GMHS Seniors Show Off Their Projects

Twelve senior projects were on display in the community gym on Wednesday, representing the culmination of 16 students’ work over an entire semester.

The senior project class was created six years ago by teacher Kelly Price to have students in their last year in high school showcase something that they are interested in, as well as teaching them how to take on a fairly large project from its gestation to its completion. It also gives the students an opportunity to get a feel for whether they want to further pursue their interests.

For example, a student who is interested in event promotions may choose to organize a concert, leaving him or her in charge of securing the forum, the band and the date on which it is supposed to take place.

“It kind of gives them a career perspective,” said Sue Clark, a business education teacher who has taught the class for the last two years. "You hear so many times that kids want to be in fashion design, and they do a fashion show and they say this is not at all what I want because there is so much business aspect of it. They get to have the whole perspective of what it involves."

The projects - which ranged this year from a badminton tournament, to a fashion show, to two concerts, to a student learning hypnosis - are nothing if not impressive.

“They’re incredible,” Clark said. “The projects that they’re doing, every year they just do an amazing job. This year was more event oriented.”

Granby Memorial senuor Austin Ebersole created a book of photos entitled “Through the Lens,” which combined old and new images of Granby landmarks (see the accompanying photo gallery for some examples of her work).

“I always have had an interest in photography,” Ebersole said. “I started it as a hobby. I’ve seen stuff that is similar online to this, but I thought it would be nice to create my own little project. I thought it would be neat to learn more about it. It’s something people see every day. The Old Mill Pond, I know I pass that every day when I go to school. It’s neat to see what it was and what it is now.”

Granby Memorial senior Katrina Rambush choreographed four dances of all different styles and shot video of her friends performing them.

“I’ve been dancing for 14 years, and so it’s really become a huge part of my life,” Rambush said, adding that, while she had choreographed the school musical, she wanted to see what she could do with more autonomy. “I wanted to see what it would be like to be behind the scenes on my own. I got to see how I would do on my own with this. In the school musical, they gave me a song and [the director] told me how to choreograph it. This is really all on my own.”

Ebersole, for her part, said that she got a lot out of the experience.

“It’s nice. As a senior you kind of get that whole lax thing, but it’s very individual and [Clark] gives us a lot of free reign to do whatever we want to do,” Ebersole said. “She gives us a lot of responsibility. I have no regrets.”

Both Rambush and Ebersole plan to continue to pursue their interests in college.

Rambush will minor in theater (and major in forensic science) at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Mass., while Ebersole will study photojournalism at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

While discovering what you like is important, of equal importance is learning what doesn’t work for you.

Such was the case for Samantha Arnone, who has known since she was in fourth grade that she’s wanted to be a teacher.

Just not a sixth-grade math teacher, as she discovered while putting together a lesson plan for, yes, a sixth-grade math class.

“I realized it’s not what I want,” said Arnone, adding that she plans on focusing on becoming certified in teaching pre-K to second grade. “I found out what I liked and what I didn’t like about it. … Putting together a lesson plan is harder than you think.”

Not everything was career oriented. Matt Even, for example, learned hypnosis.

“It was fun,” Even said. “I like the mind stuff. Though not to make people do stuff.”

The following are the projects and the students who took part in them:

1. Through the Lens (Austin Ebersole) - Photographs that combine old and new images of Granby landmarks

2. Dances with Katrina (Katrina Rambush) - Choreographing four dances

3. Around the Table Cookbook (Meghan Neagle)

4. Children’s Craft Book (Eric Karadimas) - A craft book for preschoolers

5. Teaching (Samantha Arnone)

6. Hypnosis (Matt Even)

7. Badminton Tournament (Kristen Endorf, Megan Griffin) - Endorf and Griffin hosted a tournament with 18 teams and 36 students earlier this month.

8. (Gabby D’Aleo, Kate Mooney) - Students hosted a concert and an art show at The Loft at Holcomb farm, featuring the works of local artists as well as the band Barefoot Truth. Money raised went to the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

9. Autism Speaks Benefit Concert (Nicole Reagins) - Reagins hosted a benefit concert at Old Well Tavern in Simsbury, featuring the band Forget Paris. The event raised $700.

10. Granby Health and Wellness Fair (Callista Platt) - About 80 people turned out to learn about improving their lifestyles from local businesses like Granby Dental and Valkyrie Equestrian Center.

11. (Isabel Hall, Katie Sulzinski, Michelle St. Amour) - Fashion show featuring the work of the three students.

12. Granby Spirit Tattoos (Steph Dantos) - Fundraiser for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital raised over $600. The paint-on tattoos are sold at and were popular at the Celebrate Granby 225 event in October.