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Curricular Highlight: Senior Capstone Project

12/17/2025

Elise Burke Parcha

Part research, part literary journalism, and part public presentation, the Capstone invites students to explore topics that matter to them and share their insights with the broader Sanford community.

The Capstone process unfolds over several months through intentional, layered work designed by English Department Chair Brianna McCoy. Students begin by brainstorming and pitching ideas, then move on to refining research questions, reviewing academic sources, and building annotated bibliographies. Their goal is to produce a polished, research-driven article written for a general audience, less academic paper, and more National Geographic, The Atlantic, or Wired: writing shaped by a strong voice and grounded in credible research.

“I really appreciated having the opportunity to focus fully on one topic and explore it in depth through my Capstone,” shared Ada Henry ’26. That sustained focus carries beyond the page. Once the writing is complete, seniors shift into presentation mode.

Each student distills their research into a 10-minute talk delivered before peers, teachers, and families. For many, it is their first time presenting original research to an audience of this size, a milestone that builds confidence and helps students see themselves as scholars.

The Class of 2026 on Presentation Day

Presentation Day

On Capstone Day, the campus takes on the feel of an academic conference. Seniors present in spaces across campus, while attendees use a program guide to curate their own schedules. And once sessions began, seniors rose to the moment. Despite some nerves, Abbey Tomeo ’26 was “proud to present [her] research and recognized how thoroughly the process had prepared [her]” for presentation day.

For Pete Williams, Associate Director of College Counseling, the presentations were especially meaningful. “I spend a lot of time talking with seniors about their passions and interests, so it is especially rewarding to see those passions come to life in their capstone presentations. Having first taught many of these students in ninth-grade English, I’ve witnessed their growth firsthand, and our seniors have every reason to be proud.”

That sense of pride took on an even deeper meaning for Matt Wilson, who experienced Capstone Day both as Dean of Students and as a parent. “Capstone Day is usually a day of great pride for me as an administrator, seeing our seniors give amazing presentations. This year’s Capstone Day held even more significance for me, as I watched my daughter up at the podium. It was emotional, nerve-racking, and also just another reason why we chose Sanford for her. She stepped to the podium and did an amazing job! I was filled with great pride and gratitude for the teachers who helped her reach this point.”

What They Researched

If you’ve ever wondered what today’s teenagers are genuinely curious about, the Class of 2026 offers some clear answers. This year’s Capstone topics reflect both intellectual rigor and wide-ranging curiosity, spanning health and human behavior, technology and ethics, athletics and identity, creativity and culture, and the systems that shape society. Below are a few examples of presentation titles.

Science, Health, and the Human Body

Students explored questions in human biology, medical innovation, and health science through projects such as Bioprinting: How 3D Printing Shapes the Wait for a Transplant Organ, Why and How Has CAR-T Cell Therapy Become an Increasingly Viable Option for Blood Cancer Treatment?, and Dogs as Partners in Science: Advancing Epilepsy Care for All.

Athletics, Identity, and Performance

Other seniors examined the intersection of sports, physiology, and ethics, including The Effect of Nutrition and Recovery on Athletic Performance, How NIL Has Affected College Sports, and Ethics and Fairness: The Public Perception on PED Use in Athletic Legacies.

Technology, Ethics, and Society

Several projects explored innovation at the frontier of computing and automation through topics such as Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Work, How Machines Learn: Exploring the Predictive Power of Artificial Neurons, and Humanitarian Machines: Soft Robotics and How AI’s Empire Is Draining the Planet.

Creativity, Culture, and the Human Experience
Additional projects analyzed how art, media, and psychology shape perception and meaning, including The Role of Color in Cinematography: How Colors Influence Audience Emotions & Immersion, Beyond the Narrative: How Cinematic Tools Affect Audience Perception and Emotional Response, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Paint No Evil: How Authoritarians Utilize Art Censorship for Their Regimes.

Society, Ethics, and Systems

Other seniors investigated complex social structures through projects such as The Hidden Battleground: How Sexual Violence Functions as a Deliberate Tactic of Warfare, Unequal Evidence, Unequal Outcomes: The Under-Research of Women in Sports, and Insider Trading in Congress.

Environmental Curiosity

Environmental challenges and emerging ecological research were also explored through projects including Grass Isn’t Green and What to Do About It and The Transformative Power of Sound on Green Life.

The Capstone experience is intentionally challenging, but it is also deeply affirming.

Ada reflected, “It helped me strengthen both my research and presentation skills–both of which are especially important to develop before heading off to college. I enjoyed seeing a project through from start to finish, from forming research questions to completing the paper and finally presenting what I had learned.”

Like Ada, Sanford seniors walk away not only with a major academic presentation under their belts, but with a deeper understanding of what can happen when curiosity is taken seriously and supported with time, structure, and mentorship. Congratulations to the Class of 2026 on another successful Capstone season.

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