Seabury Hall celebrates its AP Capstone Diploma recipients

At Seabury Hall, 14 students have earned the AP Capstone Diploma and six students have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2024-25 school year. The AP Capstone Diploma program helps students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills that are essential to academic success. 

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students who have completed the AP Capstone Diploma program,” said Nicholas Rodriguez, Seabury Hall’s Head of School. “Their success reflects not only their hard work and perseverance but also the unwavering support of our dedicated teachers. Through this rigorous, multi-year journey, our students engaged in deep, meaningful research, an experience that has equipped them with valuable skills and confidence that will benefit them far beyond high school.”

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of three or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP^® Exams of their choice. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research.

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year. Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: Students are encouraged to create research projects based on topics of personal interest. Students are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects. 

At Seabury Hall, students focused their research on a range of topics, including water pollution in Honolua Bay, deepfake image detection strategies, and the economic viability of a greenstrip program at Haleakalā Ranch. 

“The Capstone program lives up to its name,” said Chris Findeisen, English instructor at Seabury Hall. “The students utilize the entire curriculum to pursue their inquiries – everything from inferential statistics to the analysis of peer-reviewed literature. More importantly, their considerable academic skills address real problems in their communities, which will be critical to those who intend to return home to Maui after they earn their degrees.”

Of the students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program at Seabury Hall:

• Fourteen were awarded the AP Capstone Diploma by earning scores of three or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. They are Rachael Bandy, Gianna Cabanting, Freya Carlsen, Julian Cortez, Ashton Garzon, Clia Kafka, Skylar Kuroda, Aviva Meisel, Zoë Mounts, Mimi Ohad, Logan Thomas Ortogero, Martin Parraguez, Carson Rosenthal, and Liviana Wilson. 
• Six were awarded the AP Seminar and Research Certificate by earning scores of three or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. They are Ren Cooper, Nanea Haake, Sierra Nicol, Christian Pelletier, Keala Rodriguez, and Alexandra Spaulding. 
• Six were graduating seniors in the class of 2025. They are Rachael Bandy, Gianna Cabanting, Skylar Kuroda, Aviva Meisel, Zoë Mounts, and Logan Thomas Ortogero. 

College Board’s Advanced Placement Program allows students to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. Earning a score of three or higher on an AP Exam has multiple benefits for students, including earning college credit, advanced placement in college courses, or both, saving them time and money. Research shows that AP students are better prepared for and more likely to enroll in and remain in college, perform well in classes, and earn their degrees on time. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams align with their high standards. 

In partnership with the higher education community, the College Board developed AP Capstone courses to help students build and master skills essential for success in college and career. 

“In an age of Artificial Intelligence, critical, creative, and independent thinking are more important than ever,” said Laura Gerken, English instructor at Seabury Hall. “The AP Capstone Program helps to facilitate, inspire, and support young minds who are eager to question, to evaluate, to create, and to reflect.  I am so proud to be a part of this program, as I have the privilege of watching these young minds evolve as empowered, passionate, and curious thinkers, both in and outside the classroom.”