Six Amazing Senior Projects from the Class of 2021
Six Amazing Senior Projects from the Class of 2021
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These creative seniors took their projects to the next level
The “Senior Project” is a milestone that every Edgewood student must pass before they graduate. This project can vary from senior to senior, but each project is something that they care very much about and dedicate hours of their time to complete. Whether it’s constructing something by hand, writing a game, or holding a supply drive, every senior project is different in their own right and tells a story that is individually their own. Here are some amazing projects that have come out of this year’s senior class.
Mural
As a well-developed artist and an AP art student, Brooke Anderson, 12, has lots of experience with creating masterpieces. It was from her love of art that she was able to develop the idea for her senior project, which was designed to bring some color to Merritt Island. For her project, Anderson decided to repaint and redesign a mural for the business “Island Beauty,” which is a full-service salon near Edgewood.
Like any artist, she started with sketches of the design; Anderson crafted 6 different versions of what the design could look like, which all centered around the salon’s main logo.
After the owner chose which design she wanted, Anderson got to work. She enlisted the assistance of Ms. Flint, who helped her scale up the finalized design into bigger proportions, which she was then able to draw on to huge sheets of paper that would be adhered inside the window to the salon.
From there, Anderson was tasked with removing the remnants of the previous mural by physically scraping it off. Once she had a clean painting surface, she then traced the design onto the window and painted the design. Florida's humidity and frequent rains mean that murals often take a beating over the years, so Anderson used several layers of paint and two clear coats to finish off her masterpiece.
While finishing the mural was a huge amount of work, Anderson felt that it was worth every moment.
“It was really cool just to hear about people's appreciation for [the salon owner] and for the area, so that was really meaningful,” said Anderson.
Beat the Winter Blues Friday Fun Days
Lauren Schleffer, 12, cares a lot about mental health, and for her senior project she decided to find a way to combat an issue that is very common during the winter season.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs during the winter months when the weather is colder and there is a decreased amount of sunlight. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms of this disorder include feeling depressed almost all the time, having a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy doing, having very little energy, having difficulty sleeping, struggling with concentration, and experiencing changes in either your appetite or weight.
To fight off this disorder and raise awareness of it, Schleffer held “Beat the Winter Blues Friday Fun Days,'' or spirit days designed to bring out the fun that comes with the holiday season. Focusing on the positives of this time of year is one way to beat out the blues, and with the difficulties we have all experienced this year, it made the perfect idea for Schleffer’s senior project.
From sweaters to pajamas, each day had a different theme for students to be festive and show some holiday cheer. December 4th was Hat Day, December 11th was Ugly Sweater Day, and December 18th was Pajama Day, which were great opportunities for students to dress up and have a good time. E-learning students also had the chance to participate by dressing up and turning on their cameras to show their tribe teacher their festive attire.
What was even better was that Schleffer kept the action going by posting on the Edgewood Sources of Strength Instagram page (@edgewoodsos). Students that dressed up and commented on Instagram even had the chance to earn a prize. Who knew that dressing up and having fun could be so good for your mental health?
Safety in a Mustang
Justin Janke, 12, has always had a love for modern and classic cars alike. When it came to developing, and ultimately deciding on, an idea for his senior project, he knew right away what he wanted to do.
You may think you have heard just about everything that’s been done for a senior project, but he made this one completely and totally his own. Janke installed safety features into a 1966 Mustang and made videos about the process to post on YouTube.
Having safety features in cars is a relatively new requirement for companies, which means that many vehicles produced before the 2000s don’t have these necessary advancements. To make this car safer, Janke installed four different items that you would expect in a modern car: front and back seat belts, headlights, and headrests. The most impressive thing about it? Janke has never done this before.
Installing these items into the car took various amounts of time, depending on the feature, but overall each one took about 7 hours to complete. Besides his time working in the car, Janke spent a good deal of his time in front of the camera and behind the computer screen.
To make the videos to post on his YouTube channel, Justin’s Mustang Restoration, Janke developed scripts, starred in the videos, and enlisted the assistance of sister and filmmaker Hailey Janke to record it all.
He worked on the project over the course of about 5 months and when it was all done, he was able not only to fix up an incredible car, but to educate his community about the power and importance of car safety features.
Holiday Grams
Edgewood is known for being a big supporter of the elementary schools in our community. Knowing just how much we like to help those that are younger than us, Summer Chapman, 12, took a special interest in Saturn Elementary School for her senior project.
Chapman learned about Saturn Elementary’s “Starbucks School” program, an incentive-based initiative that rewards students “money” for good behavior and for turning in their work on time. Once these students have earned enough money, they are able to exchange them for school supplies that they can use to complete their school work. This program is designed to reward these students for doing the right thing while also giving them the opportunity to get school supplies.
As students turn in their work on the due date and are well behaved in class, they are learning great qualities that will better help them succeed later in life. Wanting to support this fantastic program, Chapman created “Holiday Grams.” Holiday Grams were sold December 9-11 in the cafeteria to Edgewood students in order to raise funds for their Saturn Elementary's Starbucks program. Each gram came with a santa hat and a packet of hot cocoa mix and was delivered to the student's chosen recipient in Tribe on December 18th.
When it was all said and done, Chapman was able to sell 90 grams in total, and all proceeds were all donated to benefit their program.
Building a Sailboat
Living in Brevard County, residents are always close to some body of water. Lena Stagliano, 12, has spent a good portion of her life near the Indian River, which was what became the inspiration for her senior project. For this endeavor, Stagliano wanted to try something that she had never tried before: building a sailboat.
When you think of a sailboat, your first reaction might be a small paper one that floats down a stream, but this is much more than that. Stagliano spent over 3 months working to assemble a boat that comes in at 17 feet long and has the ability to comfortably seat 4 people.
Building a sailboat of that magnitude is no easy feat, and she had to start from the basics to figure out how to make her vision become a reality. Stagliano relied on the help of Chesapeake Light Craft Boats, a company that specializes in providing the supplies for those interested in creating a sailboat by hand. In this bundle was the wood needed for the boat, epoxy (a “glue” that holds the boards together), and other materials vital to the boat’s success.
After getting all these materials, she learned how she would begin to put it all together. As she did this, she started to formulate another part of her project, which was to write a manual for how someone else could build their own sailboat. Using her own experience for building this boat, she was able to write a full-fledged guide that included a table of contents, list of supplies, and steps for how to put it all together.
Her boat took over 30 hours to create. Stagliano hopes that one day, she will be able to take it out on the water to sail it for herself.
Supply Drive
The Women’s Center is an organization that works to support women and other members of the community suffering from difficult domestic situations and provide them the assistance and resources that they need. As a way to support this group and their mission, Isela Villarreal, 12, created a supply drive for her senior project as a way to collect menstrual and hygiene products to fill the need for those who may not otherwise have access to it.
To collect these donations, Villarreal set up a bin here at Edgewood until January 6th. When her drive concluded, she received a great number of donations straight from Edgewood students, and she hopes these donations will go a long way in supporting the Women’s Center.
If you couldn’t make it in time to donate, don’t fret, because you can still support the Women’s Center by purchasing items from their Amazon Wishlist. The best part? You can do it from anywhere! Whether you’re waiting for the bus or lounging around on your couch, it only takes a few minutes to check one item off the wishlist.
This is Kaitlyn’s second year on the Edge staff and sixth year at Edgewood. She enjoys creating art, completing community service, and spending tons of time with animals. As a staff writer, she hopes to write diverse stories and prepare for her future career.
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