For my capstone project, I worked with Umme to research the issues that children face, especially the ones who need to carry oxygen cylinders on daily basis. We planned to make a flexible oxygen cylinder holder that can sense children’s movement so that they don’t always need to be assisted by an adult. However, the process wasn’t very easy as we started working on it, due to not having enough resources. Considering the research and also the accessibility to resources, we had to change our initial plan. We ended up making a car seat belt for the oxygen cylinder that can be used while traveling; it will secure the cylinder well, preventing it from possible accidental drips. After making our product, we presented our project as a proposal to the organization that funded us. Our main goal was to spread awareness on this issue which barely gets spoken about in our community so that people who are in power can take a step toward changing the issue. It was a different and unique experience for both of us. We have learned to think critically about the people and give back to the community that we are in. We noticed how difficult a task could be even though it may seem an easy task to do at first. Lastly, we have to acknowledge not to be afraid to change our plan if things don’t work out the way we wanted to be.

My capstone is essentially a photo gallery that focuses mainly on the Mazda MX-5 Miata, a front engine, rear wheel drive roadster that, ever since its introduction in 1989, had cemented itself as the world’s best selling sports car. This slideshow project focuses itself as a gallery. It begins with outsourced photos, but most of the photos that come out of the photo gallery are photos that I took myself. This process is cumulative of multiple plans that I initially had, but in the end I ultimately found one that still tapped into my own personal interests, given the fact that my own first car is a Miata (and is featured in this project) and I have personally done a lot of research on these cars even before this project had been initiated. The end result is a photo gallery, one that consists of legacy photos from the car’s initial development, the 1989 reveal of the car, old advertisements that I found in the meantime, and ultimately a series of photos that basically exhibit my own personal Miata on the road. In the meantime, I also took the time to basically exhibit captions to accompany the photos with this project, giving some context to the photos being presented as a result of doing so. It was also cool to do so, because in the process, even amid all the personal research I have done with the car, it was cool to see how unlikely of an origin story a Japanese-built car had.

Here is the link to our Capstone. It showcases students from SLA@ Beeber and our experiences here. Also showcases opinions on societal questions about topics that can pertain outside of school.

For my capstone, I recorded a music album about my senior year. I have been making music since I was a sophomore and decided this album would accurately represent my ideas for this project. I decided to name the album “The Senior Tape” and that it would consist of 10 songs with one of those songs being a feature from another senior in high school. Throughout the project, I had to change up my ideas in order to fit a budget as my original idea to create a concert would’ve costed more than I would wanted it to. Overall, this album was very fun to make and can benefit the community by showing people that you can do anything you put your mind to. This album will be available on Soundcloud and Youtube May 27th.

The guiding question that my capstone followed was how are we able to give advice to younger students trying to navigate high school? We wanted to share our experiences with how the reality of high school is actually very different from what we see on television and in movies. The way we went about this process is firstly we wanted to make it longer and include more, but we felt like we should just make it about our experiences and made it the highlight. We created two parts talking about our experiences and we talked about multiple topics in them. I felt like in the end, we learned that high school isn’t going to be perfect like there will be ups and downs, but it was experience that made us who we are today.

Being a student is hard. I see teachers and other people in leading positions, fleetingly mention the importance and presence of a personal life as a student. I rarely see people actually pay attention to it and break down the struggle of balancing your life at home and at school. This struggle is especially difficult as an older sibling because there are more responsibilities that include taking care of yourself and other people (your siblings). I took one of the main challenges I face to focus on and decided to give advice to other students that are in my position. I created a platform where all the information about the struggle and resources on how to better maintain would be incorporated into a website. This idea is the third I had for a capstone but happened to be my last. I am satisfied with my final project and how well it ties into my personal life and literally most of what I have had to deal with throughout my years of schooling. Check it out here at: https://iyesha215.wixsite.com/siblingsitting101

My capstone was centered around the following guiding questions, What ways can we better support young entrepreneurs? What information can we help entrepreneurs obtain that’ll benefit their business skills? In what ways can we bring together young entrepreneurs and make them collaborate? 2 of my classmates and I, who also have businesses of our own, hosted a “Boss Brunch” at Merion Botanical Park where we found vendors that were interested in marketing, networking, and socializing with other young entrepreneurs. Having to find a place for the event, vendors, speakers, a caterer, and get a permit for the park. We charged a $25 vending fee and used the money to pay for tables, chairs, decorations and other things we needed. Providing food and drinks, allowing every business to set up and sell their items and also gain words of encouragement from a few experienced entrepreneurs we found through social media and personal connections. There was also a photographer who captured all the memorable moments at our boss brunch. I learned that even the most successful people have been at the point I’m at now. Everyone left supporting new businesses they didn’t know before the brunch, exchanging social media handles and creating connections that are continuing to last after the brunch. Bringing the young entrepreneur community together and allowing them to connect with each other is the best way to support them because you relate to a group of people just like you and help uplift and support each other.

For my project, I will create an Ep. As well as a video/Documentary titled “Music with a Message”. As African Americans, we live in times where we have to voice our emotions and not be silenced. We have things like social media and politics helping others to push certain narratives and shut others out. So I will answer the question “How is music used in our communities?” For that, we have music artists like Tupac, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, and many others who use their platforms to spread messages that the average person can’t. It has helped the African American community in numerous ways. Their music brings awareness to police brutality, sexual assault, racism/discrimination, rape, suicide, feminism/sexuality, and much more.

Here is the link to my website: https://sites.google.com/slabeeber.org/moon-child/home

For my senior capstone project, I fixed and modified my scooter. At first, I was struggling to come up with a good capstone, but when Mr. Larry recommended that I fix the scooter, it was the perfect idea. Because I do not have independence in the wheelchair, the scooter is a necessity for my everyday living. At first, we switched out the battery. Then, the scooter was still moving slow, so Mr. Larry figured out that it could be the potentiometer, a piece behind the drive select lever that translates movement to the motor. When we replaced the potentiometer with a new one, everything worked great. The scooter was wearing and tearing, and it was plastic. Then, we tried to replace the plastic with wood. Lastly, we spray painted the scooter black, because it looked ugly.

While I could have replaced the scooter with a new one, fixing it was fun, inexpensive and more customizable. Also, I learned how the scooter functions. Fixing the scooter needed a lot of problem solving. It is inexpensive because the problem was in the potentiometer, and the batteries and replacing those cost less than replacing the whole thing. To customize, we had to be creative and figure out material and placement on parts of the scooter. I am happy with the product that I got, because now I could maneuver on my own.