senior capstones

Four Seniors to Present Capstones on January 13

Four students in the Class of 2022 will present the research findings of their Capstone projects on Thursday, January 13 at 6:30 PM in the Ingram Arts Center Theater.
Ensworth’s Capstone Program offers students in Grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to engage in an extensive exploration of an academic passion that lies above and beyond courses normally offered at the High School. Following the investigation and approval process for a specific Capstone project, scholars continue with independent research or participation in internship programs, workshops or seminars related to the topic of interest.

The remaining Capstone Scholars will present in the spring.

The Capstone Presenters

Alea Clark

“Can Allergens Cause Arthritis? An Analysis of the Connection between Allergic Responses and Immune-mediated Medical Conditions, plus Potential Therapeutics”
Can allergies be linked to an autoimmune disease? Many people think allergen-based symptoms such as sniffles or hives are unrelated to diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Yet, in June 2013, the NIH identified a common gene, BACH2, that acts as a central regulator of the immune system’s reactivity and its expression of diverse allergies and autoimmune disorders, including: asthma, type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s, celiac and others. This review of current literature examines the genetic linkage, cellular processes and mechanisms involved in the expression of histamine and immunological responses, as well as generic and novel treatments identified to modulate autoinflammatory, allergic, and autoimmune diseases.

Foundational Coursework: 
  • Biology
  • AP Biology
  • Chemistry
  • AP Chemistry

Harper Dale

“Gender Differences between Generations from the Ages of 15-35”
Interestingly, my work at The Picnic Cafe combined with my academic study at Ensworth High School inspired me to do this Capstone project, because I have met amazing people who lived during the 1960s, and their stories captured my attention and made me wonder more about the history we were learning in class. Over the summer I conducted a series of interviews for my documentary to explore whether truth is more legitimately gained from textbooks or by talking to people about their personal experiences.

Foundational Coursework: 
  • Women’s Literature
  • History American Studies
  • AP Government
  • Seminar 9 & 10
Following the presentations, there will be an option to view Harper’s full documentary.

Lanie Dyke

“The Latino Vote in U.S. Presidential Elections”
In the last two U.S. presidential election cycles, the effect of the Latino electorate has been seen by many. By researching the history of Latino immigration to the United States in the second half of the 20th century and beyond, analyzing census data starting in 1970, looking into voting trends among Latinos, and diving deeper into the Latino demographic itself, the output will be the creation of a predictive model for the next two presidential election cycles: How will the Latino electorate change how politicians run their campaigns and how will it change policy?

Foundational Coursework: 
  • History American Studies
  • AP Government
  • AP Comparative Politics

Jonathan Smith

“Aerodynamic Impact of In-Flight Damage”
The design of aircraft wings is a difficult process involving applied physics, with much work being put into the structural stability and safety of the wings. Those that design wings must test them in all kinds of different conditions with various types of physical damage to ensure their safety. This project will continue that testing by modeling and 3D printing wing shapes of various common military and commercial aircraft in a self-designed and built wind tunnel. Each wing segment will undergo structural damage in order to determine the effects of said damage on the ability to sustain flight.

Foundational Coursework:
  • Physics
  • AP Physics 1
  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Computer Science

Read about all of this year's Capstone projects (pdf).
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