Juniors and Seniors give back: RAL Senior Project

By Britton Baker

Since 1986, the Senior Project posters have lined the upper library hall of RAL showing the signs of students hard at work.

Every year, students (jun. and sen.) in the Senior Seminar class, previously known as English Four, show their skills to the community by producing a project that is related to a job path or activity of their choice.

The project consists of making a poster, writing a research paper, performing at least 14 hours involved in the topic, and at least one hour of community service related to the project.

 “I’m really glad I chose to do my senior project this year. I like being involved with my topic and at the end, I’m looking forward to doing my community service,” Elliott Scroggins 11 said.

Scroggins has chosen to do her project on Catering and is completing her project hours by job shadowing her mentor and learning the way to prepare and deliver food. Along with learning about catering, Scroggins is planning to provide a catered meal to the Community House or Women’s Shelter for her community service. She plans to work with her mentor to produce this meal but hasn’t decided yet if she will personally serve it at the shelter that she chooses.

“The part I’m most nervous about is the community service but I know it will be fine and people are always glad to be given help, in whatever way it can come. I think it’s cool in general that RAL students get to go out and interact with their community, it’s showing what RAL is about,” Scroggins said.

 A few other community service projects RAL students are participating in are coaching a basketball team, holding a booth at information health fairs, playing or demonstrating objects made during their project, volunteering at shelters, or performing informational presentations ranging for all ages.

“My community service is going to be really fun and I am really excited for it! I’m getting to teach little ones about martial arts and how to perform them. Just imagine a bunch of kids trying to do kicks and do punches, it should be fun,” said Nick Bartolus 12.

Bartolus is producing his project on martial arts and is completing his hours by participating in the art its self. The way he is most involved is by learning many different techniques of the art and performing them. Then he is going to teach lessons on what he has learned for his community service.

 “RAL is filled with fantastic young people that are going to do great things with their lives and great things inside the school. Community service, giving back with nothing expected in return, is a great character builder and a way to show RAL’s appreciation of the community,” Mr. Reeves, RAL principal, said.

Students may think the senior project is a burden, but by the end of their projects most students’ minds have changed to a positive aspect. As long as the senior project stays at RAL, it continues to encourage students to step out of the easy path and take on extraordinary topics. RAL is building and strengthening their relationships with community businesses and community members as well as preparing their students for the future.