To some students, the senior project is just another assignment Clark Magnet throws their way and they just do it to get it done. Once finished with their project, they move forward, never looking back.

However, for seniors who choose a topic that is close to their interests, their projects can create a pathway to a future career. “The senior project is a great idea,” said senior class English teacher Narine Tatevosian. “If it’s not done correctly, though, I can understand why students feel like they can’t take anything away from it.”

The senior project was formed so seniors could demonstrate their ability to apply the skills they’ve learned in school to real-world situations and projects. It consists of a six- to eight-page argumentative research paper on a topic that relates to the project, fieldwork, a final product, a portfolio and a presentation.

Since the senior project lasts the entire year, senior class English teachers stress the importance of choosing a project that the students are interested in; otherwise it becomes a chore. “If you pick a topic just for the grade, then you’ll have a long nine months,” said English teacher Conrad Pruitt. “The judges and I want to see a project that students have put clear effort in and reflects true passion.”

Clark alumni Nicolas Alparaz was one who benefited immensely from the senior project. Alparaz graduated from Clark in 2005 and since then has been working on the board of the San Gabriel Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity, an organization whose goal it is to provide affordable housing to deserving, low income families.

When Alparaz was a senior, he became involved with Habitat for Humanity by chronicling the creation of his family home in Glendale for his senior project. “I chose to do this as my senior project primarily because it was very personal in nature,” Alparaz said. “My parents immigrated to the United States with a goal of one day owning a home, and Habitat for Humanity helped them attain this goal. So I wanted to be as close to this process as possible.”

Alparaz’s involvement with Habitat for Humanity gave him an opportunity to join the organization once his project was done. Not only does the senior project provide opportunities for students to find a job suited to their interests, but it also teaches them important skills needed in real jobs. “At the most granular level, I learned time management and prioritizing when completing a project over the course of several months,” Alparaz said.

However, choosing a topic that is interesting to the student doesn’t guarantee that the fieldwork will be an easy process. 2013 Clark Alumni Karlen Galstian enrolled into a police explorer academy for his senior project. In the program, Galstian and others had to endure rigorous physical training and academic courses. His interest in law enforcement was inspired by his older brother who had went through police training himself and had enjoyed it. “I learned the very basics of police work like the proper protocol to follow during police stops, some radio codes for different types of crimes, what an officer can and can’t do, and just some other general topics that come along with police work,” Galstian said.

Though his senior project piqued his interest, it also proved to be difficult to accomplish. Galstian had to wake up every Saturday at around 5:30 a.m. so that he could manage to drive to the academy to participate in gruelling physical exercises and boot camp-type training.

He had to balance the training, the courses from the academy and also his Clark schoolwork for the whole of his senior year. “After going through this, which I consider to be one of the preliminary steps, I decided that police work probably wouldn’t be for me,” Galstian said. “It is essentially dealing with the worst of society or the worst of situations constantly.”

After finishing his training program and graduating, Galstian decided to look at the experience positively instead of regretting the entire project. “I’m glad I chose this project because it let me eliminate a potential career path which is better to do sooner than later,” Galstian said.

Jobs after high school don’t always have to be as grand as Alparaz’s. Sometimes all one needs is to just get one’s foot in the door. 2015 Clark alumni Artin Martirosyan did his senior project on working in the restaurant, Eden Burger Bar in Glendale, and understanding the drawbacks of GMO-based food. “I’ve always been interested in creating dishes,” Martirosyan said. “I chose that as my senior project because I wanted to educate myself more regarding food and what it takes to work at a restaurant.”
After he graduated and his project was completed, Martirosyan went back to Eden Burger Bar and continued his work there but as a full-paying employee. With the experience he earned from working at the restaurant for his project, Martirosyan was able to secure a job that was suited to his interests. “The senior project helped me improve my cooking, social and time management skills, and without that preparation I probably would not have been able to succeed at what I do now,” Martirosyan said.