Senior projects are an opportunity for the graduating seniors to explore a passion or try something new. They are able to do an internship or project, on or off campus, fostering the goal of discovering new interests or exploring a current interest that they can bring with them when they go to college. The seniors leave campus on May 5 and are excused from classes to pursue their projects for about a month. 

At the end of the month, before the seniors graduate, they will present their projects to a panel of faculty explaining what they have accomplished and learned during their project. 

Iulia Andrews is traveling to Maine for her senior project to intern with a lobsterman. She is going to be going out to a lake to catch lobsters and set up traps for them. She will then prepare the lobsters by putting bands on them and then selling them. 

When Iulia was thinking about what she wanted to do for her project she knew that she wanted to do something science related, but she wanted to do something that is different from working in a lab. Iulia considered doing a STEM internship, something like an office or lab job; however, she said that she will be doing that through college and for the rest of her life. In turn, she wanted to take this opportunity to do something she may not have the chance to do again. 

Ava Troso is writing a cookbook for her senior project. Ava has celiac disease, so her goal is to make a gluten-free cookbook. As Ava is going to college next year and entering the real world she thought it would be important to learn how to make more than pasta and eggs. Ava wants the theme of the cookbook to be tasty and easy-to-make gluten-free recipes. Her cookbook will be divided into five sections: breakfast, breads and muffins, dinner, dessert, salads, and vegetables. She is also planning to take an Alice Waters Masterclass in the Art of Home Cooking to learn the tricks of the trade of cooking. Ava will be publishing physical copies of the cookbook, and she encourages any members of the Hackley community to reach out to her if they want one. 

Callie is shadowing an emergency veterinarian in a hospital for her senior project and will be completing a whopping total of five 12-hour shifts. Callie thinks that she wants to be a veterinarian and this will be a great experience to see if this is her true interest. Callie had a veterinarian experience in Costa Rica a few summers ago and really enjoyed it and this internship will be the next step in exploring her interest.