One hundred twenty-eight Newark High School seniors achieved a long-awaited, important milestone May 22nd as they made their Digital Media presentations for their NHS Capstone Project requirements to graduate June 20th.
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“I always enjoy hearing the students reflect on their journey from freshman to senior year. It's interesting to hear how they feel about the changes and growth they have experienced. Watching our students support each other is also wonderful. This year I noticed many groups of students going from presentation to presentation to watch their friends _ I loved hearing them clap and cheer when they saw their friends receive their caps and gowns,” said Capstone Coordinator Katie Ganter, who also teaches English, Marketing and Publications and is the NHS Yearbook advisor.
Capstone Co-Coordinator Danielle Ohlson who teaches English and Multicultural Studies shared:
“Beginning last year, students were given the option to either write a traditional research paper on a topic of interest or create a project. I believe we are really beginning to see the value of giving students that choice. This year, we had several students choose to work with a partner to collaborate on endeavors such as original music composition. Many students used Capstone to delve deeply into a passion project. For instance, to create a collection of pottery pieces, run a psychology experiment, create and preform spoken word poetry, restore a vintage car, critically examine lesser-known aspects of musical theater, or explore the importance of self-reliance. The diversity and depth of presentations this year was truly impressive.
“This year's Capstone Day was particularly poignant. It is important to remember that the class of 2025's entry to high school was tumultuous. Their freshman year was our first year back in school, full time, in-person after the pandemic. It was a tough transition, to say the least. This year, more than ever, I heard students express how proud they were of themselves for getting this far, as many times along the way, they had considered giving up. As students shared reflections on their high school experience, their struggles and their growth, many were moved to tears, illuminating the power of their stories and their ability to convey them.
“Hands down, my favorite part of the day is watching how students rally around each other. There were roving bands of friends showing up for each other in support, offering encouragement before and celebrating success afterwards. Hearing students say things like, "I was so nervous before the presentation, but that was actually fun!" and "My presentation made my mom cry," warms my teacher heart. For me, Capstone Day is pure joy. It is love on full display. It is community in the truest sense of the word. It encapsulates so many of the reasons why I became an educator, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.”
“As Capstone Coordinators, Danielle and I help students with finding community service opportunities and tracking their hours from 9th - 12th grade,” Ganter said. “We also review the Healthy Choices assignment and track that with the help of our Health Teacher Karen Cline. We oversee the requirements for the senior research project, and we plan and execute Capstone Presentation Day. The English Department at NHS is instrumental in ensuring that our students complete a senior project and a Capstone Presentation.”
The Capstone Project is made up of several required components and the Class of 2025 was the ninth class to be required to successfully complete all of them to graduate including:
• 20 Volunteer community service hours.
• Healthy choice journal entries about involvement in various extra-curricular activities and about things they learned in health classes or three-page essay
• A research paper in 10th grade espousing both sides of an argument and a conclusion.
• A senior research project.
“The Senior Project requires students to research a topic of their choice and push that research out into a project of their choosing.” Ganter said. “This year, some students chose to write a traditional research paper, while others created presentations, podcasts, videos, posters, scrapbooks, etc. based on the findings from their research.”
• And finally, presenting their Digital Media Presentation in front of a 4 or 5-person NHS or Newark Middle School faculty panel. The 8-12-minute presentations on a smart board typically included pictures of the student; a favorite quote reflective of their personality; insights about their high school experience; an explanation of and findings of their 12th grade research project; sharing about something they are proud of and discussion about their future plans.
After the presentations May 22nd, members of the panel asked questions of students before evaluating their presentation, based on a rubric, in private. Students received one of the following scores:
-Pass
-Revisions required.
After a few minutes, the presenting student was called back into the classroom and informed by panelists if they had passed. If so, they were also given the caps and gowns they will wear at graduation June 2oth, along with senior yard signs, a gift that was new this year.
Presentations were made by the NHS students during several 30-minute sessions in classrooms throughout the high school.
Two of them were made by AJ Merced and Cinthya Trejo-Castaneda.
Not surprisingly Merced, who has been a phenomenal swimmer while at NHS and has won multiple league titles, focused his research project on the role of nutrition and hydration in maximizing swimming performance.
He asserts: “Swimmers should maintain a good nutrition and sleep schedule to optimize swimming on race day. Maintaining a good, healthy diet and sleep schedule will help provide necessary energy to muscles, help maintain hydration and support muscle recovery.”
Regarding hydration, he contends swimmers must be well hydrated before, during and after swimming in order to regulate body temperature, maintain joint health and ensure optimal muscle function.
He concluded saying all athletes, right from the beginning of their involvement in a sport, should be well informed about the importance of nutrition and hydration.
His senior artifact was his trumpet, which he beautifully played during his presentation and said: “Trumpet has played a huge role in my life, playing since I was young. Through the rough practice sessions with my grandma in elementary and Middle School, to wanting to improve every day. It has now paid off with much accomplished in my career, along with many memories and friends along the way. Playing the trumpet has become so important to me.”
Merced plans to major in business in the fall at Roberts Wesleyan University where he will continue his “swimming career at the second highest level of swimming Division II” and plans to continue his “musical career by playing in the University’s Wind Ensemble.”
After his presentation, Jeffery Garrett, Perkins Special Education teacher who is the Head Coach for the NHS Boys Swimming and Diving Team shared this about Merced.
“AJ has been training and swimming competitively for many years. He started as a Newark Wahoo club swimmer and transitioned to modified swimming in 7th grade before joining varsity as a freshman. His hard work and dedication to the sport have helped him become a well-rounded, accomplished swimmer. Over the four years he swam on varsity, he was part of three league championship teams (2022, 2024, 2025), was an individual league champion multiple years (2024, 2025), qualified for sectionals in every event, and had many top 16 and top 8 finishes in sectional competition. AJ was a fantastic leader, and his leadership was a large part of the team’s successes. He continues to swim for the Newark Wahoos swim club and after high school intends to continue swimming collegiately.”
Bob Humphrey, NHS instrumental music teacher who directs Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, “Fusion” and gives instrumental lessons, shared this about Merced.
“AJ has been playing trumpet since Kelley School Band in 4th grade. Since then, he has played each year of school and has become a very accomplished player. He is our first chair trumpet player in Wind Ensemble,
Jazz Ensemble, and FUSION. He regularly performs NYSSMA level VI literature has been accepted into All County Band (first chair for two consecutive years), Area All State Band (2024), accompanies other groups, plays in the pit for our musicals, and studies privately. He intends to continue performing on his instrument for the rest of his life.”
Trejo-Castaneda didn’t speak English when she moved from Mexico and began her studies at NHS in February 2023, did her bi-lingual presentation mostly in English and very capably. She only spoke briefly in Spanish twice to demonstrate her fluency in her native language. Interestingly, she is also learning Italian.
Again, not surprisingly, she chose the importance of intercultural communication in international business as her research project.
“I chose this topic for my senior capstone project because I believe intercultural communication is one of the most essential and relevant skills in today’s global business environment. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through globalization, companies are no longer operating within the boundaries of their own cultures. Instead, they are working with clients, partners, and employees from all over the world. In this context, the ability to communicate effectively across cultures is not just an advantage — it is a necessity.
Because of her research, Trejo-Castaneda asserts:
“What impacted me most during my research was discovering the enormous economic cost that cultural misunderstandings can generate. Often, we don’t realize that a simple cultural misinterpretation isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it can trigger a series of catastrophic consequences. We’re talking about millions of dollars lost, valuable contracts that never get signed, broken strategic partnerships, and even the destruction of a company’s global reputation. All of this, sometimes, simply because one party failed to properly understand the vision, values, or expectations of the other.
“And this challenge is only going to grow. As the world becomes more digital, diverse, and interconnected, the barriers between cultures don’t disappear, they multiply and become more complex. Companies are no longer just hiring global talent; they are also collaborating and negotiating through virtual platforms, which create new communication challenges. Physical distance disappears, but cultural differences remain—and even become amplified in digital environments.
“That is why it is imperative for companies to invest in intercultural training, build culturally competent teams, and continuously improve intercultural awareness at all organizational levels. Research and education in this area should not be seen as complementary, but as fundamental to global success. Culture affects every interaction—from how a multicultural team is led, to how a marketing campaign is received in different markets.
“In this context, companies that do not invest in developing strong intercultural communication will be losing an invaluable strategic advantage. The true challenge will not just be competing in global markets but knowing how to communicate effectively with the people who make them up.”
Her senior artifact was her certification of induction into the NHS Chapter of the National Honor Society.
“My recognition as a member of the National Honor Society means much more than just an academic achievement. For me, it represents: My dedication to my studies, even when I faced major challenges like learning a new language and adapting to a completely different culture. My personal growth, from my early high school years in Mexico to becoming part of and standing out in a new school in the United States. My commitment to service and leadership, which are core values of the NHS and central to my life.
Trejo-Casteneda plans to attend SUNY Oneonta in the fall where she will major in International Business and minor in Psychology.
“Cinthya is an incredibly motivated student,” said Ashley Davis, grades 6-12 English as a New Language teacher. “Within her first few months of learning English at NHS, she also began studying other languages independently. She is a talented writer in both Spanish and English languages and has composed beautiful speeches for her fall semester communications class. Cinthya's humility and kindness are unmatched, and I am confident she will make a positive impact anywhere her future takes her.”
After the event, NHS Principal Kelly A. Zielke said she was very pleased with the outcome of Capstone Presentation Day
“I am so proud of our Seniors! I as able to visit several student presentations and celebrate their success today. We were treated to individualized stories of their high school experience; their lessons learned and talked us through their research projects. The variety of topics was amazing, and each student pulled from their own interests and experiences to produce meaningful work. My favorite part of the day is when students share their artifacts with the people in the room and talk about why it is meaningful to them. Overall, the day was a great success, and I am only disappointed that I could not see them all!”
Lastly, Superintendent Susan Hasenauer, who also very much enjoyed participating with some other faculty panelists in evaluating some of the seniors Digital Media Presentations commended all the participants on their accomplishments.
“Just say YES”, is my new mantra after listening to a presentation by senior, Mikalya Miller,” Hasenauer said. She described how this phrase allowed her to experience things she never would have tried. Her senior artifact tied directly into this philosophy, as it was a bucket list of items that she wanted to accomplish and do in senior year and over the summer. To no surprise, she has been successful! Furthermore, she has learned valuable lessons about herself, including how far she is able to push herself when she is out of her comfort zone, as well as what she wants to do more of and what she doesn’t like. However, that is the true beauty of the Capstone Project . . . if done with authenticity, I believe it is one of the greatest reflection and growth tools for our students as they venture down a new path and into their next stage in life. In fact, her message is one for all of us…imagine if by just saying yes, you open the door to your greatest moment!”