Seabury Hall celebrates its AP Capstone Diploma recipients

At Seabury Hall, 15 students have earned the AP Capstone Diploma and 10 students have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2025-26 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 of these students and grateful for the teachers who challenged, encouraged, and supported them throughout this journey,” said Nicholas Rodriguez, Seabury Hall’s Head of School. “This year, we are especially focused on connection and gratitude, and this achievement reflects both. Our students pursued questions that matter to them, learned from one another and their teachers, and developed skills that will help them engage thoughtfully with the world around them. We are grateful to be part of their growth and excited to see where their curiosity takes them next.”

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 topics including water pollution in Honolua Bay, deepfake image detection strategies, and the economic viability of a greenstrip program at Haleakalā Ranch. 

“There is no comparison,” said Chris Findeisen, English instructor at Seabury Hall. “What the students learn in the Capstone program puts them light-years ahead of their counterparts when it comes to college preparedness. It’s not only about the rigor, but also being accountable for your own learning. These students have learned how to learn, and our community is eager to reap the benefits when they return to Maui to start their careers.  

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

• Fifteen earned the AP Capstone Diploma by scoring 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and four additional AP Exams. They are Olivia Aoki, Zoe Dorkin, Cassidy Goldyn, Kailana Hagan, Kristian Hansen, Elizabeth Jenkins, Wesley Kosaka, Isabella Haybourn, William Levy, Kelsey Loree, Makenna Nickens, Peyton Prouty, Amelia Sherman-Crook, and Aurora Zoetewey. 
• Ten earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate by scoring three or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. They are Alanna Abe, Emma Carter, Omkar Devaki, Violet Fellerman, Chole Florian-Contanilla, Kiandra Gann, Asher Kingdon, Jeremiah Layugan, Ez Smith, and Jett Werner. 
• Five were graduating seniors in the class of 2026. They are Ren Cooper, Sierra Nicol, Christian Pelletier, Keala Rodriguez, and Alexandra Spaulding. 

College Board’s Advanced Placement^® Program (AP^®) allows students to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. Earning a score of three or higher on an AP Exam offers multiple benefits, including college credit, advanced placement in college courses, or both, saving students 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. A committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers develops each exam, ensuring 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, news cycles that are bereft of evidence, and algorithms that push only one perspective, critical thinking is essential,” said Laura Gerken, English instructor at Seabury Hall. “The AP Capstone Program pushes young, curious minds to critically evaluate evidence for its relevance and credibility; to seek solutions and resolutions for complex issues of the contemporary world, and to acknowledge that with any viable solution, there are implications and limitations to follow. I feel so grateful and inspired to work alongside these young minds who are actively seeking to better themselves as well as the world around them.”