2023 Senior Projects Innovate and Inspire

This spring, 32 Concord Academy 12th graders showed their love of learning by completing senior projects. These self-designed, faculty-supported programs offered students one-of-a-kind educational experiences.

Director of Studies Alyse Ruiz-Selsky ’05 says that in following a curiosity or passion that they have and authoring an experience for themselves, “students are put in the role of both teacher and student as they design a curriculum and live through it.”

Seniors gave their presentations on May 23 at an expo in the SHAC for fellow students, faculty, and staff. Projects spanned disciplines from finance to forensic science. Julia Barrow ’23 created a website to help teens learn about saving and investing personal assets. Dex Plunkett ’23 constructed a robot using 3D modeling and printing. Emma Somol ’23 presented a series of crime scene investigation workshops.

Several students showcased their artistry through unique creative works. Liam Salerno ’23 produced a documentary about music’s impact on the elderly population. Alicia Zhang ’23 drew concept art for an animated adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Yoontae Lee ’23 studied the business of music production and created original compositions. 

Other students focused on science, striving to reenvision current systems through a sustainable lens. Sam Duque ’23 built a fuel cell to produce renewable power. Annie McGarry ’23 investigated the presence of microplastics in local waterways. Nathan Dang ’23 conducted statistical research on CA’s energy usage. 

Senior projects are a favorite tradition of history department head and senior projects selection committee member Topi Dasgupta P’22 ’25. This year she also served as a senior project advisor to Aisha Aina Tasso ’23 for her research on gentrification in Cambridge, Mass. “Senior projects are an open marketplace of wonderful ideas and inventions,” Dasgupta says. “They’re really exciting and inspiring to be a part of.”

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