Matousek and Gonzalez: Celebrity Influence on Our Decision Making

Names: Bella Matousek and Sara Gonzalez, Class of 2011 graduates

Senior Mastery Project: Do celebrities have an influence on our everyday decisions? Is SmartWater purchased over store brand water because it's endorsed by Jennifer Aniston? Does a charity backed by a celebrity receive more money than other charities? Through their research, Matousek and Gonzalez found that "celebrities...have a huge influence over all the decisions we make."

What they learned: "We believe society as a whole has lost its ability to make informed decisions and that we’re just blindly following those we deem superior to ourselves," Matousek told Patch.

The SmartWater Effect: "We found in our research that people would buy SmartWater, because they thought it would make them more like Jennifer Aniston, which is actually a ridiculous idea, but many people have it," Matousek said.

Making Changes: Matousek and Gonzalez now think twice before making purchases, taking time to determine whether or not a product is truly something they need.

Fun Facts: Matousek is a pre-professional ballet dancer who has been dancing since she was able to walk. Gonzalez enjoys horseback riding and was heavily involved in student government while attending Avon High School.

College Bound: Matousek will attend the University of Cincinnati to major in ballet. Gonzalez will attend Princeton in the fall.

Editor's Note: Hey, Avon Class of 2011 graduating seniors! Do you want your senior master project featured on Avon Patch? E-mail the information to Jessie.Sawyer@patch.com, along with a photo of you and your project. Parents, you can submit on behalf of your children as well. We will be spotlighting one senior mastery project a day, Mondays through Fridays, throughout the entire summer.