With Launchpad, seniors get creative and connect with the Seattle area

Senior projects have long been an opportunity for seniors to devote school time to something they care about outside of school with the school’s support. Previously, this was optional,  allowing seniors to do something that interested them at the end of the school year. This year the senior project is now mandatory for seniors, and has been renamed, ‘Launchpad.’

“Seniors will do their finals a couple weeks earlier, then have that last two week block of the school year to do their senior projects,” said Director of Academic Technology Jeff Tillinghast. This will give seniors a large chunk of time to work on their projects without worrying about other pressures from school and the ability to devote more time to whatever they choose. However, seniors are limited to the Seattle area to do their projects.

The changes made to the senior projects were well thought out. Director of Global Programs Brian Gonzalez said, “There was a conversation going on for several years in the faculty and the alumni to change the senior project, and when we approached this year’s seniors with the project they responded across the board with enthusiasm.”

The two weeks of time set aside for the senior project aren’t without purpose. “This creates the flexibility for people to get really creative and focus on their passions. With this time they can connect with people in the Seattle area,” Tillinghast said.

The opinions of seniors, however, seems a bit mixed. Senior Julie Huang said “I don’t really care that the senior project is now mandatory because I was already going to do it,” she said.  “I really like that we have a large amount of time to work on it and that finals are now earlier because of it.”

Not everyone is happy that finals are now sooner for seniors. Senior Joelle Pollastro said, “I’m kind of bummed that finals are earlier.”

This has not prevented Pollastro from finding a positive spin to the situation, “I am excited for the project partially because we get to get out of school earlier,” she said.        

The large amount of time at the end of the school year will help get  seniors doing something they love, or something they want to experience across all of Seattle.

By Ian Lee