UCSI students meet with Capstone mentors as part of their research projects
UCS students earn 24 AP Capstone Honors
More than 20 Utica Community Schools 2024 graduates have been honored for their success in a two-year, rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) program that required them to successfully complete an extensive college level research project.
The College Board recently announced that 20 UCS graduates earned a Capstone Diploma and four Class of 2024 members earned a Research Certificate.
“The success of our AP Capstone students demonstrates how our students continually rise to the challenge of rigorous, college-level and work experiences,” superintendent Robert S. Monroe said. “Their achievement shows how they have the gained the skills that colleges and businesses are seeking, such as project management, presentation, collaboration and research.”
Students enrolled in the AP Capstone program must successfully complete two year-long courses: AP Research and AP Seminar.
Unlike a traditional AP course, Seminar and Seminar Research assesses and evaluates skills mastered through group projects, presentations and individual essays. The programs focus on not one subject area but are interdisciplinary in that students are encouraged to create projects based on topics of personal interest.
Through this project, students conduct research, work with a mentor, write extensive papers and defend their research to a panel.
“We have been witnessing students’ renewed passion for learning through the AP Capstone program,” said Bianca Peart, global lead of the AP Capstone Diploma program. “Together with the guidance of talented educators, students are building essential college and career readiness skills exploring subjects that are meaningful to them.”
Students taking part in the Advanced Placement program are able to qualify for college credit if they earn a “3” (on a scale of one to five) or greater in a College Board assessment.
To earn a Capstone Diploma, students must earn the “3” for the Seminar and Research work as well as four Advanced Placement exams from other courses.
To earn a Research Certificate, Students must earn a “3” or higher for their Seminar and Research work as well as three other AP exams from other courses.
The UCS 2024 graduates earning an AP Capstone Diploma are:
- Grant Adams, Henry Ford II/MST
- Joshua Clampitt, Henry Ford II/MST
- Katelyn Coles, Stevenson/MST
- Anton Gegaj, Stevenson
- Ava Hess, Henry Ford II
- Shiv S. Kadakia, Henry Ford II/MST
- Gabrial Q. King, Stevenson/MST
- Andrew Miller, Henry Ford II/MST
- Ariana Ogoy, Henry Ford II/MST
- Mateusz Pilch, Stevenson/MST
- Stephanie Saunders, Henry Ford II/MST
- Nathan Schultz, Stevenson/MST
- Brady Sheats, Henry Ford II
- Griselda Sufaj, Henry Ford II
- Sajiv Sundar, Stevenson/MST
- Lucas Timbuc, Stevenson MADE
- Kylie Tomatti, Utica High School
- Mariam Trevino, Henry Ford II
- Tyler Wright, Henry Ford II
- Samantha Yantus, Henry Ford II/MST
Students earning a Research Certificate are:
- Hannah Florio, Utica High School
- Connor Griffin, Utica High School
- Rachael Mulvaine, Utica High School
- Kendyll Paul, Utica High School
