The Pillars of SSHS
Throughout this project, I have demonstrated the four pillars of SSHS: scholarship, skill, honor, and service.
SSHS- Scholarship
During my time at Santa Susana High School, I have shown an interest in STEM and have taken many courses within it to further my education. Some of my favorite classes I've taken include AP Environmental Science, AP Physics, and AP Calculus AB and BC. I believe my passion for STEM is what drove me to want to run this event, and I couldn't have done it without it. It was also important for me to understand what the booths entailed, so I could explain it to the volunteers who signed up to run those booths. In addition to participating in the event for my first three years of high school, during my third year, I shadowed the coordinator for that year, attending meetings and helping with the event, and I was able to learn about the basics of how the event was organized.
SSHS- Skill
Throughout my experience organizing the STEAM Expo, many skills were necessary and learned. To run this event, I had to show my dedication to STEM to show that I would be a good candidate for this position. I had to demonstrate many acts of leadership throughout this project, as I would be the one making the decisions on the event. This showed the most on the day of set up before the event and the day of the event, as I had to adapt in a fast-paced environment and make decisions quickly. I also showcased my skills in organization and time management. There was a lot to do to make this event happen, so I always made sure I knew what I would have to do and planned my time to get it done in advance when possible. If I had to choose what I learned the most about, it would be in communication. Throughout this project, I learned the importance of communication, making sure everyone knows what they are supposed to know. I emailed my mentor frequently and met with her about once a week. I learned it is also important to communicate what your expectations are of others and what they expect of you, so everyone is on the same page. I struggled with this and speaking up about it, and as a result, it lead to misunderstandings of the division of labor. On the other side, I was very pleased to see my growth in speaking to others. As a more reserved person, I struggle to speak with confidence and clarity, but after the event, I was pleased when I realized I never had anyone ask me to repeat myself or speak up. This event has helped me grow confidence in my decisions.
SSHS- Honor
I held myself to a high standard of honor while doing this project. I was disciplined to complete this project without cutting corners, and was determined to complete this project with my best efforts. At the same time, I was also not afraid to ask for help when needed, and accept it when people offered. I kept my honor as I will not claim full credit for this event and gave credit where credit was due, as it took the combination of so many people to create it, from the PTSA volunteers to the photographers. I would not have been able to do it without them. From the beginning, I felt very excited to run this event, and put my best effort into everything I did. Throughout the project, many tasks were new to me, but I pushed myself to do them when it felt difficult and learned from my mistakes. Another thing that I wanted to be honorable about was how I presented myself and treated others. As this would be my first time running an event, I anticipated being under lot of stress, and I did not want to bring myself down by not treating others well when blinded by stress. I succeeded better than I had imagined, however, as I felt very calm and collected within the fast-paced environment of running the event, and when I asked others for feedback, I was told I came off as calm and polite. I believe my discipline and standards I set for myself allowed me to succeed, as I was fueled by my own honor system to be the person I wanted to be.
SSHS- Service
The whole purpose of my senior project was to provide a service to my community to inspire others about STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. STEM has always appealed to me, and I wanted to share my passion for it so it can inspire others about it too. I have had a booth in the event since my freshman year, but I always knew I wanted to do more, so when I had the opportunity to shadow I took it, and now I am here. This has been an amazing opportunity, and it made me very happy to see all the visitors ask questions and enjoy the event while students showcased the passion for their booths. To allow people to reach this service, I had to make sure there was sufficient advertising for the event. I put up posters around Simi Valley in places families could see it, such as the library and coffee shops, while also having flyers distributed to the elementary schools through Kristine Ly and Likhitha Yettela's senior project. To reach participants, I reached out to teachers and clubs on campus and also had announcements shown in classrooms and on the weekly news. In the end, we were able to reach over 1000 people that visited the event.
SSHS- Scholarship
During my time at Santa Susana High School, I have shown an interest in STEM and have taken many courses within it to further my education. Some of my favorite classes I've taken include AP Environmental Science, AP Physics, and AP Calculus AB and BC. I believe my passion for STEM is what drove me to want to run this event, and I couldn't have done it without it. It was also important for me to understand what the booths entailed, so I could explain it to the volunteers who signed up to run those booths. In addition to participating in the event for my first three years of high school, during my third year, I shadowed the coordinator for that year, attending meetings and helping with the event, and I was able to learn about the basics of how the event was organized.
SSHS- Skill
Throughout my experience organizing the STEAM Expo, many skills were necessary and learned. To run this event, I had to show my dedication to STEM to show that I would be a good candidate for this position. I had to demonstrate many acts of leadership throughout this project, as I would be the one making the decisions on the event. This showed the most on the day of set up before the event and the day of the event, as I had to adapt in a fast-paced environment and make decisions quickly. I also showcased my skills in organization and time management. There was a lot to do to make this event happen, so I always made sure I knew what I would have to do and planned my time to get it done in advance when possible. If I had to choose what I learned the most about, it would be in communication. Throughout this project, I learned the importance of communication, making sure everyone knows what they are supposed to know. I emailed my mentor frequently and met with her about once a week. I learned it is also important to communicate what your expectations are of others and what they expect of you, so everyone is on the same page. I struggled with this and speaking up about it, and as a result, it lead to misunderstandings of the division of labor. On the other side, I was very pleased to see my growth in speaking to others. As a more reserved person, I struggle to speak with confidence and clarity, but after the event, I was pleased when I realized I never had anyone ask me to repeat myself or speak up. This event has helped me grow confidence in my decisions.
SSHS- Honor
I held myself to a high standard of honor while doing this project. I was disciplined to complete this project without cutting corners, and was determined to complete this project with my best efforts. At the same time, I was also not afraid to ask for help when needed, and accept it when people offered. I kept my honor as I will not claim full credit for this event and gave credit where credit was due, as it took the combination of so many people to create it, from the PTSA volunteers to the photographers. I would not have been able to do it without them. From the beginning, I felt very excited to run this event, and put my best effort into everything I did. Throughout the project, many tasks were new to me, but I pushed myself to do them when it felt difficult and learned from my mistakes. Another thing that I wanted to be honorable about was how I presented myself and treated others. As this would be my first time running an event, I anticipated being under lot of stress, and I did not want to bring myself down by not treating others well when blinded by stress. I succeeded better than I had imagined, however, as I felt very calm and collected within the fast-paced environment of running the event, and when I asked others for feedback, I was told I came off as calm and polite. I believe my discipline and standards I set for myself allowed me to succeed, as I was fueled by my own honor system to be the person I wanted to be.
SSHS- Service
The whole purpose of my senior project was to provide a service to my community to inspire others about STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. STEM has always appealed to me, and I wanted to share my passion for it so it can inspire others about it too. I have had a booth in the event since my freshman year, but I always knew I wanted to do more, so when I had the opportunity to shadow I took it, and now I am here. This has been an amazing opportunity, and it made me very happy to see all the visitors ask questions and enjoy the event while students showcased the passion for their booths. To allow people to reach this service, I had to make sure there was sufficient advertising for the event. I put up posters around Simi Valley in places families could see it, such as the library and coffee shops, while also having flyers distributed to the elementary schools through Kristine Ly and Likhitha Yettela's senior project. To reach participants, I reached out to teachers and clubs on campus and also had announcements shown in classrooms and on the weekly news. In the end, we were able to reach over 1000 people that visited the event.