2021-2022 Capstone Award Winner
SMCA would like to congratulate Shelbee Reed for being our Capstone award winner for the 2021-2022 school year. Capstone is a senior class/experience which allows our students to choose a controversial topic and study it from three different perspectives. Students write a paper, participate in a week-long implementation where they can work alongside experts in their field, and present their findings to a panel of judges at the end of the process. Thank you to our wonderful mentors who allowed the seniors to learn from them during the course!
We would also like to thank our judges who gave their time and provided wonderful feedback for the seniors. They were impressed by all of the seniors’ presentations, but found Shelbee’s speech on “Cancel Culture” to be the best in both content and presentation. Shelbee received the Capstone medallion and a $250 scholarship as our overall winner.
When asked to reflect on their Capstone experience, Seniors stated the course was valuable because…
- the support and wisdom gained were priceless
- they became better with time management, public speaking, and a better writer
- the knowledge gained can be taken into the real world
- it is the one high school class that truly prepares you for college
- it strengthened critical thinking skills and how to evaluate problems from a biblical perspective
- it allowed me to find my passion and form connections for my future career
These are just a few of the reasons why the Capstone course is an important component of SMCA curriculum. The experiences gained from the Capstone course allow students to network and gain lasting relationships for life (we have even had students become employed with their mentors after graduation).
-Mrs. Beth Gilroy, Capstone Teacher