From meetings with their respective mentors to spending hours working on research, the Independent Study and Mentorship (ISM) classes have wrapped up their final products and have presented their work to students and teachers on March 28. 

The ISM class focuses on independent learning, encouraging students to explore future careers paths while setting them up for success through a structured mentorship process. In ISM, students can choose virtually any research topic (often relating to their career interests) which they will pursue throughout the year. In class, students are encouraged to find a mentor to guide them through research collection and to advise them about their future careers. Recently, ISM students have presented their research findings at schools and district symposiums. 

Junior Krithik Aggrwal chose to pursue a project in sensory architecture for dementia homes.

“Senses are crucial for dementia patients,” Aggrwal said. “For example, periodically releasing lavender in a space can reduce anxiety for people with dementia. Also, having carpeting in private areas like the bedrooms and hardwood in more public areas can define that certain spaces are for relaxation and other spaces are for socializing and eating.”

For his final product, Aggrwal identified sensory tools which can be utilized to improve dementia patients’ quality of life.

“My great grandmother has dementia and both my grandparents had dementia as well,” Aggrwal said. “I also volunteered at a dementia home so I wanted to remedy some of the issues dementia patients are facing.”

Senior Diya Rautela pursued a project in artificial intelligence (AI) in ISM. She created a chatbot that allows students to learn quickly but does not compromise on providing accurate information.

“A fun fact about AI is that the energy consumption of a ten message conversation with chat GPT uses up about one bottle of fresh water,” Rautela said. “I feel like this is something that a lot of people don’t know, but that energy consumption is obviously going to go up because AI isn’t going anywhere. Also the price to train models has gone up into the billions. Because I don’t have that money or that amount of energy, I’ve decided to use a system which allows my model to take documents and learn from them as you ask questions.”

Rautela said her ultimate goal with her project was to learn more about the computer science field. On the other hand, senior Irene Devadason plans to pursue a career in public relations in the future. She touches on what inspired her to pursue her research project on marketing.

“I’ve always been interested in marketing failures especially when it comes to celebrities,” Devadason said. “I felt like I could make an impact in how a celebrity or a brand presents themselves. In fact, my dream job is to work as a public relations strategist for a makeup brand.” 

Ultimately, ISM students say that their research projects have allowed them to learn more about their prospective careers. This program has set them up for success, teaching them lessons vital to their futures.

Check out some more from the ISM showcase below!