Isabel Novak proudly shares her Animatronic Penguin project with students in class .
STEM School Seniors Shine
By Benjamin Rickert , Communications Department
There ’ s only one place in Asheville to see a talking mechanical barn owl , organic irrigation systems , mixed martial arts , and a fresh analysis of Amelia Earhart ’ s historical flight . Senior Project night in all BCS high schools is a time when students come together to provide innovative solutions for today ’ s world , conclusions of in-depth research , or new takes on classic questions , as they prepare for life after graduation .
At the Martin L . Nesbitt , Jr . Discovery Academy , students waited eagerly to walk into the classrooms where they would present their work . It was the culmination of months of dedication . They were seen clutching their laptops tightly , reviewing their notes , and making final tweaks to their machines or prototypes . These were the first Senior Project presentations since the Discovery Academy began in 2014 .
“ They ’ ve been impressive from the start ,” said Principal Nathan Allison , who recalled seeing the students walk through the door as freshmen just a few years ago .
Following the evening ’ s presentations , he was most impressed by his students ’ professionalism and deep knowledge of a variety of subjects . At the Academy , every senior is required to do an internship their senior year , and these internships give students an inside look at real industries in our region , from farming to audio recording , or dental science to aeronautical engineering . Students then chose their topics based on what inspired them from their internships and classwork .
Senior Lauren Ballard ’ s internship with The Collider , a local climate science center , inspired her to design a custom carbon emissions testing module for airplanes . John Inman used his newly gained computer
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