For his senior project, Sam dove deep into the tradition and craftsmanship of paipo board building—a journey that began his freshman year and culminated in a fleet of nine handmade boards. Rooted in centuries-old wave-riding traditions, paipos are simple, finless wooden boards, but building them is anything but simple. From selecting lumber to shaping curves and channels, Sam’s project became a lesson in precision, patience, and problem-solving.

His learning began long before the first board was shaped. With careful planning, he calculated the materials needed and overcame early frustrations with the school’s finicky bandsaw mill. He learned to “bookmatch” wood to create visually striking blanks and refined his technique through trial and error. “By the last blank,” Sam reflected, “all the planks were perfectly even when the glue dried.”

Sam’s creativity truly emerged in the design phase, where he explored both traditional forms and original shapes. Guided by mentor Andrew Gardiner and fueled by curiosity, he tested different rockers, channels, and silhouettes. One design—a wide, flat-nosed paipo with a teardrop tail and domed underside—is likely unique in the world.

But Sam’s growth wasn’t just technical. His project was rooted in sharing. “The motivating factor for me…was to share the hobby that I love with as many people as I can.” By building a fleet of paipos for school surf trips, Sam hopes to inspire a new generation of students to experience the joy—and the mania—of paipoing.

Morgan’s senior project began with a passion for crafting the perfect mug—a lightweight, strong vessel that could bring joy and comfort to everyday tea drinkers like herself. With years of experience in pottery, Morgan decided to dive into the challenging world of slip casting, a process used to replicate complex ceramic shapes via plaster molds.

“I learned a lot about slip casting, what things allow the process to run smoothly and what things cause it to crash and burn,” Morgan reflected. Her goal was ambitious: to create a slip-cast mug for every Midland student. However, unexpected setbacks slowed progress. Plaster costs were high, the drying process took longer than planned, and the molds deformed the mugs, producing smaller and imperfect shapes.

Realizing the slip-casting method would not meet her standards or timeline, Morgan pivoted back to throwing mugs on the wheel—a process she could control better and complete faster. She threw around sixty mugs, personalizing glaze options based on student preferences collected via surveys. Morgan also prepared care instructions to ensure the mugs’ longevity.

Morgan’s project was as much about learning and adapting as it was about creating. She plans to explore advanced techniques like CAD modeling and 3D printing molds if she tries slip casting again. For now, she’ll stick to throwing, confident in the skills and insights gained from this ambitious project.

Ruby began her trail work journey somewhat unknowingly, signing up for a MIDterm that introduced her to both the hardships and joys of outdoor labor. Despite difficult conditions, that experience sparked a deep passion for trail work and environmental stewardship. For her senior project, Ruby chose to restore the Golden Horseshoe trail, a once-popular but now nearly invisible route obscured by years of overgrowth and firebreaks following a prescribed burn. Although she initially considered reviving a different trail, her mentors encouraged her to take on Golden Horseshoe due to its accessibility and community relevance. Ruby committed herself to the project, hiking the terrain repeatedly to flag a new route, weed-whacking dense grasses, and performing demanding tread work using tools like Pulaskis and McLeods. She also organized group workdays, learned to operate a chainsaw, and collaborated with the SAGE Trails Alliance to improve her technique and trail design.

The project was not only physically demanding but deeply meaningful. Ruby reflected, “Looking back on the work I’ve done so far this year on Golden Horseshoe, it’s extremely gratifying to leave behind a trail that will surely open up a whole new section of Midland’s property for exploration and discovery. That stretch of hills is truly one of the more beautiful parts of our property I’ve gotten to experience… I also hoped to teach trail work skills to other members of the community and hopefully inspire enthusiasm for trail work, similar to that which I experienced as a freshman.” Her efforts have already resulted in increased trail use and a legacy of stewardship for future students.

For his senior project, Kielson combined his lifelong love of water with his passion for hands-on craftsmanship by building a wooden skiff from scratch. “Building the boat is half the battle, with calculating angles, measuring intricate cuts, and fabricating unique parts being some of the most time-consuming parts,” Kielson reflects, highlighting the complexity of woodworking involved.

Kielson began by selecting the Bevin’s skiff, a beginner-friendly wooden boat design, and prioritized using recycled wood to reduce environmental impact. He skillfully milled rough scrap Doug Fir and Cedar boards into precise components using bandsaws, planers, chop saws, and table saws. One of his most challenging cuts involved creating a trapezoid-shaped transom by laminating boards and beveling edges at exact angles.

Throughout the build, Kielson honed advanced skills in tool use, precision cutting, joinery, and finishing. He glued and clamped puzzle-jointed plywood panels, assembled the frame, and applied marine-grade adhesives and nails with expert care. After shaping and securing the hull, he applied epoxy resin inside and fiberglass cloth outside to ensure water resistance and durability.

Beyond technical woodworking, Kielson developed valuable problem-solving, time management, and project planning skills, completing over 200 hours of work. He’s created a detailed digital archive of his process to help future Midland students learn these unique skills.

Kielson’s boat stands as a testament to dedication, craftsmanship, and the deep connection between skill and passion — a project he’s proud to share with the Midland community.

Aquila’s senior project was to design and build a durable mountain bike trail at Midland, aimed at supporting the school’s emerging bike program. His goal was to create a beginner-to-intermediate flow trail featuring berms, rollers, and jumps that riders of all skill levels could enjoy.

Starting from a partially completed and unridable trail, Aquila reimagined the layout, carefully planning features to ensure both fun and sustainability. Throughout the process, he learned to use new tools like the mini excavator and deepened his trail-building knowledge through hands-on work and guidance from his advisor and online resources.

One of the biggest challenges Aquila faced was dealing with cattle repeatedly damaging the trail. “The cattle wrecking my work was frustrating, but it taught me resilience and problem-solving,” he shared. Despite setbacks, he persevered, rebuilt damaged sections, and collaborated with fellow students and staff to refine the trail.

By project’s end, Aquila had created a quarter-mile trail with 21 berms, 8 rollers, jumps, and a wooden feature, designed for fun and longevity. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “This project showed me the importance of community involvement—I’d definitely bring more people in next time to share the workload and energy.”

Aquila hopes his trail will be well-used and maintained, providing a foundation for Midland’s bike program and inspiring future riders to develop their skills and passion for mountain biking.

When Brodie toured Midland as an eighth grader, she saw an opportunity to add more student-created art to Commons, a central gathering space for students. For her senior project, Brodie set out to brighten Commons with a vibrant new artwork that reflects the spirit of Midland.

Brodie worked closely with Phil, Midland’s Facilities Director, to get permission and guidance, ultimately deciding to paint on a large piece of vinyl-finished plywood that can be easily moved when Commons undergoes future renovations. She designed a bright, fun piece inspired by her favorite thing about Midland—the wildflowers. With help from friends like Honor and Morgan for color matching, Brodie spent the semester layering primer, painting backgrounds, sketching, and carefully adding details. “It was such a fun process and I’m so happy I could contribute to brightening up the space,” she shared.

During a community painting event over Alums, Parents and Friends Day, a small group helped bring the painting to life by adding insects. Midland has exciting plans to transform Commons into an inviting space with new seating and game tables. Although Brodie won’t be here next year, she’s proud to leave a lasting mark on campus and encourages future students to add their own creativity and joy to Midland.

For his senior project, Simon set out to create something unexpected at a school known for its unplugged lifestyle: a video game. Built entirely in Unity and inspired by Midland’s campus and community, Simon’s game features hand-drawn sprites, custom-coded mini-games, and characters based on real people. His goal was to combine art and programming into a playable tribute to a place where video games are rarely seen.

Drawing on his lifelong love of games—sparked in first grade when he first played Plants vs. Zombies—Simon brought personal passion and technical ambition to his work. He crafted scenes like Middle Yard, coded character movement, and created art assets using the sprite editor Piskel. With support from his mentor at UCLA and a little help from ChatGPT, Simon learned to balance the complexities of C# scripting with visual design.

The project wasn’t without its hurdles. A dropped laptop, software bugs, and steep learning curves tested his persistence. “Even though it seemed like most of my project was technical difficulties and panic caused by my weak grip, I do have a project that came out of this last semester,” Simon reflected with humor. His biggest takeaway? Coding is as much about patience and problem-solving as it is about logic.

Simon’s game debuted at Symposium, offering players a chance to explore a digital version of Midland. As he puts it, “I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished this semester, and I hope other people will use my project as an example of what’s possible.”

For her senior project, Tess turned her love of forest ecology into a thoughtful and accessible gift to future Midland students: a custom tree finder for the trees and shrubs growing on Midland’s campus. Inspired by the challenges of traditional plant identification books—often heavy on scientific vocabulary and complex genus-based classification—Tess set out to design a simpler, more intuitive guide that anyone, even a new ninth grader, could use with ease.

“My goals for my finder were for it to be quick and easy to use, avoid overly-scientific vocabulary, and to have interesting information,” Tess explains. Her project centers around a dichotomous key—a branching sequence of questions that guides users step by step to identify specific trees. The finder includes 27 species, each with a photograph and a short paragraph featuring unique characteristics and fun facts.

To build her guide, Tess combined her own knowledge with resources like iNaturalist, expert input from Dean of Experiential Learning Dan Susman, and several field guides. She then used Adobe InDesign to format her content into a polished, printable booklet. “There’s not another single project I’ve put as much time into,” she reflected.

Tess’s tree finder is already in use on campus and will help students recognize, appreciate, and connect with the natural world around them for years to come. With this project, Tess has made a lasting contribution to Midland’s culture of curiosity, stewardship, and love for the land.