A Capstone of Senior Year
Since 2009, Senior Project has been a graduation requirement at John Carroll. Seniors are required to develop, implement, and then present for evaluation an independent project, during which they complete a minimum of thirty hours of field experience. Field work may begin prior to senior year and be completed throughout the school year and/or during a two-week period in May following the end of classes for seniors. Project evaluation presentations occur in January, April, or May. 
Senior Project is an individualized approach to learning that allows students to draw on their strengths and current skill levels, but also provides them the opportunity to stretch themselves as learners. It provides a transitional experience between the structured, directed experience of high school and the more unstructured, independent venue college provides. In addition, projects give students opportunities in real-world, performance-based situations to apply the skills, values, knowledge, and understanding that they have garnered during their high school years. Senior Project also allows for a sense of personal achievement, enhanced self-worth, and the satisfaction of independent accomplishment by providing students with a structure that enables them to take a project from conception to completion and review. The culmination of Senior Project Showcase Event in May where seniors display their projects. For students to successfully complete their projects, they must secure connections with the general community. Our goal is for Senior Project to be a real-life experience for students, not just a classroom exercise. We are the only high school in Harford County that currently offers students this unique, challenging, and ultimately very fulfilling opportunity. Consequently, we feel we provide an exceptional, distinctive educational experience for the young adults in our care.
In keeping with the desired outcomes of The John Carroll School Mission Statement and institutional philosophy, the Senior Project seeks to:
- Provide a year-long in-depth educational opportunity for members of each graduating class
- Create a venue for critical thinking, independent expression, personal responsibility, individual and educational growth
- Empower each senior to explore an interest, to stretch as a learner, and to foster an ability to design and execute independent choices
- Encourage seniors to pursue excellence rather than to settle for mediocrity in any endeavor they pursue
- Serve as a synthesis of the educational opportunities to which students have been exposed during their high school experience and solidify a desire to be lifelong learners who possess a sense of both personal and global awareness as well as a heightened sense of self-confidence and worth
Contact info:
Mrs. Louise Geczy
Senior Project Coordinator
lgeczy@johncarroll.org
What Students Have to Say About Senior Project
2018 marked 10 years since Senior Project became a graduation requirement at John Carroll. Below, one student from each of those 10 graduating classes talks about what Senior Project meant to them.
"When I first began my Senior Project, my hope was to comfort the marginalized with rosaries. I never could have imagined how my life and my faith would change and grow throughout my Senior Project." - Taylor Bynion, Class of 2018 (Notre Dame of Maryland University)
"For me, Senior Project was an amazing and enlightening experience. My Senior Project really opened my eyes to my potential as a person and developed in me a deep passion for helping those in need. The journey through Senior Project was an experience that truly changed my life and I will always remember it. " - Anthony Magwood, Jr., Class of 2017 (Penn State University)
"Senior Project is an eye-opening opportunity to fully plan/handle a project that simulates real life responsibility. It is truly what you make of it depending on the effort you decide to put in. If you allow it to be, Senior Project is a chance to bring something into your world that can heavily impact your life and shape a memory/experience that is unforgettable." - Tiffany Parker D'ambrosio, Class of 2016 (Jacksonville University)
"Senior Project truly helped me prepare for larger projects that would be assigned in college. Having to put so much time and energy into a project made me feel like I truly had to pick something that I loved and that I could put my whole heart and whole self into. In my mind, this was similar to choosing my major. I am glad that I had the opportunity to find out much more about myself than I ever thought possible." - Emily Meyerl, Class of 2015 (University of South Carolina)
"For my Senior Project, I created oil paintings to donate to a hospital in honor of my mother who passed away from breast cancer. My goal was to connect with her and commemorate her life, while doing something I love." - Sarah Streett, Class of 2014 (Towson University)
"Senior Project was an amazing experience. I still speak of it often and still show family/friends the video that I created. My project allowed me to connect with my family and find fulfillment in a topic that was previously difficult to discuss. My autistic brother will finally see the video this year on his 21st birthday and will be able to understand everything he was able to overcome in his early years. Thank you, John Carroll for making this possible." - Amy Slusher, Class of 2013 (The University of Mount Union)
"Senior Project helped prepare me for college and my career by giving me the opportunity to explore my interests while meeting high expectations set to ensure my success. It pushes students out of their comfort zones and encourages them to think about the bigger picture of life. I still look back on my project experience fondly as an amazing learning experience." - Haley Boyle, Class of 2012 (James Madison University)
"To me, Senior Project was the best thing about JC. It opens a window of opportunities to either discover what your passionate about or find a way to serve others. Senior Project showed me giving back is what I wanted to do with my life. I hope all of the students embrace this journey and are proud of their projects and be proud that JC gave them the opportunity to push themselves to be a better people." - Chelsea Shock, Class of 2011 (Samford University)
"My Senior Project was a time for me to be creative and to mesh my past (being adopted) and present (taking 4 years of Russian with Mr. Miller). It challenged me academically and emotionally. It was something that I invested a lot of my time and energy into. It allowed me to think beyond myself and how I and my experiences could be of service to others. I have remained extremely thankful for the opportunity to complete a Senior Project." - Svetlana (Holt) Wright, Class of 2010 (University of Maryland, College Park)
"For my Senior Project, I adapted and directed Joshua Sobol’s play Ghetto. The play follows the lives of several Jews living in the Vilna Ghetto during World War II. When I undertook this challenge, I could not have foreseen the lasting impact it would have on my life. Senior Project changed how I look at the world; it taught me to have confidence in my abilities, to respect different perspectives, and that difficult stories must be told." - Rachel Weinberg, Class of 2009 (University of Maryland undergraduate, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine PhD candidate)