16 Seabury Hall students receive first AP Capstone Diplomas on Maui

Seabury Hall, a private prep school in Makawao, conferred AP Capstone Diplomas to 16 students in the inaugural program.

The AP Capstone Diplomas program was piloted at Seabury Hall during the 2021-22 school year and is the only one on Maui, according to a Seabury Hall press release.

The program — which requires students to take the year-long AP Seminar and AP Research courses — is designed to complement and enhance the in-depth study experienced in other AP courses.

Throughout the AP Seminar and AP Research courses, students develop skills to conduct independent inquiry and research projects. Students identify a gap in knowledge in a topic they are interested in and choose a research question to explore throughout the year. The program culminates in a 5,000-word, college-level paper and oral defense presentation.

“In this program, students take charge of developing their own critical thinking and inquiry skills throughout the year,” said Laura Gerken, AP Seminar Instructor.

Students are given a variety of feedback in the first semester, but in the second semester, instructors cannot provide direct written or verbal feedback on the College Board assessment.

“Capstone courses challenge students to understand the power of questions and to take an active role in their own learning,” said Jaime Archer, AP Research Instructor. 

To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must score a three or higher on at least four other AP courses and complete the AP Seminar and AP Research courses. In addition to the 16 AP Capstone Diploma graduates, 20 students earned a score of three or more on the Seminar and Research courses and received the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. 

AP Capstone Diploma Recipients:

• Alara Berkmen
• Lyn Chen
• Luca Connor
• Mia Davies
• Mansa Devaki
• Nikki Fernando 
• Camry Gach
• Christiana Joiner 
• Evan Lipetz 
• Austin Lugo 
• Anthony Martin 
• Johnathan Ross Peck 
• Carter Rosenthal 
• Aina Sunshine-Frazier 
• Tyler Taguchi 
• Leela Waterford

AP Seminar and Research Certificate Recipients:

• Caroline Belew
• Braydon Cabanilla
• Bryce Churchill
• Helena Colletta
• Paris Doan
• Grace Dowd
• Hannah K. Drood
• Prianna Dugied
• Jadyn Gurley
• MacKenzey Hammer
• Agustina Hunziker
• Rio Imperato
• Sara Lampshire
• Valentina Lewis
• Siena Lickle
• Bryanna Molina
• Ginger Thomas
• Darija Trumbo
• Molly Vanden Bos
• Olivia White