The Class of 2025 showcased their creativity and hard work as they proudly displayed their senior projects in the dining hall of the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center on Wednesday, May 22.

The longstanding tradition of a capstone Senior Project at Ravenscroft gives seniors the opportunity to explore a new interest, learn more about an area they’re passionate about or gain valuable real-world experience during their last three weeks of school. 

This year’s projects include a wide range of interests and topics, including working with local non-profits like the local Foodbank or A Lotta Love, learning about orthopedics, exploring interests in early childhood development and creating a much-needed interactive campus map. 

These are just a few examples of the many amazing projects:

Lauren Easters ’25 worked with A Lotta Love to collect items and decorate bedrooms for a family, and in particular, an 18-year-old young lady. When asked about the experience, Lauren said that it meant a lot to her “to do something for someone her age who has not had the same opportunities" that she has.

Michai Sanders ’25 worked gathering and harvesting produce like strawberries and sweet potatoes for the local Foodbank. Michai said one of his biggest takeaways was seeing “all the other people who were also helping” and the extensive community in volunteerism.

Chance Gladden ’25 and Josh Ratliff ’25 explored their interest in orthopedics by shadowing Dr. Kirk Woelffer of Raleigh Foot and Ankle Center. During their project, they met with patients, learned about neuropathy, surgical treatments for bunions, and even provided a little wound care. What stood out to both students  was how knowledgeable and kind Dr. Woelffer is with his patients,“even though he sees some of them only once or twice a year, he treated everyone like they were his best friends.” 

Beatrice Laskowski ’25 and Darian Schoommaker ’25 are both interested in childhood development. For their individual projects, both chose to work with children by returning to their previous elementary schools. The Senior Project was a great way for them to gain hands-on experience, learning more about the fundamentals and day-to-day work of teaching young children. Beatrice shared that the experience  “was a good lesson in learning to be adaptable — making sure I was helping the students learn and not just telling them the answers.”

Shirley Yang ’25 and Eleanor Mowat ’25 partnered to create an interactive campus map of Ravenscroft. Shirley focused on the creative and design aspects and Eleanor focused on the coding and development of the map.  Shirley explained that “a lot of the buildings have changed functions, and classrooms have moved,”  so their goal was to help others better understand the evolving landscape of campus and to help students become “more comfortable” with their surroundings. 

“These seniors followed their genuine interests and engaged in a long process to design their own internships and service projects, and their work shows that they are living our Lead from Here values to serve their communities and become part of a bigger world,” Senior Dean Ali Olney said. “I hope they are proud of their work — I definitely am!”