Spring 2011 - Manlius Pebble Hill School

Senior ThesisH I G H L I G H T SSeniors at Manlius Pebble Hillare expected to complete aSenior Thesis Project (STP) aspart of their final year. The STP isintended to help students becomechange-agents within theircommunity, taking on projectsthat have deep personal meaningand a lasting impact on thecommunity. Creating an officialSenior Thesis Project is a multistepprocess. The first step is tocomplete and submit a proposal.Students then convene a STPCommittee that includes an MPHand community mentor to reviewthe proposal and offer feedbackbased on the merit, scope, andsustainability of the project.Once the proposal is revised andapproved by the STP Committee,the student begins doing actionresearch, studying previousapproaches, obstacles andperspectives that convey thecomplexity surrounding thechosen issue. The Senior ThesisProject concludes with a“culminating event“ that is apublic sharing of the student’swork and accomplishments.Culminating events can beperformances, presentations, orpublic events, but must conveythe action taken in addressing agiven issue or cause.A Sampling of Current Student ProjectsCarley BrightCarley Bright has centered her Senior Thesis Project ongiving back to the community and learning moreabout the medical field. Carley organized an AmericanRed Cross blood drive this fall and successfullyencouraged student, faculty, and parent participationthat resulted in 40% more blood donations than herprojected goal. In her project proposal Carley stated,“An annual blood drive, continued by students at MPH, ismy goal for this project. In order to raise interest, I can talkto students leading up to, during and after the drive abouthow the process worked. Students interested in publichealth or even just helping the community will be able to see how they could make adifference by leading a future blood drive.” Carley is planning to host another blooddrive this spring at MPH.In addition, Carley, who is planning to study medicine in college, was offered theopportunity to shadow Dr. Pedro del Pino, a local thoracic surgeon, at OneidaHealthcare Center. She jumped at the offer. The opportunity to shadow thephysician came from a recent MPH community-based learning survey response.This survey was distributed to MPH parents, alumni, and community supporters inthe hope of establishing a database of mentors, resources, and internships meant tocomplement the classroom experience and further personalize learning. Carleyobserved three surgical procedures in the operating room and was also invited toattend follow-up office visits with Dr. del Pino’s surgical patients. Carley describedthe experience as “…something I will always remember. It definitely enforced my desire togo into the medical field.”Nate GrosackAs a summer camp counselor, Nate Grosack heard aboutStudents Today Leaders Forever (STLF). This group createda community service road trip to foster team-buildingopportunities and personal growth experiences. Theservice tour is known as “Pay-It-Forward” and it takesplace at different times of the year in locations rangingfrom the most desolate town in the midwest to places aslarge as New York City.32 MPH REFLECTIONS 2011