High School

Costa Rica Term Project Trip 2026

June 26, 2026 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

Somewhere between the roar of white-water rapids and the impossibly slow blink of a three-toed sloth, our students stopped rushing through life and started paying attention to it during our Term Project Trip to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has a way of doing that. For seven days, our group of BASIS Independent Brooklyn High School students and their teacher chaperones, Ms. Nalipinki and Mr. Bedes, traded classrooms and schedules for rainforest canopies, cacao groves, and rivers that had absolutely no intention of going easy on them. They harvested coffee beans, spotted baby crocodiles from a riverboat, and soaked their sore muscles in volcanic hot springs as the sun dipped below the mountains. They stood under waterfalls and found tiny tree frogs hiding in plain sight.

This is the story of that trip from the muddy boots to the many unforgettable moments in between.

Our wonderful trip leaders, Ms. Nalipinski and Mr. Bedes, posed with our high school travelers

Landing in San Jose and Jumping In

After the long flight to Costa Rica, our local guide helped revive our group for a walking tour of San Jose. He helped orient our students and chaperones to the culture of Costa Rica and prepared us for the busy day ahead!

Day two started with an early wake-up and a tour of a coffee farm. Guides spoke about the bean-to-cup journey and exactly how volcanic soil, high altitudes, and microclimates create the country’s special coffee.

Then our explorers took to the zip lines! Thanks to one brave soul with a GoPro, we have a video so you can experience it, too.

https://vimeo.com/1204930772?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Adventure Travel

On day three, our Bears got up early and went white water rafting. The amazing local guides helped spot local wildlife, including a sloth, macaw, and toucan! There were periods of adventure as well as very calm, scenic moments on the water.

Hiking to the Volcano

The next day, everyone drove to Arenal Volcano National Park and hiked for 3.5 miles to see the volcano. Along the way, our team saw colorful snakes, more toucans, and many interesting insects. The day ended with a tour of the small town of La Fortuna.

Waterfalls and Kayaking

On day 5, everyone began the day by driving to La Fortuna’s gorgeous waterfall. There were 502 stairs down to the river for some lovely swimming, and the 502 stairs back up! Consensus was that the trek was well worth it.

After lunch, it was time for kayaking. Then the day ended with a few hours of relaxing in the hot springs.

Vieja National Park

Another amazing stop for spotting animals and being immersed in nature was Vieja National Park, where our team saw white-faced monkeys, sulfur springs, and mud pots.

River Cruise and Snorkeling Adventure

On the last day, we relaxed together and enjoyed a river cruise, where we saw baby crocodiles and so many monkeys. Afterwards, we went snorkeling and saw beautiful wildlife, including pufferfish, turtles, eels, and incredibly colorful fish.

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BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Class of 2026: Graduation Reflections

June 26, 2026 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

On June 16th, family, faculty, and students of BASIS Independent Brooklyn gathered together at the Palm House in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to celebrate the accomplishments of our Class of 2026. Our twenty-five graduates are now poised to continue their academic careers in top colleges and universities in both the U.S. and abroad.

During the ceremony, Co-valedictorians Gregory G. and Nate C. captured their time together as a class and inspired their fellow graduates to look ahead to all that is in store for them. We wanted to share their speeches with our community since their words reflected the joy, humor, and honor at the heart of the celebration.

Gregory S. ’26 Co-valedictorian
*Photo by Danny Dolan (www.dannydolan.com)*

Address by Class of 2026 Co-valedictorian Gregory S.

Hi everyone. I can’t believe our time in high school is coming to an end, so with that, I have some words to say.

There’s one question I get more than anything when people find out where I go to school. They say how is BASIS Independent Brooklyn? And my answer has always been the same: it’s small.

For a long time, I said that like it was a complaint. But now I realize it was a blessing and the best thing that ever happened to us.

It’s all about perspective.

When I got to BASIS, I noticed pretty quickly that a lot of things just didn’t exist yet. No club for this, no group for that. And at first, I thought that was a problem. But then I realized — that’s actually the opportunity.

Think about it. Amazon didn’t start because Jeff Bezos had everything handed to him. It started because there was no good way to buy books online, and he went and built it. Some of the greatest companies in the world exist because somebody looked at something that wasn’t there and decided to go build it themselves.

We did the same thing. If the East Asian Club didn’t exist, someone in this room would have built it. The Jewish Affinity Group, the Motorsport Engineering Club, and DECA — all started by people in this room. BASIS Independent Brooklyn, being small, meant the opportunity was wide open. We just had to be willing to step up and take it.

BASIS being small also meant there weren’t a lot of people in the class. You look around, you’ve got 25 kids in your grade, and you think: this is it? So, there were definitely some moments where we all felt like we were missing out. Brooklyn Tech has a thousand people in its class.

Meanwhile, we’ve got 25.

But those 25 people were in every single class with you. They were there stressing over the same deadlines, praying for the AP curve to save everyone’s grade, having fun in Spanish together, and chilling at lunch. You didn’t get a thousand acquaintances. You got a handful of people who actually know you.

I’ll take five people who know me completely over a hundred people who don’t know me at all. Every single time.

Before I close, I need to thank some people.

Mom, Dad — thank you. For everything. To my older brother —thank you for screaming at me when I needed it. To my younger brother — sorry for screaming at you. You probably needed it too.

To my teachers, thank you for all the care and effort you put into this school.

And to my class — you shaped me more than you know. I went through all of it with you, and I genuinely hope our paths keep crossing.

So, here’s what I actually want you to walk away with today. Not that BASIS is small. Not that we missed out on the massive homecoming. But that didn’t stop us from going out and being great. From building things, to showing up for each other, to becoming genuinely amazing people.

That’s perspective. Taking what you have, not using it as an excuse, and making something out of it anyway.

Don’t let the small stuff stop you. Don’t let what’s missing define you. Look at what’s in front of you and ask what you can build with it.

Congratulations, Class of 2026. Go be great.

Nate C. ’26 Co-valedictorian
*Photo by Danny Dolan (www.dannydolan.com)*

Address by Class of 2026 Co-valedictorian Nate C.

Good morning, everyone. I want to thank everyone for attending this highly anticipated yet mandatory event. Whether you are excited to be here or one of the siblings who was dragged here against your will, I hope my words will resonate with you today.

Thank you to parents, teachers, administrators, family members, esteemed guests, average guests, and of course, the Class of 2026.

I am honored to serve as your co-valedictorian. So let me briefly introduce myself. People know me as Nate the Great, Nate Dogg, the old man, the guy who sleeps too much, the guy who doesn’t sleep enough, and, for a certain few teachers, the traitor who didn’t take their capstone course this year.

Regardless of how you know me, I want you to know that I entered BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] in 9th grade as someone who had never been in such a close-knit and supportive environment. I had never seen such dedicated teachers, flexible schedules, and clean restrooms in my life. To be honest, I was quite terrified and overwhelmed, but BASIS took me in without a second thought.

Of course, I wouldn’t have gotten here without the support of the people around me. As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn’t be standing here without my family’s support. I specifically want to thank my parents for encouraging me to leave my room and be “more social”, my grandparents for bringing an absurd amount of food to increase my “brain power,” and my brother for keeping me up during late-night study sessions with his superb singing and guitar skills. I also want to thank my friends and classmates for putting up with my sarcasm and constant exhaustion.

We have all grown over the last four years at BASIS. We have all grown as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and emerging scholars. While we have improved in many ways, we must acknowledge room for improvement, whether it’s only showing up late twice a week rather than four times or only falling asleep in class once rather than twice a day.

Throughout these past four years, we have truly gone through it all. We memorized countless literary devices, trig functions, the entire unit circle, the periodic table, and every major war between 1600 and 2000. And we couldn’t have done it without our supportive yet at times overly zealous teachers. Whether it was trying not to blow up the classroom during our chemistry labs, rewriting history in AP world, or channeling our inner acting talent during AP literature plays, our teachers supported and encouraged us.

Moving past academics, we have started so many clubs and greatly improved our local Red Hook community. I have honestly lost count of the number of awards we have earned over the years. We have become leaders and have shaped our school in just as many ways as it has shaped us.

Throughout our time together, we have created many fond yet, at times, embarrassing memories. From getting sunburnt and taking the wrong ferry to our high school retreat, to taking our local trash pickup too seriously by collecting an absurd amount of questionable items, we have done it all. I still remember stuffing my face with unknown delicacies during World Fest and being forced to take a photo with my four favorite teachers during Prom (you know who you are).

As we prepare for the next chapter ahead of us, we need to remember what we will be leaving behind. We will miss having a welcoming student lounge all to ourselves, accessible student hours, and of course, free food. These everyday moments, the ones we barely noticed at the time, are the ones we’ll miss the most. However, we will not be missing the numerous post-AP projects, college essays, or times the vending machine scammed us.

I also want to take the time to congratulate you all on your college acceptances. Whether you are attending your dream school or simply trying to get as far away from your parents as possible, I’m confident it will work out. We will carry the values BASIS instilled in us to college and beyond, including hard work, perseverance, and the courage to negotiate every and any assignment we find unfair.

I look into the crowd, and I see future doctors, engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and many other successful professionals. I hope we all stay in touch in the future, whether as friends or as simply colleagues, we call for investment advice.

I’m sure you’re waiting for a cliche ending or overused quote, but we’re innovators here, so you’re going to have to keep on waiting forever. I also know many of you have been impatiently waiting at the finish line for the past three months now. Well, guess what, we’re all caught up now, so are you ready to graduate?

Thank you, Class of 2026, and good luck.

# # #

Thank you to Gregory, Nate, and our entire Class of 2026 for leaving their mark on our school community! We will be cheering you on these next few months during the transition to college, and remember, you will always have a home here.

Term Project Week: Hands on Learning and Discovering Passions Through Multidisciplinary Projects

June 25, 2026 by emilyhughes Leave a Comment

Term Project Week is a special tradition across all BASIS Independent Schools. At BASIS Independent Bellevue, Project Week is a much anticipated time on campus by teachers and students alike. After a year of learning, studying, and exams, the teachers are eager to create projects around their passions and share them with students. Term Project Week provides a space for students to discover new passions through multidisciplinary projects.

When walking around campus during Project Week you might see students learning how to line dance, while other students are building volcanoes as they learn about Pompeii, and some students may even be designing and building their own race cars. The excitement of Project Week isn’t limited to projects on campus, but expands into the community as well. This year we had students who got to learn about the intertidal zone and explore three different beaches in the Puget Sound. Beyond that we have groups of students who will be traveling to Alaska, France, and Norway for their Project Week.

Take a look at some of the projects we had this year and see what happens when students have the opportunity to explore passions and delve into creative projects.

Wearable Art Studio: Become a Fashion Designer

This project was led by Ms. Tseng and Ms. Haugen for students in grades 3–5. Students got to create custom totes bags, hats, and bandanas using printmaking, fabric paint, and tie-dye techniques. Their project culminated with a runway showcase where the designers got to debut their one-of-a-kind creations!

Chinese Cooking Camp

Ms. Pan and Ms. Chen, two of our Subject Expert Teachers in Mandarin, took students in grades 3–4 on a fun and flavorful journey into the world of Chinese cooking. During this project students used their team work skills to prepare vegetables, meat, and other ingredients. All of the students had a blast growing their confidence in the kitchen. But the best part of this project — trying and sharing the delicious food they created with friends!

Splish Splash

Ms. E-E and Ms. Rieger left campus behind for Project Week and took a group of grade 6–8 students to explore different forms of outdoor exercise, including hiking, kayaking, and paddleboarding. This group of students loved immersing themselves in nature for the week and admiring the beauty of the lakes and forests that are in their own backyard. A highlight of this project was getting to see a turtle in its natural habitat!

Rome 3-D Model Lab

In this project students in grade 7–10 became Roman architects and city planners for the week, as they reconstructed the monuments of the ancient world. Students learned how the Romans designed their cities and the engineering and architectural techniques that made Rome famous. Students then worked in teams to create detailed models of famous Roman monuments, using physical materials and digital tools.

Fiber Arts

Many students in grades 5–10 chose to explore the colorful world of weaving, led by Ms. Dreskin. Students got to explore texture and pattern as they built their own unique woven pieces with yarn and other creative fibers. Artists got to learn weaving techniques, as wells as knotting, fringe, and mixed-material details.

Erupting History: Build a Volcano and Discover Pompeii

Another group of grade 3–5 students explored the history and science behind the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Students analyzed archaeological evidence and created their very own working volcano models of Mount Vesuvius. Getting to make the volcanoes erupt was a highlight for all!

Term Project Week is a cherished tradition at BASIS Independent Bellevue that highlights the joyful learning culture we nurture on our campus. We are grateful for our teachers who work hard to create engaging projects and our students who consistently bring their passion, innovation, and creativity into each project.

From Page to Carnegie Hall: Celebrating Kurn S., Class of 2026

June 24, 2026 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

For many students, writing is an assignment. For Kurn S., it has always been something deeper—a way to understand the world, and himself within it.

That passion culminated this year in one of the highest honors a young writer can achieve. Kurn was named a 2026 National Gold Medal Portfolio Award recipient in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, placing him among just 16 students nationwide selected from over 10,000 submissions. The award represents the highest distinction in the competition and is awarded to only 16 high school seniors each year—8 artists and 8 writers. As part of this recognition, Kurn received a $12,500 scholarship and traveled to New York City, where he was honored on stage at Carnegie Hall.

Kurn S. holds his National Gold Medal Portfolio Award at Carnegie Hall, honoring his achievement as one of just 8 writers nationwide selected for this distinction.

His winning portfolio, Cosmology of My Second Spines, explores themes of identity, memory, and reconstruction. Rather than building a perfectly cohesive collection, Kurn leaned into something more authentic.

“My portfolio existed less as a curation of connected works and instead displayed the real, live way the human mind moves through memories the body refuses to remember,” he shared.

This willingness to embrace complexity—and even fragmentation—is part of what defines his voice as a writer. His English Subject Expert Teacher, Hal Hansen, describes his work as “sincere, personal, and very intuitive,” noting that “he’s very creative and original.”

In addition to his Scholastic recognition, Kurn was also named a 2026 YoungArts Winner with Distinction, placing him among the top 150 young creatives nationwide. Earlier this year, he traveled to Miami for National YoungArts Week, where he collaborated with peers across disciplines and performed his work at the historic Lyric Theater. He also served as the 2025–2026 Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate, acting as a literary ambassador and working with local schools and organizations to expand access to creative writing.

Kurn S. performs his spoken word poetry at the historic Lyric Theater during National YoungArts Week in Miami.

Behind these accomplishments is a process grounded in observation and patience. Kurn describes constantly capturing small, fleeting moments—details that might otherwise go unnoticed—and later transforming them into layered imagery and metaphor. His work often evolves over time, revisited and refined with fresh perspective.

At BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, he credits his growth in part to his AP English Literature experience, where he was able to put language to instincts he had developed on his own. Through studying poetic structure, sound, and technique, he strengthened both his analytical and creative confidence.

Still, sharing deeply personal work has not always come easily. Writing, for him, is often an act of vulnerability—one that requires both courage and acceptance.

“It’s most important for me to be proud of what I have created, and to know that it is brave to share my work with the world,” he reflected.

This mindset has shaped not only his success, but also his perspective on achievement. While recognition has been meaningful, he remains grounded in the purpose behind his work.

“Art should always be written first for the self and second for the audience.”

Hansen sees this dedication as something lasting well beyond high school. “I think Kurn is going to be writing for the rest of his life,” he shared. “He’s a natural born writer, and writers tend to write.”

This fall, Kurn will attend Stanford University, where he plans to major in Symbolic Systems, an interdisciplinary field combining neuroscience, linguistics, computer science, and philosophy. While he does not plan to pursue writing professionally, he intends to continue engaging with poetry through spoken word groups, student publications, and research exploring the intersection of neuroscience and creative expression.

Kurn celebrates a milestone moment, holding his diploma at graduation as he closes one chapter and begins the next.

“In a lot of ways, this recognition feels like a simultaneous cap on my high school creative writing career and a stepping stone for the next era of my life,” he said. “I will always consider myself a poet.”

His achievement also reflects a broader culture of writing at BISV. As Hansen noted, “There are more young writers at BISV than you’d maybe think… and Kurn did really well this year.”

From the classroom to the stage at Carnegie Hall, Kurn’s journey reflects the power of authentic expression and the impact of pursuing one’s passions with intention. As he begins this next chapter, his voice—and the stories he tells—will undoubtedly continue to evolve.

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bobcat community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Meet Our New Subject Expert Teacher, Ms. Prachi Agarwal

June 11, 2026 by nathanielyinger Leave a Comment

With over 19 years of experience in education, Ms. Prachi is a dedicated educator and lifelong learner committed to fostering engaging, meaningful, and student-centered learning experiences that inspire curiosity, confidence, and academic growth. Ms. Prachi has worked across diverse educational settings in India and the United States as a classroom teacher.

Ms. Prachi holds the following degrees: Master of Education, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Science in Biology, and Bachelor of Law and postgraduate diplomas in Personnel Management.

Ms. Prachi believes learning is most powerful when it is inquiry-driven, engaging, and meaningful, and strives to create inclusive classrooms where students feel supported, challenged, and encouraged to think critically, collaborate, and grow in confidence.

Ms. Prachi views education as a continuous journey of growth for both students and educators, and she is committed to fostering a positive learning environment where every child feels valued and empowered. She believes that education is a transformative tool that fosters meaningful change and growth in society as well as within the community.

Outside the classroom, Ms. Prachi enjoys music, reading, and cooking.

What drew you to join our school community?
I was drawn to BASIS Independent Dublin because of its unique academic model that blends rigor, depth of understanding, and a culture of inquiry. I deeply connect with the idea of challenging students not just to learn content, but to think critically, question deeply, and engage meaningfully with their learning.

What are you most excited about in your first year at BASIS Independent Dublin?
I am most excited about building strong relationships with my students and creating a classroom environment where curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking can thrive. I look forward to designing engaging learning experiences that connect classroom learning to the real world, and to contributing positively to the school community.

What advice do you give to students who want to succeed in your class?
My advice to students is to approach learning with curiosity and enthusiasm, and to truly enjoy the process of discovering new ideas. Learning becomes most meaningful when you are actively involved—asking questions, exploring concepts deeply, and connecting what you learn to the world around you.

What do you hope students will remember most about your class in the future?
I hope students remember my classroom as a very happy place where they felt safe, supported, and encouraged to grow both academically and personally. Beyond that, I hope they leave with a strong conceptual understanding of what they learned and the confidence to use that knowledge in new and real-world situations.

BASIS Independent Dublin is a Grades 5 – 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the BASIS Independent Dublin community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Term Project Spotlight: Exploring Creativity Through Glass Blowing and Fusing

June 5, 2026 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

What happens when students step outside the traditional classroom and into a glass studio? In this hands-on Term Project, students in grades 9–11 explored the art and science of glass through both on-campus creation and real-world experience.

Students spent the week working with both hot and cold glass, discovering new techniques and pushing their creativity in exciting ways. On campus, they practiced glass fusion by designing their own pieces, cutting cold glass, and firing their work in a kiln. These projects ranged from detailed pendants to larger glass scenes, each one showcasing careful planning and artistic expression. As Max P. shared, the experience offered “so much creative liberty,” giving students the freedom to explore their own ideas while building new skills.

The experience extended beyond campus with a visit to the Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI), where students worked with hot glass reaching temperatures of nearly 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. With guidance from professional instructors, they rotated, blew, and shaped molten glass to create their own bowls. Students selected their preferred shapes and colors, watching as clear glass was rolled in vibrant frit—small pieces of colored glass—before being transformed into one-of-a-kind pieces. Reflecting on the experience, Rachel Van Dusen summed it up simply: “It blew me away.”

Over the course of the project, each student completed at least three pieces: a blown glass bowl, a small fused pendant, and a larger fused design. Along the way, they gained not only technical skills, but also a deeper appreciation for the medium. As teacher Sarah Hetu noted, “This Term Project brought students a great respect for working with glass—we truly learned that challenging mediums give us the most rewarding work.”

Beyond the techniques, students valued the opportunity to collaborate, create, and enjoy the process together. Mansi S. shared that the project allowed her to “be productive and have fun with my friends and teachers,” while Ximo (George) T. added that he “would definitely do it again.” For some, the impact was lasting—Olivia X. reflected, “Glass blowing changed my life.”

The week concluded with a Glass Showcase, where students proudly displayed their creations for families and staff to enjoy, celebrating all they had learned and accomplished.

From first cuts of cold glass to shaping molten material in the studio, this Term Project gave students a unique opportunity to explore creativity in a completely new medium—one that challenged them, inspired them, and left a lasting impression.

Global Finance And Fearless Curiosity Collide: Brookfield Investors Visit Our Upper School

May 29, 2026 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

What happens when some of the world’s leading institutional investors step inside an NYC private school powered by fearless, independent thinking?

[Read more…]

Meet Our New Dean of Students: Mr. Alexander Seto

May 27, 2026 by nathanielyinger Leave a Comment

Mr. Seto holds an MA in Counseling Psychology from Yorkville University and BA from The University of Western Ontario. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he is a Registered Psychotherapist and Canadian Certified Counselor. He has spent the past six years at St. Andrew’s College, a leading independent boarding school, where he served as the school’s first full-time counselor and a student and staff wellness leader, working with students across grades 5 through 12.

Mr. Seto believes effective student support is holistic and relationship-driven. Students thrive in communities that foster a genuine sense of belonging and are provided the structures, resources, and opportunities that support their growth. At St. Andrew’s, he worked across all of these areas, providing direct individual support, building programs, coaching teams, and organizing student and staff events.

Mr. Seto joins BASIS Independent Dublin as a founding member and looks forward to being part of a community that is just beginning to take shape. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife, competing in squash, playing chess, and staying active.

What inspired you to work in schools, and what drew you to the BASIS Independent Dublin community?

I have spent the past six years at St. Andrew’s College, a leading independent boarding school in Canada, and have come to appreciate the impact a positive school environment can have. Beyond academics, schools are a place where students figure out what they are good at, where friendships form, and where they are exposed to opportunities they might not have found anywhere else. Supporting students through that and being part of the programming and planning behind it is work I find genuinely meaningful.

With BASIS Independent Dublin being in its founding year, I look at this as an opportunity to create a supportive, student-centered culture. I am looking forward to being part of building a school where students have a strong sense of belonging and can thrive.

How would you describe your approach to student support and engagement?

Approachability and consistency are two things I prioritize when working with students. Students should know they can come to you regardless of what they are dealing with, and this involves having the right structures and resources in place so that when they do, there is something meaningful to offer. Support works best when it is accessible for a variety of needs.

My background as a counselor and clinician shapes a lot of how I work with students. I approach conversations with patience and without judgment, and I try to understand what is going on underneath the surface rather than responding only to what is immediately visible. From there the focus becomes identifying what supports and resources can genuinely help, and making sure students and families know what is available to them.

What aspect(s) of your new role are you most excited about?

I am looking forward to establishing relationships with students and families at BASIS Independent Dublin as we all head into its founding year, understanding what this community needs, and building the kind of support structures that can grow with the school over time.

Senior Project Spotlight: Aarohi G. Weeks 9 – 10

May 27, 2026 by mirandamartinez Leave a Comment

The Senior Project is an independent, student-led culmination of our high school experience. After three years of academic preparation, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying the skills and knowledge they have gained to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and professional in nature. This year, we are proud to showcase a senior from one of our neighboring campuses, BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, Aarohi G.

Week 9: Second Stages

This week, my priority continues to be wrapping up my work with civics education requirements and on-campus polling. Results and progress on this front will come next week two, as I wrap up with analysis that keeps high-schoolers and non-voting methods of participation in mind.

Civics Education

To study civics education, I chose to see if there was a correlation between states’ requirements and their average voter turnout over the timeframe of 2014 to 2024. To do this, I first compiled the data from a study by Craiutu and Ngalande titled “State Civics Requirements In 2024.” This article detailed the states that participated in each combination of civics course and test (ex. no course and no test, no course and test not required to pass, etc.)

Then, I found the average voter turnout for each state and created a heatmap showing, as a scale which combinations corresponded to the least and highest voter turnout.

On-Campus Polling

The states selected for this study appeared neither in SDVR or AVR lists, to remove possibility of impact from these legislations. As manually entering the data proved to be the only option, I began for the first three states on the list. Using the College Scorecard dataset, which contains comprehensive details on each college in the U.S., I clustered similar colleges by factors like tuition, acceptance rate, and type (private, for-profit, non-profit, etc.).

From these clusters, I paired the most similar colleges within the state, where one college was a treatment university found in the list offering on-campus polling sites, and the other is a control. Finally, I affirmed each college’s validity to belong within their own clusters by calculating their silhouette score (colorcoded indicating green as very reliable, yellow as fairly reliable, and red is unreliable).

For the next week, I’ll be tackling the second step to this analysis: comparing the number of registered voters in each college in the pair. To do this, I’ll be accessing the college’s NSLVE reports. While some are easily found online, and colleges who participate are found on a website called All In Challenge, that website often allows colleges to hide their reports from public view. So, for those that I cannot find online, I’ll be reaching out to All In representatives for the reports, as suggested on the website.

Week 10: Forward Steps

This week, I got to make major improvements to my process for studying on-campus polling sites that will help me wrap up this stage.

As we discussed last week, my two main sources for this section of the project were Voter Friendly Campus and College Scorecard. The first offers a list of the voter-friendly campuses per state that offer a polling site in two-school-year intervals. The states I chose, which never had Same Day or Automatic Voter Registration, were Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and North Carolina. College Scorecard offers comprehensive information on each U.S. college, which I used to determine the most similar pairs of control and treatment colleges.

Now, I increased the number of parameters used to judge whether two colleges were similar, now being able to determine the size of colleges (to avoid comparing very big colleges to small ones) and separate community colleges from 4-year institutions.

When making the new pairs, I included both of their individual silhoutte scores (determining how well they belonged in their own college groups) and their match distance (how closely the two colleges were related to each other). This two-method approach ensures I picked the best pairs. From there, I chose the best from each state.

Now the challenge was one that I had discussed last week, finding the voter registration counts within each college. It’s the best way to see real effects of polling sites. To do this, I was searching the internet for each college’s NSLVE reports, where they disclose information like this.

And while a lot of these pairs can’t be counted because their information isn’t online, the ones that can will be the specific case studies I’ll focus on in my final analysis. It seems like an inevitable limitation of studying on-campus polling sites.

So while finding the data for this wasn’t as straightforward as some other variables I studied, I’m glad I can still move forward.

BASIS Independent Dublin is a Grades 6 – 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the BASIS Independent Dublin community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Senior Project Spotlight: Patrick Z. Weeks 9 – 10

May 26, 2026 by mirandamartinez Leave a Comment

Week 9: Lifting the Paper Weight

Hi everyone and welcome to Week 9 of my senior project blog! This entire week has been spent working on scientific communication. I drafted the full research paper, which was as mentally taxing as debugging my quantum circuits. I used the noise sweep experiment results to draw conclusions using principles of entanglement and superposition, and made sure to explain the theoretical advantages of quantum neural networks without overusing complex TensorFlow codes. The majority of my time was actually spent aligning my references to perfection, in ACS format, and trying to fix the problem of not having enough bolded years or italicized volume numbers.

As soon as the paper was done, I started planning out visuals for my Senior Project Exhibition. Transforming a large scientific paper into an attractive poster and a compelling presentation involves many different challenges. I decided to start with designing my poster and its hierarchy. I put the circuit architecture side by side with a graph of the model breaking down under Additive White Gaussian Noise: a visual contrast intended to help my audience grasp my argument. In parallel, I started outlining my presentation slides so that I could tell a clear story from my eureka moment about how qubits are disrupting cryptography and leading to accurate traffic light classification models.

Doing all this work, an even bigger revelation came to me: Commit Day is coming on Friday! It’s crazy how, while discussing the future of quantum computing, I’m about to finalize my own plans for college. It’s incredible how close we are to graduation, and working on this project makes me realize how everything is ending. This process is pretty emotional, but it’s amazing how everything is falling into place. Next week, I’m going to concentrate on rehearsing my speech and finishing the last touches of my interactive web app demo.

Week 10: Pixels and Practice

Hello, and welcome back to Week 10 of my senior project blog! With Commit Day finally behind me, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I now have the freedom to focus fully on preparing for my capstone exhibition. This week’s major victory has definitely been completing my presentation slides, and the primary hurdle I had to overcome has been ensuring that I don’t bore my audience to death with dry TensorFlow metrics and technicalities. Instead, I decided to craft a compelling narrative: a story of classical AI’s inability to cope with the chaos inherent to real-life data, such as blurry dashcam footage, and how QNN entanglement acts as a natural buffer against errors.

While crafting my presentation, I have also been busy working on my exhibition poster. I am almost finished with it, but one final element still needs some work. At the moment, I find myself struggling immensely with the visual hierarchy, specifically placing two contrasting sets of clear, static-filled traffic light images precisely next to the degradation curves to highlight the difference in performance between my QNN and its classical counterpart. With only a couple more tweaks to the poster design, it’ll be ready for printing.

I worked hard to make sure my visual deliverables look great. However, the true horror of capstone presentations is finally dawning on me. I actually have to verbalize and explain all of this content within a limited time to a live audience. While playing with circuit designs in Google Colab is certainly much more relaxing than presenting them aloud, I will be doing the latter next week.