No More Stress! WHS Capstone Transforms Into the Ultimate Passion Project

By Rophie Centurpen (Rosie Thigpen and Sophie Centurelli)

Let’s talk about Capstone. If you are a junior, you know it’s a huge deal. You are required to present something that shows you are a WHS Vision of the Graduate as a communicator, collaborator, and problem solver. Once you prove that you are a Vision of the Graduate, you will be eligible to graduate.

In the Capstone presentation, you can dive deep into your own interests, passions, and career aspirations, and make the project uniquely your own. Each year, juniors stress about Capstone relentlessly, as they worry if they don’t pass, they won’t graduate, but, good news, we are here to help you.

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We interviewed WHS Capstone Coordinator and English Teacher Mrs. Mucinskas to give us tips and tricks on how to pass the project. Additionally, we interviewed two students; upcoming Capstone presenter, Madeline Ignaffo, and a past Capstone presenter, Jena Haggerty. With this information, we hope that it will give students inspiration, information, and insight into how the project works. 

For starters, we asked Mrs. Mucinskas how the Capstone project has changed from last year to this year. “The biggest change that we’ve made this year is there is more of an emphasis on a passion project. A portfolio is great, if you want all of them to look the same. But we’re looking at Capstone as truly an experiential, to get you ready for the outside world project.” 

Additionally, a few changes have been made with how the project is planned for and information is shared during WeConnect. Rather than watching videos of Mrs. Mucinskas on a big screen in WeConnect, she says that the entirety of the junior class meets in the auditorium once a month to go over the upcoming deadlines, and to make sure that students are on track. In the auditorium, students are broken up into smaller groups to interact with their peers and give feedback on their projects. This way the whole process is more engaging and interactive.

On to our other interview with junior, Madeline Ignaffo, who is currently working on her Capstone project. Her passion project is making her own recipe book filled with family recipes that have been passed down since her family immigrated to America. She is collecting recipes from various relatives to design her own unique and unforgettable recipe book. 

Ignaffo is thrilled about the flexibility the project grants her. “I feel like I have a level of freedom with this project. I can pick what I want to create.” Overall, it’s safe to say that the new outline for the Capstone project allows students to reach their full potential, as they will be presenting something they are passionate about.

Senior, Jena Haggerty, who highlighted her bakery business in her Capstone presentation, says that she loves the new focus on passion projects. “When brainstorming what to do my project on, I tried to think outside the box and do something that didn’t seem so obvious to me or who I am. But, I couldn’t do it! I reverted back to my original idea of highlighting my baking business. It was the most obvious thing to do, but what I am most utterly passionate about, so it was easy.”

So for the third consecutive year, Capstone becomes a key factor of the junior year experience, which ends in a final product of a slideshow, dynamic poster, or a physical creation. Once finished we can celebrate the mass amounts of effort behind these projects, the late nights, brainstorming sessions, and teamwork that comes with it all.

It is clear that a high standard is being set for the junior class. So if you are ever in need of assistance or guidance, Mrs. Mucinskas reiterates that her door is always open and to come ask questions.

We can’t wait to see the ingenuity and passion on display this spring. Juniors, you are setting a new standard for excellence, and the whole WHS community is ready to celebrate your success!

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