The top row from left to right is Ms. Wesolowski, Ms. Scott, Rory MacDonald, Claire Essig, Reese Sheeler, Hannah Brooks, and Ms.Lipsky. The bottom row from left to right is Emily Gilley, Bella Marson, Cynthia Karanikolis, and Meg Karnicki.
Throughout the semester, Senior Leadership Scholars worked on their Capstone independent study. They each chose an original research topic on a leadership discipline and presented a 30-minute presentation on their findings. On January 16, the eight Leadership Scholars presented their Capstone five-minute executive summaries to friends and family.
The Capstone project is part of Maryvale's unique Leadership Certificate Program, which launched in the 2018-2019 school year. It offers specialized, in-depth leadership training and experiences that will further distinguish young women throughout their educational, professional, and personal endeavors.
Bella Marson: Paving the Way for Successful Leaders through a Christian Education
Bella chose this topic because she wants to be a teacher, specifically in a Christian school. She expressed how religion is extremely important to her. "My 'aha' moment was when I realized how beneficial the Capstone class has been and how my long, hard work has paid off."
Rory MacDonald: Disparities in Healthcare: Supporting the Needs of Underserved Groups
Rory chose this topic because of her personal interests and the need to advocate for this large issue. Her "aha" moment when completing this project was looking at the statistics from Baltimore and realizing how close the issues were to her.
Claire Essig: The Effects of Postpartum Depression on Women in their Careers
Claire chose this topic because she wants to become a labor and delivery nurse or NICU nurse. During this experience, she realized how much she enjoys public speaking!
Emily Gilley: Female Leadership in the Pediatric Medical Profession
Emily chose this topic because of her passion and interest in pediatrics and working with children. "The biggest 'aha' moment for me was when I was going through my interview results and saw how much passion and love the women I interviewed have for the pediatric field, which made me even more inclined to join."
Cynthia Karanikolis: Female Business Leaders with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities
Cynthia chose this topic to spread awareness about the disorder. She wanted to share how ADHD is not negative, as many assume, and there are many female leaders with ADHD. "I picked this topic to show what ADHD really is and to prove that being a leader with ADHD is a positive in the workplace." Cynthia wants to make sure people do not judge others with this disorder since they can't control they have it.
Meg Karnicki: Challenges and Ethical Responsibilities of Leaders in the Beauty Care Industry
Meg chose this topic because she has always loved using cosmetics and has always been interested in how the industry became what it is today. Throughout her research, she was surprised to hear not many people were fazed by animal testing.
Reese Sheeler: Leaders in Law Enforcement: The Emerging Role of Women
Hannah Brooks: Employee Retention and Turnover Rates: How are they Affected by Leadership?
Hannah chose this topic because of her life experiences. She says she has encountered different leadership styles while playing sports, acting, and working. Some she describes as good, where people rave about how amazing their work is, and others not so great. "As I hope to become a pharmacist and run my own pharmacy, I want to be a good leader and learn what employees like to stay in business. This project helped me discover the insights of keeping employees in a business and how I can help my future coworkers/employees grow." Hannah expressed that through her research, she found successful leaders listen to their employees and communicate thoroughly throughout the company.
This school year, we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Patricia J. Mitchell ’65 Leadership Institute. Our school-wide leadership programming is nationally and internationally recognized! Encompassing academic training and real-life experiences, the Mitchell Leadership Institute builds leadership skills that catapult young women ahead in college, career, and life.
