Superintendent Paul Zinni and Principal Dr. Lisa Mobley announce that several King Philip Regional High School students will be graduating with Distinction in Liberal Arts as members of the Class of 2023.
In order to achieve distinction status, students must propose a project and work with an advisor to complete action steps approved by a KPRHS faculty panel.
“Every year we have a select group of students who want to further their education in a topic that is of interest or meaningful to them, and the results of these projects truly show how they have become experts in their chosen subject area through their research,” Superintendent Zinni said. “I’m extremely pleased to announce this year’s Distinction in Liberal Arts recipients and I would like to commend them for their hard work on the following projects.”
Students who will be graduating with Distinction in Liberal Arts include the following:
- Hailey Beane – Media Consumption: How it Impacts Children
Beane collaborated with the Norfolk Public Library to educate parents of young children about how media consumption affects children and how media can be curated to foster educational and emotional growth. As part of her project, Beane created a detailed poster to present her research and conclusions to the public. The poster was displayed at the library in the children’s section to inform parents as they selected books with and for their children.
- Helena Bekele – Rags But No Riches: Working Class Fashion in the Gilded Age, Great Depression, and 1970s Punk Scene
Bekele researched trends in working-class fashion over the course of three different time periods and drew conclusions about how and why fashion changes over time. She sewed and created three outfits, one from each time period, and displayed them with written explanations in the lobby of the King Philip Regional High School to educate the school community.
- Troy Breen – It Starts with You: The Effect Pollution Has on Climate Change
Through the One Earth Film Festival, Breen discovered a need for educating teenagers about pollution and its impact. He researched the connection between pollution and climate change, as well as the ways teenagers can help mitigate these processes. He crafted this research into an eight-minute creative film that he wrote and directed. The film was then shared with students at King Philip Regional High School and entered into the film festival competition.
- Matthew Kelley – Suicide Prevention Efforts for Adolescents and Young Adults
Kelley worked with Superintendent Zinni, Director of Wellness Dot Pearl and Principal Mobley to create and implement an effective way of promoting mental health awareness in the school community. After conducting background research on suicide prevention efforts and national support resources, Kelley had suicide prevention hotline numbers and a supportive phrase printed on student ID cards for all KP middle and high school students.
- Elizabeth Lewis – The Wampanoag Tribe: Their History and Perspectives
Lewis created a school-wide campaign at King Philip Regional High School to teach students, faculty and staff about Native American history, with a focus on the Wampanoag Tribe and Metacom. After researching Wampanoag history and ways to respectfully educate others through a campaign, Lewis crafted multiple outreach initiatives including a bulletin board, newsletter and morning announcements.
- Bridgett Nally – The Art of Signage: An Investigation into the Creation and Use of Effective Signage
Nally partnered with the Wrentham Conservation Committee to create signs for three nature trails in Wrentham. She researched the components of effective signage and used this information to design signs that will help visitors understand more about their responsibilities for trash removal, as well as educate them about parts of the natural world. The signs she designed were printed and posted on the trails in the spring of 2023.
The students’ diplomas will indicate their graduation with distinction status, and they will be recognized during any senior awards ceremony or graduation exercise that the district holds later in the year.
King Philip Regional High School offers two graduation distinctions — one in liberal arts and another in STEM. Information about those who received a Distinction in STEM will be shared later this week.
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