Every year, graduating seniors are tasked with doing a senior project. Even though these projects are no longer a state requirement, the school enforces them to prepare students for their future.

Leading up to their senior year, students did different assignments that were included in these projects. Freshmen must complete a presentation on their goals and future careers. Sophomores are tasked with creating a resume and doing a mock interview. Juniors and seniors must turn in two samples of their work from that school year to add to their portfolio.

There are two pathways seniors can choose to best fit their needs, a post-secondary education pathway and a workforce pathway. The main difference between the two pathways is that the post secondary education pathway requires students to tour a college while the workforce pathway requires two job shadows instead of just one.

This year, the requirements have changed to reward the students who have passed their Keystone tests. Previously, all seniors had to have an advisor they met with regularly. They also had to give a 15-minute presentation to a group of teachers for a grade. This year, all students who have passed all Keystone tests were exempt from having an advisor, attending a government meeting and giving a presentation. Instead of giving a presentation, students participated in an interview with a panel of teachers.

“I think the changes need to be altered a little because the people who finished the Keystones have no advisors so they are slightly lost on their own,” Trista Somerville (12) said.

Seniors came to school on May 16 to have their interview or presentation. Students in the high school and middle school did not have school on this day, so teachers were free to grade the projects. Each senior had a designated time slot for them to present or have their interview.

Presentations were graded out of 150 points. Students were graded on professionalism, technology, presentation and content. In the presentations, students talked about their educational and personal history, service project, government meeting, career path, personal and educational reflection and their future plans. 

Interviews were not graded on a rubric. The panel of teachers ensured that the students completed their job shadow and community service. Interviews lasted 15 minutes like the presentations. During this time teachers checked for basic understanding and completion of their projects.

Since they are more tailored to individuals, classes such as Personal Finance and English 12, have done little class work dedicated to the projects. In senior English classes, they worked on resumes that were submitted for the project. Other than that, students were expected to complete the projects independently. In previous years, classes would do parts of the project in class, since everyone had to complete the same presentation.