movies. In the fall, Alexa is attending Duke University to pursue her interests in math, education, computer science, and torpedoes.

Abstract: MARS, short for Math Advancement Review Site, is a website that provides free math tutoring to students in the AVID program. Mentoring for AVID inspired Alexa to record video explanations of math topics to be used as a supplemental resource. Often, students do not have access to help outside of school, so MARS is intended to bridge the gap between in-school teacher instruction and work at home.

Boaz Goldberg: Mayonnaise

Bio: Beyond DAAPS, Boaz is Shadow’s principal cellist and Speech and Debate Club president. Out of school, he enjoys playing chamber music and the piano and decompressing with video games. Boaz is planning to attend Johns Hopkins University to study molecular and cellular biology and the science of compliments.

Abstract: Boaz has always been fascinated with how science gives us a lens to understand our world and apply this knowledge to improving people's lives. As such, Boaz has taken on a research internship at the Mayo Clinic to see whether medical research is a good fit. His presentation will be on the process of his involvement with research on post-ACL reconstruction rehabilitation practices, common complaints of shoulder surgeons, and research practices related to joint replacements.

Jillian Huleatt: The Benefits of Ballet

Bio: Jillian is a senior in her fourth year of DAAPS. She is the Vice President of Activities for the Society of Spanish Scholars and a member of National Honors Society. Outside of school, she has been dancing ballet for 11 years and is currently with Dance Motion Performing Company. Jillian is attending the University of Arizona to major in mathematics and comprehending jokes.

Abstract: Our grandparents living in care homes often need activities that are entertaining and involve some physical activity. Ballet requires physical movement and is fun to do. Could ballet be a great activity for older folks in care homes? In this project, I worked with Shadow Mountain Memory Care to teach ballet classes to the residents there.

Mason Jablonsky: That's Sound Enough

Bio: Mason has been a student in the DAAPS program for four years and is serving as the Vice President of Speech and Debate, Editor in Chief of the 2021-2022 Yearbook, and the announcer for the Shadow Mountain Varsity Basketball and Baseball teams. Needless to say, Mason has an affinity for talking and seeks to create meaningful content through the broadcasting medium. This fall, Mason will be attending Boston University to study Journalism and Hairspray Sciences.

Abstract: A quick glimpse at Spotify will reveal that the world clearly needs another podcast. By creating a podcast with his long-time friend Reece, Mason has gained invaluable experience behind the microphone and knowledge of the behind-the-scenes aspect of such an endeavor. Join Mason and Reece for a highlight reel of some of their proudest moments throughout the product of their work.

Melissa Litt: More Than Just a Desert

Bio: Mel is a senior and has been in DAAPS for the past four years. She is in Orchestra, NHS, SOWS, SSS, and Key Club. She has been hiking and camping with her parents since before she could walk. After graduation, Mel plans to attend a university to study environmental science or biology.

Abstract: Mel's project was sparked by her passion for hiking, camping, and the outdoors. She is hiking over 100 miles of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, then identifying and researching the vegetation and wildlife present in each biome. The final project will consist of a comparison of her findings across all the biomes, and her experiences on the trail. Her goal is to use her research and experience to demonstrate the biodiversity of Arizona and to show that the state is more than solely a desert.

Boston McGarrahan: Boats and Bro

Bio: Boston McGarrahan is a senior who has been in the DAAPS program for four years. He has been a member of Spanish Honors Society and Yearbook for two years, NHS for three, and played baseball all four years. He will be attending an undecided school to pursue a double major in Chemical Engineering and Pokemon training in the fall.

Abstract: Not everyone is a fan of the outdoors. But for those of us who are, we like to take things as far as we can. Follow along as we walk through a journey that began as just research, looking for an answer to the question: “How can someone who knows nothing about woodworking build a canoe?” The answer, unfortunately, is with a lot of trial and error, and learning from failure. The first part of this presentation is, well, a presentation, and the second part will be a bit more hands-on.

Alex Rank: Creating a Bloom365 Club

Bio: Alex is a senior who has been in the DAAPS program for four years. They were part of the NHS for 3. They are known for saying what they mean and a quick wit. They love penguins, dogs, croissants and making a difference. Alex will attend ASU in hopes of achieving a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Chaos.

Abstract: No one deserves violence. The project was an effort to create a club on the Shadow campus to promote healthy relationships in partnership with Bloom365, a local non-profit. I held close to 15 meetings over the school year based on their curriculum. I learned practical skills like how to facilitate presentations, engage youth, speak on panels and social skills, especially with strangers. I learned what I value in a company, and the reality of nonprofits. Now I have the experience and know what to look for in non-profits that I will likely collaborate with in my future field. I will describe the steps I took to make this reality.

Eloise Rank: Eloise and Kimmie's Murals

Bio: Eloise Rank has been part of the DAAPS program for four years. She has been playing violin for 8 years and enjoyed the swim team for all four years of high school. Besides the swim team and orchestra, art has been her main interest and eventually developed into her senior project. Eloise plans to study Art Forgery and Applied Statistics while finding the best campus locations to pet dogs.

Abstract: The project was born last year when Mr. Storey requested a mural on his classroom walls. Kimmie and Eloise rushed to create their first mural together before their junior year ended. Thanks to Mr. Storey, they decided on a capstone project: creating 10 murals. This presentation will review the highlights of each mural and the planning that went into it.

Emily Scerbo: Body to Mind Yoga

Bio: Emily Scerbo has been in the DAAPS program for four years. She enjoys staying active through hiking and yoga. Emily has been a part of NVAA theater for the past four years. Over quarantine, she began doing yoga in order to cope with muscle pain accumulated from seven years of dance and found that it was an effective way of coping with stress.

Abstract: Emily’s goal has been to introduce yoga to teenagers as a way to manage their stress through physical activity. She is measuring how effective yoga is at helping teenagers reduce anxiety by creating YouTube videos demonstrating a yoga flow. In order to measure how effective the video was at reducing anxiety, she includes a google form for people to fill out measuring their anxiety before and after watching the video.

Luke Steinkemper: Comme(art)cials

Bio: Luke is a senior that has been in DAAPS since freshman year. He is an editor, graphic designer, coder, as well as an avid enjoyer of movies, cars, and fashion. He will be attending NAU in the fall in order to learn more about the hobbies he’s picked up over the years. He will major in computer science in order to develop and design websites.

Abstract: Ads. Typically ads are boring white noise that humans, such as myself, usually tune out. But today my presentation will change your perception of ads. Ads have a rare opportunity to display one's art to millions of people. I am presenting my art to you, dear viewer. Ads should not be mindless minimalistic nonsense. Ads should be akin to short films, ads can and should be art. And I will show you that vision in my presentation.

Audrey Valentine: Dixie and Leaf

Bio: Audrey is a Senior at Shadow and has been in the DAAPS programs for four years. She is involved in Orchestra, Drama, the Society of Women’s scholars, and has participated in Varsity sports. She is an extreme bibliophile, always finding a new book to enjoy. She is undecided on where she will study for college, however she is most likely going into liberal arts.

Abstract: This project originated with the idea to create something truly unique. Audrey wanted to cultivate an artistic talent that she has never had before. This project is based on learning the ins and outs of cartoon production. “Dixie and Leaf” was created with inspiration from Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, and other cartoons. The final project will contain all the art for the show and the script.

Grace Wentling: Crucifixus

Bio: Grace is a senior who has been in DAAPS for four years. She was Captain of the Varsity Girls Soccer team and has taken part in a variety of other clubs and sports. She has a love for fish, water, cats, plants, and knick knacks. In the fall, Grace will attend Northern Arizona University to study biological and natural resource sciences. Post-college, Grace plans on becoming a fish and game warden/pharmacist/crime lab analyst.

Abstract: Prepare for an exclusive showing of an explorative film investigating the boundaries of mixing media. After viewing, details of the movie-making process and a breakdown of the film will be shared. There will then be an allotted slot of time for further questions.

Victoria Williams: BIPOLAR HOUSE

Bio: Victoria is a senior who has been in the DAAPS program for four years. She was a Captain for the Girls Basketball team all four years, both on Junior Varsity and Varsity. She was also a Varsity member of the Pom and Cheer team as well as the Softball team for two years. Victoria loves sports, family, friends, helping others, clothes, and shoes. In the fall, she plans to study the psychology of social work at LSU to be a hospital social worker.

Abstract: Do you know what a self owned business is? Have you ever wanted your own? In this presentation, I will focus on just that. I will tell you about the steps I took over the course of the school year to create my own small business, including the hard parts, the fun parts, the long parts, and the parts I learned from. You will hear about my goals for this, my setbacks, and what progress I've made since launching my business.

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