Senior Projects

During the first week of my senior project I had expected certain things that would play out during the entire span of these next 9 weeks, only to find out that things will stray from that. My first day started Tuesday, where I met the owner who straight from the bat felt relaxed enough with me to task me with being at the front desk and with every one of their social media posts, as well as letting me do the majority of the behind the scenes that she does. I cleaned, repainted a sign that you see when you first walk in as well as figure out how to do their money system (which meant count the total, log it into their square computer, and jot down the rest of the info back to Chelsea, who’s the store owner.) Straight from the moment I walked in everyone was incredibly welcoming and kind to me, Chelsea had offered to pay for my own digital art course as well as a few blood-born pathogen courses to take so I could get that out of the way before I start my apprenticeship. Overall my choice to stay here during my senior project has been wonderful, I can’t wait to see what happens these upcoming weeks.

During my first couple days working at US Properties I got to know the basics of working in real estate such as what sites to use when looking for properties to buy and what to look out for when you buy a property. I also began working on the company newsletters and converting physical documents into PDFs (very exciting stuff). Other than the occasional renovation, most of my work should be pretty much the same day-to-day so please forgive me if future updates feel too similar.

Wednesday was my first day at the history museum and it was great! I worked from 8:30 to 4:30 and I will give a bit of an outline of what I did. From 8:30-9:30 I was walked through the museum and given some background refresh by Kat Bourek. The museum is opening an exhibit on the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis in April and I got to tour it with her today, and once it is open to the public I will spend a good amount of time working there. Then from 9:30-12:30 Kat, Suzi Reed, and I went to the St. Louis Community College career fair. We just sat at a booth and told college students about our internships and volunteer programs. It was pretty slow, but we had some people interested so that was good! We also got to talk a lot, which was super cool, and they told some really funny stories like how Suzi’s husband loves to rollerskate and she is committed to learning as well. Kat also told this really funny story about how her sister and this old lady got into a car accident. Everything was okay and it was just a minor scratch, her sister had to go to class, and she told the old lady she would contact her. Then the old lady sued her sister for a hit and run and accused her of assault saying that the sister pushed her over! None of it was true, but she wanted to take her to court and her son was also a lawyer. So, then one night the police show up at their parents house and they arrested Kat’s sister and she had to spend a night in jail! Luckily, she was cleared. At 12:30, Suzi and I came back to the museum and talked some to Hanna. Hanna works with Suzi and Kat, and she is also blind and originally from Ethopia and grew up there. She is super funny! At 1:00 we attended a sensitivity training for LGBTQ+ awareness since the museum will have a pride exhibit coming in June. The talk was given by Jess Jones, their job is to go to different companies, schools, and non for profits, and talk about LGBTQ+ awareness. They were a really eloquent and dynamic speaker and the presentation was done really well. While there I also got to meet Mike and Marcia, an older married couple who have been volunteering for eight years, Ellie a K-12 coordinator, Emily and Nora who are also K-12 coordinators, Mike who is an older volunteer and super sweet, and Amanda who I’m not sure what her title was, but she also has a degree in history and said she would be happy to talk to me about career paths and help me look for paid jobs. I also met another coordinator, I forget his name, but he has cerebarl palsy and is in a motorized wheel chair, but he is also super intelligent and one of their lead workers. The last thing I did was explore the galleries and fill out this new worker scavenger hunt. It was a really great first day, since this post is longer than I thought I will probably update on Friday also!

Today I started my trip to Granada. Granada is a city in the south of Spain. We took a speed train to the city, can reach 350 km/h. 

This week is Holy Week in Spain, a religious holiday for Christians. The processions are really famous and in them a group of people carry the “pasos”. These are sculptures that narrate different episodes of Jesus’ death, resurrection…

The processions start in the church and they walk around carrying the pasos for hours, usually pretty late. However, this year some of these processions have been canceled or postponed due to bad weather. 

We visited the Cathedral, which is renaissance (sXVII). It’s known as the luminous Cathedral because it’s all white and golden and it’s got strategic windows and lights so that it’s very well illuminated. After that we went to a café where we had porras, hot chocolate and torrijas (traditional dessert from this time of the year).

Today I visited the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the soccer stadium for Real Madrid. We went through the Real Madrid Museum, a collection of memorabilia and artifacts that show the club’s history. From vintage jerseys and championship trophies to interactive exhibits highlighting iconic moments in Real Madrid’s journey, the museum showed the club’s legacy.

The stadium has been newly remodeled and it is an impressive engineering structure. Key features include a retractable roof for optimal playing conditions and sustainability measures to reduce environmental impact. The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium has a movable field, allowing it to transform into various setups, from a soccer field to concert stages. Beneath the field lies a greenhouse, serving both environmental and event purposes, showcasing the stadium’s innovation and adaptability as a multi-purpose venue.

Today I went to Toledo, a city 1 hour south of Madrid. The city’s history is built off of three different religions, Christian, Muslem, and Jewish. All three of which lived together but didn’t mix with each other. People could choose what religion they wanted to practice but if they were not Christian they would have to pay a small tax. The Jewish people also had to live in a certain part of the city called the Jewish quarters. They Jewish people were often raped and taken advantage of. The city is surrounded by a river that protects the city from invasion, el Tajo. Toledo is known for its blade works and was once known to have the greatest swords in the world.

Toledo has tunnels that go underneath the whole city. They were built in case of an invasion anyone could escape since it’s possible to access the subterranean galleries from almost every house. Nowadays they are still in every house but the connections between houses have been sealed off for privacy. They also keep wine free due to the chilled environment.

The city has a Gothic Church and two Synagogues, El Transito and Santa Maria la Blanca, there are only four in Spain. 

Greco, a famous painter, was born in Toledo and we went to a museum about him at his original house.

Last week on Saturday, I had my training and orientation at the History Museum. I will be starting this Wednesday and I am really excited! I will update later this week, after my first few days. I met with Suzi Reed who is the coordinator of the volunteers along with Kat Bourek, they will essentially serve like my bosses for the next weeks. They are both really sweet and seem like cool ladies. I also got to meet with the other volunteers, two of them are girls in college that are really nice. One is studying mechanical engineering and the other is a history major. There are also two old guys I will be working with named Mike and Dan. Mike taught highschool history for 30 years and has been volunteering at local museums since retirement. Dan was a chemist and also really loves local history. Most of my work will be helping people at exhibits, working the front desk, and helping kids in the history clubhouse. There are a few dates where I will be on site at the Missouri Historical Society and then also at the Soldier’s Memorial Museum. I will typically be working weekdays from 9-5 ish, but occasionally I will work weekends or late nights. I also have the opportunity to become a tour guide if I go through a more extensive training process, which I am considering. Overall, I feel super excited for it to start and I would love if you guys want to visit!

Hi! Im sure all of you have heard what I plan to do for my senior project though here I’ll be able to delve deep into smaller details. The entirety of my project will be spent during Alchemy Tattoo Collective, what they have planned for me is in the air at the moment but because I work better in an environment where I’m able to have hands on learning, I believe I’ll gain significant experience before my time as an apprentice. Bringing my iPad and sketchbook will be a necessity, the one thing i’ve been told by many artists alike is draw; that’s the only way you’ll ever be able to grow and expand any artistic skill. I do plan to observe the tattoo artists at the shop, learning skills like how to apply a stencil, put together a tattoo and something small as cleaning your own station or the client. I plan to expand my skills in anything they have me do during my time at the shop, and Im happy to update on what I learn!

Thank you!

Harley:)

The primary objective of my project is to gain a comprehensive understanding of opposite businesses, ranging from small businesses to large franchise corporations. I hope to gain influential insights into these diverse dynamics and learn about how to be a successful business owner. Secondly, I hope to dive into the intricacies of the political system. I want to learn more about the interworkings of politics and its policies firsthand by talking to representatives and senators. Additionally, a key goal involves boosting my confidence in engaging with higher-ranking personnel, which will positively affect my communication and networking skills in a professional setting. While boosting self-confidence, my goal is to empower individuals by educating them on their civic rights and encouraging active participation in positive change.

Thank you for reading!

Starley

Hey, it’s your Favorite Student! Alex Jane Nienhaus I think you know her she’s 5’10 really funny, and clumsy. For my senior project, I will both shadow and volunteer at a minimum of three different organizations. This includes The Country Club of Saint Albans, where I will work in the Pro Shop and with the Marketing and Events team, learning how to merchandise, run a golf tournament, prepare for special events, take inventory, etc. I will also be volunteering with the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, where I will be assisting with taking care of infants up to 12 years old, playing, feeding, and supporting them in any way I can along with the overall running of the facilities. My third rotation will be shadowing at the Promise Christian Academy, where I will work with occupational therapists and speech therapists who help kids who have special needs, and I will assist them in any way that they need. The last place I plan to work is my former elementary school, Saint Alban Roe, where I will be volunteering in the pre-k classroom leading activities and general supervision of the students.