Senior Project students formally announce ambitious self-led projects

On Tuesday, a group of 25 highly inquisitive and motivated Warwick Valley High School seniors embarked on the 2024-2025 Senior Project! Senior Project is nationally-recognized program that combines project-based learning, real-world performance opportunities and professional networking, to give its participants invaluable know-how, insight, and experience into the fields of study that interest them most. The WVHS Senior Project program encourages its enrollees to “explore your passion and discover yourself!”

View a gallery from the event below this story.

WVHS teachers and program advisors Jeanine Fogler and Nick DiLeo welcomed an audience of students, faculty and families to the high school auditorium, where they were the first to hear from this year’s pool of candidates about their topics, goals and mentors.

The class’ largely self-led framework is a relevant and challenging test of graduates’ readiness for today’s fast-paced, global community. The rigorous course includes completing “The 4 P’s.”

1. Project: What each student chooses to study, and goals they set to accomplish with their mentor.
2. Paper: A collegiate-level paper, seven to 10 pages in length, on their topic, which presents the students’ knowledge of their topic, including findings and outcomes.
3. Portfolio: This piece chronicles each student’s process, including documentation, correspondences, photos, and anything else related to the project.
4. Presentation: Students give an oral presentation on their topic and outcomes to a panel of judges drawn from the District and the community.

The keynote speaker for this year’s kick-off event was Mark Frankel, former sound tech at the historic Knitting Factory in New York. and a 20-plus year veteran of the Blue Man Group! Mark shared what it took to pursue his dream, sharing that the primary thing you need is a passion for your subject. Of course, pursuing a passion can be considered a cornerstone of the Senior Project. He also said that a willingness to say yes and to be a problem-solver go a long way. 

View a gallery from the event below this story.

“I always say, ‘go deep and tread water,'” Mark said. He shared that at every step of his Blue Man journey, he had some level of uncertainty, but that he stayed focused and knew that the goal he was aiming for was something that moved him and something he really wanted to do every day and share with people. “When you’re in the ocean, it doesn’t matter if the bottom is 10 feet or a couple thousand feet below you. You can’t touch it; you just need to keep treading water. That’s what I did with Blue Man and I can’t imagine my life without it and all of the things that it’s bought me now.”        

This year’s Senior Project participants and their topics are:

Sophia Del Valle will be looking at the negative effects of social media on dancers’ mental health. Sophia will be setting up informational flyers around her dance studio about mental health and body positivity, as well as creating a social media page to share related stories. Her mentor is Amanda Ellison, a licensed mental health therapist and probation officer for Orange County. 

Bailie Frey will be researching the necessity for fundraising in today’s society, as a means to improve the mental health of the beneficiaries. She will be organizing and hosting a fundraiser golf outing to benefit the non-profit organization Tunnel to Towers, with the help of mentors R.J. Martucci, CPA and Erin Frey, owner of Emerald Point Restaurant & Marina.

Benjamin Gaibur asserts that firefighters deserve more and better benefits. He will be creating a documentary for Greenwood Lake firefighters, with the assistance of mentor Daniel Cecconie, WVHS Video Production teacher.

Charlotte Gillen will be researching how introducing STEM to students at young ages can provide effective thinking for the future. She will be working on educational STEM workshops for students at Sanfordville Elementary. He mentors are Kevin Wilson, owner of Warwick Millworks, and WVHS technology teacher Patrick Reiser.

Anthony Gomez will be examining the effects of music on adolescents’ mental growth into adulthood. His project includes learning to create, fix and tune various instruments, working alongside mentor Jim Coleman, an instrument mechanic of 45 years.

Karrah Landru will be looking at the negative impacts of tech the social skills of younger generations compared to older generations. She will be producing a documentary interviewing high school seniors and senior citizens. Her mentor is Emily Lemp, a graphic designer and teacher in NYC.

Diandra Mateo-Rosario asserts that nurses should be paid the same as doctors. She is producing a documentary that focuses on the nursing profession, working with Emmy-nominated creator Yazemin Yilmaz.

Talia Potempa will be examining the negative impacts of fast-fashion on individuals and the environment. She will also be learning to sew her own clothing line with patchwork styles. Her mentor is Mrs. Carolyn Demarmels, a local sewing instructor.

Mia Pujols is studying how physical activity plays a crucial role in rebuilding and maintaining the body. She will be creating an informative, multilingual brochure for patients at the clinic at Mount Sinai. She will be working with Dr. Anthony Mazzola MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at Mount Sinai.

Johanna Robles believes that not every art piece deserves to be displayed. Rather she thinks art should be made for art’s sake, not judged. Her project is writing and illustrating her own graphic novel. Johanna will be working with WVHS art teacher Anna Penny.

Seamus Stratton will be showing the negative effects of mass producing blades, rather than using craftmanship. He will be working with local professional blacksmith Jim Levite to design and forge knives and swords.

Cameron Strickland holds that musical composition should be considered a science as well as an art! Cameron will be learning to build his own electric guitar.

Hillary Surun Pimentel will be shedding light on how social media is constantly shifting the standard of what is considered beauty. Hillary will be learning to style bridal and event hairstyles, working with WVHS cosmetology teacher Kathleen Bettello.

Gabriela Barquero wants to show that children’s play is more beneficial to their mental and physical health than electronics. She will be designing and building a children’s playhouse. Her mentor is Kevin Wilson, a local construction based business owner.

Madison Breen will be looking at the potential benefits for people over the age of 65 to take up the hobby of baking, as a way to improve their physical health. She will be learning how to professionally decorate baked goods from professional baker Gilda Burke.

Haven Cardine will be talking about the importance of music and how it affects us in our lives. Along the way, he’ll be producing an album of original music in diverse genres. Haven will be working with Emmy-winning artist Robert Agnello.

Dexter Hudspeth feels that AI’s emotionless imitation of art is harmful to artists and their field as a whole. For his project, he is learning to draw the human anatomy, including facial expressions and poses. He is working with Rudy Botelho, a Macy’s Parade Studios artist for more than a decade.

Christian Katsabanis wants to tell you why Greek is the most influential language in Western society! Christian is going to become proficient in Greek for his project, and will be learning from Panayiota Manolopoulou, an English teacher in Greece.

Jessie Lacher will be looking at why grieving children are often not given the adequate health care they require. Jessie is writing, illustrating and publishing a children’s book about grief. She is working with WVHS English teacher Marilyn Brozycki, Spanish teacher Megan Murphy, and Sharon Bale-Pena, a licensed clinical social worker.

Caidyn Parsons plans to show that children under the age of five should not be allowed screen time. She is writing and illustrating a children’s book that teaches manners, working alongside mentor Stacey Browne, a speech therapist at Sanfordville Elementary.

Holly Purta will be looking at the effects of exercise to help reduce anxiety in high school students. Holly will be hosting a 5K walk/run to raise funds for Warwick Cares. She is working with Colleen Amideneau, a WVHS guidance counselor.

Zofia Santagato is working on the theory that children with anxiety have a disadvantage in receiving help from teachers. She will be writing a children’s book based on children who go through experiences with anxiety. She will be working with Danielle DeBella, WVHS English teacher, and Tamara Scotto, WVHS psychologist.

Dennery Simon asserts that animal testing in the field of toxicology should no longer be used as it is unethical and inaccurate. Dennery will be writing and illustrating a deck of 50 information cards about poisonous plants, working with artist Aurora Robson and Oliver Kellhammer, an ecologist and professor at Parsons New School.

Charli Tucker will be learning to bake, while also examining the details of cake decorating that make it not so environmentally sustainable! Along the way, she will be learning five different cake decorating techniques, working with culinary instructor Kasey Posadas.