The Malad High School commons was crowded December 6 as the senior class displayed their final projects.  Over the last few months these students have had the assignment to select and carry out a project that would produce a final product, that would represent a learning stretch for the student, and that would be significant to the student or others that would require at least 15 hours.  The students were required to document the entire course of completing their project.  Along with their project they were required to write a research paper related to their project and present it.  The students chose mentors to help them along their way that could teach them and work with them as they completed their projects.  Mentors were required to be an expert in the area involving the student’s project.  Students chose parents, friends, neighbors or other family members as their mentors.

 Completing a senior project is a requirement for graduation from the Idaho State Board of Education.  The goal of such a project is to demonstrate the culmination of a student’s high school career, providing an integrated project-based learning experience.  Through the senior project, students pull from a variety of classes, instruction and other training to accomplish their set goal and display it for others to learn from and enjoy.

 There were few requirements in choosing a project allowing the students to find something that piqued their interest, which led to a variety of displays and projects presented Monday at the Senior Project Open House.  Students found inspiration in future careers such as learning to weld or cosmetology school.  Others chose projects that taught life skills to be used throughout their life like sewing, quilting or cutting hair.

 Several students saw needs within the community and chose projects that would be a benefit to Oneida County.  Such projects included preparing for the installment of a new running track, lighting the M with solar powered lights, starting up the new bass fishing club, providing solar powered game crossing signs and making pamphlets for the local swimming pool.  These projects also required fundraising and working with other businesses, programs and departments in the community.

 Many students chose projects that not only taught them new skills, but were also personally meaningful.  One student chose to make pillowcases from her grandpa’s t-shirts that had passed a way as a means to remember him.  Another built a remembrance chest to collect stories and keepsakes to be passed on.  

 Many students chose projects because of their interest to learn something new and try something they hadn’t ever done before but had been itching to try, such as building a gaming PC, learning pottery, creating Bonsai wire trees, learning taxidermy, film making, claymation, dresses made of duct tape, learning different forms of art and building many unique pieces of furniture.

 By accomplishing these many projects, they spoke of how they learned many lessons along the way.  First and foremost, they learned new skills to carry out their projects.  But they also learned skills in problem solving and critical thinking as they ran into challenges.  Many students talked about learning patients, lessons of trial and error, time management skills, and the power of sheer will and determination.

 Teachers and advisors shared how this project can bring feelings of stress and being overwhelmed but also great satisfaction of accomplishing such a demanding task as their senior project.  Congratulations to the senior class for completing their projects and moving one step closer to graduation!

Pictured with this article are some of the projects.  There was simply not enough room to include all of them, but they were all amazing!

 Senior Project List

Samuel Pickett- Build a computer

Ryan Adams- Table built of wood, steel, and resin

Will Coleman- Weld a vase

Amy Smith- Make a quilt

Carson Colton- Learn to cut hair

Riley Cluff - F250 Diesel turbo rebuild and power steering pump replacements

Clara Huckaby- Learn pottery

Maggie Willie- Sew a dress

Kyler Horsley- Desk made of wood and steel

Carra Madsen- Learn cosmetology

Sadie Randall- Movie making

Ashley Colgrove- Beehive keeping

Piper Wiles- Bonsai Tree Art

Taylor Hess- 1st Aid kits for local Sheriff’s Department

Savanna Young- Painting Gallery

Maclaren Garrett- Sewing a prom dress

Madison Green- Make a t-shirt blanket

Tayson Davis- Learn taxidermy

Matthew Jacaway- Build a picnic table with swings

Sydney Carey- Sew pillowcases out grandpa’s shirts

Jade Daniels- Learn how to do eyelash extensions

Carina McCullough- Upcycling a table

Callie Jensen- Nutrition affects of mental health

Kristal Ford- Memory quilt

Carson Fonnesbeck- Build a wooden bench

Riggin Rawlings- Begin a bass fishing club

Jace Williams- Corn hole boards

Colton Ihler- HS track replacement

Bridger Bastion- Lighting the M

Cambrie Chistopherson- An assembly on

Kimber White- Create a duct tape dress

Bailey Timothy- Sewing baby blankets

Nakona Wrigley- Build a custom desk

Breanna Llyod- Crochet a blanket

Gill Leckie- Build memory box

Kaleb Miller- Build a desk

Vincent Nietteregger- Car body work

Kyler Speck- Build a PC

Kadence Knight- Sew quilt

Tobin Palmer- Weld a new flatbed

Daxton Davis- Road wild game signs

Carson Hunt- Wild game processing 

Elsha Tenbrink- Create claymation

Alyssa Purdum- Photography

Cole Williams- Building a rifle

Zadock Romero-  Food preservation

Austin Nalder- Bell

Whitney Palmer- Pol pamphlet

McCall Malmstrom- Painting with 

Bransen Davis- Leather work

Wyatt Critchlow- Weld an owl out of silverware

Billy Maddox-  Build a pair of chaps

Daniel Talbot- Designed a cattle loading chute

Justin Wittman- Weld a portable grill

Cooper Jones- Fly tying

Fernando Cervantes- Homemade smoker

Ashton Parker- Shoeing horses

Alexis Robichand- Welding project

Gayle Shelman- Paint a room at the High School

Daniel Williams- Build a doghouse