For my Senior Capstone project, I wanted to do something that mattered to me and could help my community. I started by asking, “How can we help kids have more places to go outside of home and school?” At first, I had a few ideas, like planning an Iftar event during Ramadan, starting MSA classes, or doing a clothes drive. But things didn’t work out—some plans got rejected, and others were just too hard to pull off. After talking with my advisor, I decided to volunteer at the Francisville Recreation Center. It was something I could do right away and something I cared about. I spent time with the kids there, playing games, helping out, and making them feel welcome. I realized that just being there for them made a big difference. I also learned that a lot of kids don’t go to places like rec centers because no one invites them or makes them feel excited to come. This project helped me see how important it is to have fun, safe places for kids to hang out. I also found out that I’m good at talking to kids and making them feel comfortable. Doing this project made me proud because I helped create the kind of space I wish I had when I was younger. Even though it didn’t start the way I planned, it turned into something really meaningful for me and the community.

As a senior in high school, my service learning project has been one of the most impactful and eye-opening experiences of my educational journey. For my Capstone, I chose to focus on environmental sustainability, particularly on understanding the importance of protecting our environment and community in Philadelphia. This included hands-on service learning with Audubon Mid-Atlantic, focusing on invasive species and the crucial role young people play in preserving the world around them. Looking back, I am most proud of how I was able to turn my passion for environmental care into a project that made a real difference and educated others along the way. One of the most powerful lessons I learned during this project was just how connected we are to the environment. Every decision we make, from how we dispose of trash to what we plant in our gardens, affects the health of our communities. Through working with Audubon Mid-Atlantic, I was able to participate in habitat restoration activities and learn about the challenges facing bird populations and native plants in Philadelphia. One major focus of our service was addressing invasive species, like picking up the honeysuckle with the lopper tool, which threatens native trees that birds and pollinators depend on. Before this project, I didn’t realize how dangerous a single non-native species could be. After helping to remove invasive plants and learning about how they disrupt entire ecosystems, I saw how quickly environmental damage can spread and why proactive care is so important.

My capstone project focuses on the importance of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim. Three juniors (Sa’d, Ramlah, and Jabriel) and I came together to begin an organization named MSA, which stands for Muslim Student Association. This was one of the best things we could have added to the SLA Beeber community because the Islamic community is growing everyday and more students are converting more and more each day. On Wednesdays, we teach our students new lessons and give homework after so that the knowledge doesn’t leave their brains. For example, our first lesson was teaching the students the Arabic alphabet and what the basics of Islam. After that, we moved onto the importance of covering and obeying Allah. As the MSA increased, the leaders decided that it’ll be a great idea to host an Iftar at school and welcome all muslim and non muslims who don’t attend SLA Beeber as well. This event took place on April 12,2023 and over 100 people attended. Each MSA member spoke and we also had a guest speaker, Mufti Muhammad (Imam at Masjid in New York). This entire process was stressful but we all worked together so that it wouldn’t take a toll on one of us instead of all. After all of the fundraisers, and lessons. We all enjoyed our time at the Iftar and gave lots of knowledge on Islam. The lesson I learned from my project is to never judge a book by its cover. This goes for religious and non religious people. A common mistake others tend to do is, put people inside categories without knowing them internally.

Together with Ola and Saif, we created a musical production course that taught kids how to make their own music. Our goal was to produce a visual and audio experience that will appeal to people from various ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. We aimed to motivate the upcoming generation of musicians and artists by imparting our experience and expertise. Not only do we now understand the importance of cooperation but also the importance of curriculums. The experience has been great because of the freedom of breaking out of traditional school schedules and letting kids have some fun in an environment they’d dread.

The capstone at Science Leadership Academy allows students to showcase what it is that they have a passion for and how they want to do it. For me that happened to be finance. I’m glad I was able to teach the kids a very useful life lesson that I hope stays with them for the rest of their lives.