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50 High School Senior Thesis Topics [PDF Included]

As high school seniors approach the end of their academic journey, one final task stands before them: the senior thesis. This capstone project is a culmination of their years of learning and provides an opportunity to delve deeply into a topic of their choosing. The senior thesis is a chance for students to showcase their research, writing, and analytical skills, as well as their creativity and intellectual curiosity. 

With so many potential research topics to explore, the senior thesis is a unique and exciting opportunity for high school seniors to leave their mark on the academic world. In this article, we will explore some of the most interesting and engaging high school senior thesis topics, and offer tips on how to choose the right topic for you.

Unleashing the Creative Minds: Exciting thesis ideas for high schoolers

Much like satire essay topics , literacy essay topics , and biology research topics , the topics given below cover a wide range of subjects, from science and technology to art, and literature. They are intended to inspire high school seniors to think critically and explore their interests in depth.

Students can choose a topic that resonates with them and conduct research to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Each topic has its unique significance and can lead to interesting and thought-provoking insights that can contribute to the larger body of knowledge on the subject.

1.   The effects of social media on mental health: 

With the rise of social media, there is growing concerned about its impact on mental health, making this an important and timely topic to explore.

2.   The impact of climate change on local ecosystems:

 Climate change is an urgent global issue that has significant impacts on local ecosystems, making this topic highly relevant.

3.   The history and impact of jazz music: 

Jazz is a uniquely American art form that has had a profound impact on music and culture worldwide, making it an interesting and important topic for exploration.

4.   The effects of caffeine on the human body: 

Caffeine is a commonly consumed substance with a range of effects on the body, making this topic both interesting and relevant.

5.   The causes and consequences of income inequality: 

Income inequality is a significant societal issue with far-reaching consequences, making this an important topic for exploration.

6.   The role of technology in education: 

Technology is rapidly transforming education, and understanding its impact on learning is crucial for shaping the future of education.

7.   The history and significance of the Civil Rights Movement: 

The Civil Rights Movement was a defining moment in American history that continues to shape our society today, making it a compelling and important topic for study.

8.   The impact of fast food on public health: 

Fast food is a ubiquitous part of modern life with potentially significant health consequences, making this topic both interesting and relevant.

9.   The portrayal of gender roles in media: 

The media plays an important role in shaping societal attitudes toward gender, making this a timely and important topic for exploration.

10.   The history and significance of the Olympic Games: 

The Olympic Games are a celebrated global event with a rich history and cultural significance, making them a fascinating topic for study.

11.   The effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance: 

Sleep is crucial for academic success, and understanding its effects on performance is important for students and educators alike.

12.   The role of art in society: 

Art has the power to inspire, challenge, and transform society, making this a fascinating and important topic for exploration.

13.   The history and impact of hip-hop music: 

Hip-hop is a cultural phenomenon that has had a significant impact on music, fashion, and society, making it an interesting and important topic for study.

14.   The impact of social class on education: 

Social class can have a significant impact on educational opportunities and outcomes, making this a relevant and important topic for exploration.

15.   The impact of globalization on culture: 

Globalization is reshaping culture in a complex and sometimes unexpected ways, making this a fascinating and important topic for study.

16.   The effects of exercise on mental health: 

Exercise has been shown to have significant mental health benefits, making this an important topic for exploration.

17.   The role of government in protecting the environment: 

Governments play a crucial role in protecting the environment, making this a relevant and important topic for exploration.

18.   The impact of video games on cognitive development: 

Video games are a popular form of entertainment with potentially significant impacts on cognitive development, making this topic both interesting and relevant.

19.   The impact of social media on political activism: 

Social media has been a powerful tool for political activism in recent years, making this topic both timely and important for exploration.

20.   The history and impact of rock music: 

Rock music is a genre with a rich history and cultural significance, making it an interesting and important topic for study.

21.   The effects of stress on physical health: 

Stress can have significant impacts on physical health, making this topic both relevant and important for exploration.

22.   The impact of immigration on society: 

Immigration has shaped societies throughout history, and understanding its impact is crucial for understanding our world today.

23.   The role of art in political activism: 

Art can be a powerful tool for political activism, making this a timely and important topic for exploration.

24.   The effects of technology on human communication: 

Technology is rapidly transforming the way we communicate, making this topic both interesting and relevant.

25.   The impact of social media on self-esteem: 

Social media has been shown to have both positive and negative effects on self-esteem, making this a relevant and important topic for study.

26.   The effects of childhood obesity on health outcomes: 

Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern with significant health consequences, making this an important topic for exploration.

27.   The history and impact of punk rock music: 

Punk rock is a genre with a unique history and cultural significance, making it an interesting and important topic for exploration.

28.   The effects of mindfulness meditation on mental health: 

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to have significant mental health benefits, making this an important topic for study.

28.   The impact of technology on privacy: 

Technology has transformed the way we think about privacy, making this a relevant and important topic for study.

29.   The history and impact of reggae music:

 Reggae is a genre with a rich history and cultural significance, making it an interesting and important topic for exploration.

30.   The effects of social support on mental health: 

Social support can have significant mental health benefits, making this an important topic for study.

31.   The portrayal of beauty standards in media: 

The media plays a powerful role in shaping societal attitudes toward beauty, making this an important and timely topic for exploration.

32.   The impact of social media on romantic relationships: 

Social media has transformed the way we navigate romantic relationships, making this topic both interesting and relevant.

33.   The role of technology in modern art: 

Technology is transforming the way we create and experience art, making this a fascinating and important topic for study.

34.   The impact of social class on health outcomes:

 Social class can have a significant impact on health outcomes, making this a relevant and important topic for exploration.

35.   The history and impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation with profound impacts on American society, making it an important and compelling topic for study.

36.   The effects of peer pressure on academic performance: 

Peer pressure can have both positive and negative impacts on academic performance, making this a relevant and important topic for exploration.

37.   The impact of climate change on global health: 

Climate change has significant impacts on global health, making this a timely and important topic for exploration.

38.   The effects of music on memory and cognitive function: 

Music has been shown to have both short- and long-term effects on memory and cognitive function, making this an interesting and important topic for study.

39. The impact of technology on education: 

Exploring the role of online learning platforms and digital tools in enhancing student learning outcomes.

40. Critical thinking skills in higher education:

 Examining the factors that promote the development of critical thinking skills among college students.

41. Teacher-student relationships and academic achievement:

 Investigating the impact of positive teacher-student relationships on academic performance.

42. The impact of parental involvement on academic achievement: 

Examining the ways in which parental involvement can positively impact academic performance.

43. Learning styles and student achievement:

 Investigating the relationship between individual learning styles and academic achievement.

44. The role of motivation in student success:

 Exploring the importance of motivation in academic achievement.

45. The effects of socioeconomic status on academic achievement:

 Examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and academic performance.

46. Cross-cultural differences in academic achievement:

 Investigating how cultural diversity can impact academic achievement.

47. The impact of standardized testing on student learning:

 Examining the effectiveness of standardized testing as a measure of student achievement.

48. Teaching methods and student engagement:

 Exploring the relationship between different teaching methods and student engagement in learning.

49. The impact of classroom environment on student learning:

 Examining how the physical and social environment of the classroom can impact student learning outcomes.

50. Teacher burnout and turnover: 

Investigating the factors that contribute to teacher burnout and turnover, and the impact on student achievement.

All work and no play makes jack a dull boy: How to make your thesis journey fun?

Writing a thesis can be a long and challenging journey that requires a significant amount of time, effort, and dedication. However, it’s important to remember that taking breaks and finding ways to make the process more enjoyable can help you stay motivated and focused. At the same time, it is often there on every high schooler’s bucket list. Here are some tips to make your thesis journey more fun:

• Break it down into smaller tasks: Writing a thesis can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into smaller tasks can help make it more manageable. You can start by creating a list of tasks and prioritizing them based on importance and deadlines. Then, focus on completing one task at a time, rather than thinking about the entire thesis at once.
• Set achievable goals: Setting goals that are realistic and achievable is important to maintain your motivation and focus. You can set daily, weekly, or monthly goals, depending on your needs and timeline. Celebrating each milestone can help boost your confidence and encourage you to keep going.
• Create a supportive community: It can be helpful to have a supportive community while working on your thesis. You can join a study group, create a writing group with peers, or seek a mentor to provide guidance and support. Having people who understand what you’re going through can help you feel less alone and motivate you to keep working.
• Find a comfortable workspace: Your workspace can have a big impact on your productivity and focus. Find a space that is comfortable and free from distractions. Make sure your desk and chair are at the right height, and that you have adequate lighting. A clutter-free workspace can also help you feel more organized and focused.
• Take breaks: Taking regular breaks is important to avoid burnout and maintain your focus. You can take short breaks throughout the day to stretch, meditate, or take a walk. Longer breaks, such as a weekend getaway, can also help you recharge and come back to your work with fresh energy.
• Mix it up: Sometimes, changing your routine can help you stay engaged and focused. You can experiment with different writing techniques, such as brainstorming, mind-mapping, or freewriting. Changing your study location can also help, such as working from a café, library, or park. Listening to music or using different background noises can also help you stay focused.
• Reward yourself: Setting up a reward system can help you stay motivated and give you something to look forward to. You can reward yourself for completing a task, reaching a milestone, or sticking to your study schedule. Rewards can be small, such as a favorite snack or a movie, or larger, such as a weekend trip or a spa day.

In conclusion, high school senior thesis topics can be a great way for students to explore their interests and develop critical thinking skills. These topics cover a wide range of subjects and can lead to fascinating insights and discoveries. By conducting research and writing a thesis, students can gain a deeper understanding of their chosen topic and contribute to the larger body of knowledge on the subject.

Whether exploring social issues, science, technology, art, or literature, there is a topic out there for every student to delve into and make their own. By choosing a topic that resonates with them and putting in the work to create a well-researched and thoughtful thesis, high school seniors can develop valuable skills and gain a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work.

Having a 10+ years of experience in teaching little budding learners, I am now working as a soft skills and IELTS trainers. Having spent my share of time with high schoolers, I understand their fears about the future. At the same time, my experience has helped me foster plenty of strategies that can make their 4 years of high school blissful. Furthermore, I have worked intensely on helping these young adults bloom into successful adults by training them for their dream colleges. Through my blogs, I intend to help parents, educators and students in making these years joyful and prosperous.

1 thought on “50 High School Senior Thesis Topics [PDF Included]”

Your topics are worth researching into. These are real problems society is faced with and researching into these problems will help find solutions to them. Good job for listing these topics.

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What Is a Senior Thesis?

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A senior thesis is a large, independent research project that students take on during their senior year of high school or college to fulfill their graduation requirement. It is the culminating work of their studies at a particular institution, and it represents their ability to conduct research and write effectively. For some students, a senior thesis is a requirement for graduating with honors.

Students typically work closely with an advisor and choose a question or topic to explore before carrying out an extensive research plan.

Style Manuals and the Paper's Organization

The structure of your research paper will depend, in part, on the style manual that is required by your instructor. Different disciplines, such as history, science, or education, have different rules to abide by when it comes to research paper construction, organization, and modes of citation. The styles for different types of assignment include:

Modern Language Association (MLA): The disciplines that tend to prefer the MLA style guide include literature, arts, and the humanities, such as linguistics, religion, and philosophy. To follow this style, you will use parenthetical citations to indicate your sources and a works cited page to show the list of books and articles you consulted.

American Psychological Association (APA): The APA style manual tends to be used in psychology, education, and some of the social sciences. This type of report may require the following:

• Introduction

Chicago style: "The Chicago Manual of Style" is used in most college-level history courses as well as professional publications that contain scholarly articles. Chicago style may call for endnotes or footnotes corresponding to a bibliography page at the back or the author-date style of in-text citation, which uses parenthetical citations and a references page at the end.

Turabian style: Turabian is a student version of Chicago style. It requires some of the same formatting techniques as Chicago, but it includes special rules for writing college-level papers, such as book reports. A Turabian research paper may call for endnotes or footnotes and a bibliography.

Science style: Science instructors may require students to use a format that is similar to the structure used in publishing papers in scientific journals. The elements you would include in this sort of paper include:

• List of materials and methods used
• Results of your methods and experiments
• Acknowledgments

American Medical Association (AMA): The AMA style book might be required for students in medical or premedical degree programs in college. Parts of an AMA research paper might include:

• Proper headings and lists
• Tables and figures
• In-text citations
• Reference list

Choose Your Topic Carefully

Starting off with a bad, difficult, or narrow topic likely won't lead to a positive result. Don't choose a question or statement that's so broad that it's overwhelming and could comprise a lifetime of research or a topic that's so narrow you'll struggle to compose 10 pages. Consider a topic that has a lot of recent research so you won't struggle to put your hands on current or adequate sources.

Select a topic that interests you. Putting in long hours on a subject that bores you will be arduous—and ripe for procrastination. If a professor recommends an area of interest, make sure it excites you.

Also, consider expanding a paper you've already written; you'll hit the ground running because you've already done some research and know the topic. Last, consult with your advisor before finalizing your topic. You don't want to put in a lot of hours on a subject that is rejected by your instructor.

Organize Your Time

Plan to spend half of your time researching and the other half writing. Often, students spend too much time researching and then find themselves in a crunch, madly writing in the final hours. Give yourself goals to reach along certain "signposts," such as the number of hours you want to have invested each week or by a certain date or how much you want to have completed in those same timeframes.

Organize Your Research

Compose your works cited or bibliography entries as you work on your paper. This is especially important if your style manual requires you to use access dates for any online sources that you review or requires page numbers be included in the citations. You don't want to end up at the very end of the project and not know what day you looked at a particular website or have to search through a hard-copy book looking for a quote that you included in the paper. Save PDFs of online sites, too, as you wouldn't want to need to look back at something and not be able to get online or find that the article has been removed since you read it.

Choose an Advisor You Trust

This may be your first opportunity to work with direct supervision. Choose an advisor who's familiar with the field, and ideally select someone you like and whose classes you've already taken. That way you'll have a rapport from the start. 

Consult Your Instructor

Remember that your instructor is the final authority on the details and requirements of your paper. Read through all instructions, and have a conversation with your instructor at the start of the project to determine his or her preferences and requirements. Have a cheat sheet or checklist of this information; don't expect yourself to remember all year every question you asked or instruction you were given. 

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Capstone projects for high school students: the ultimate guide.

A capstone project, otherwise known as a culminating project or a senior thesis, is a long-term, substantial assignment that you undertake in your final year of high school. If you are passionate about a particular subject a capstone project is the perfect way to demonstrate that passion to colleges, future employers, and your local community. 

Traditionally, a “capstone” is the final piece of brickwork or stone laid atop a building to complete it. It is the culminating step in a considerable process. For students, a capstone project is similar. It is a crowning achievement to tie together what you have learned in high school . Ideally, your capstone should relate to your academic accomplishments and demonstrate to colleges your mastery of the subject. 

Click above to watch a video on Capstone Projects.

Why are capstone projects important for high school students?

Capstone projects provide numerous benefits to students. Most obviously, they provide dedicated students with the opportunity to demonstrate their academic rigor and mastery of certain subjects. This is extremely useful in the context of college applications. However, there are several other important benefits that you can derive from this experience. 

• You may find that the simple process of designing your own project and carrying it to completion will engender self-belief and the confidence that you can undertake even greater projects. 
• A capstone project pushes you to hone your skills in public speaking, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership, research and collaboration, planning and organization, and many more. 
• You may be unsure of exactly what you want to focus on in college and beyond. 
• A capstone project gives you the chance to experiment with something that has always captured your academic attention. 
• If you are passionate about a hobby or discipline, a capstone project allows you to test whether you want to pursue this passion at a higher level. 
• This project will help solidify your goals and the focus of your academic future.
• One of the most significant aspects of a capstone project is the relationship that develops between mentor and student. 
• Many projects will require supervision or consultation with experts – often your teachers or members of your community. These relationships can provide innumerable benefits both in the long and short term. Tapping into the network of people around you, and showing respect and interest in their expertise will take you a long way. Most professionals love nothing more than discussing their passions with excited young people. 
• It never hurts to get more experts advocating for you and more community figures in your corner!
• Less seriously, senior year can often be a wasted year. You might find that – having already completed your standardized tests, applied to college, and completed most of your important courses – you no longer are engaged with school or required to complete much work. This is often seen as an opportunity for seniors to unwind, but there are dangers associated with this.
• Not least of which is the danger of losing academic momentum and developing poor habits. By undertaking a capstone project throughout senior year, you will be further engaged with schooling and less likely to suffer from the shock of returning to normalcy in freshman fall at college. 

How can a capstone project help you for college admissions?

College admissions is an extremely competitive and increasingly demanding process. As college applications become more and more comprehensive, students and parents have begun to see capstone projects as a way to gain an advantage. Many students are of the mistaken belief that colleges are primarily looking for well-rounded students.

Most high schoolers who are serious about college are encouraged to pursue interests even outside of their passions – you might have been told “you should play a sport, and an instrument, and be in the debate club, and volunteer locally, and travel!”

Apart from being stressful, and unattainable for the majority of young people, this is generally poor advice. Instead, it is better to have a handful of interests or passions that you can demonstrate a prolonged period of dedication to. This is where a capstone project fits in. 

Briefly imagine you are an aspiring scientist, determined to study biology at university. When you are applying to college you want to demonstrate that this passion is a deep one, and that it is a priority for you.

In that context, it makes much more sense to apply your time towards a study of local environmental degradation than towards an unrelated sport, club, or volunteer activity.

Additionally, colleges are becoming increasingly savvy about the affectations of prospective students. Showing a genuine, long-term interest in a particular academic discipline has reemerged as one of the surest ways to gain attention from the leading colleges.

You may also find that your capstone experience was so noteworthy or illuminating that you are inspired to write your personal statements or supplemental essays about it. At the very least, you will find that your capstone project helps tie together your academic pursuits and provides you with a useful narrative structure for college applications and interviews. 

How to brainstorm a capstone project

When sitting down to brainstorm a capstone project, it is important to remember that this is a personal process. It can be useful to study projects done by former students, to see what worked and what did not, and to encourage ideas of your own. But, ultimately, you want your capstone project to reflect your unique skills and interests.

Think about whatever you excel in academically. Or, perhaps, what you have always been passionate about but have long thought didn’t relate particularly to academics. Most importantly, consider what it is you want to focus your higher education and career on, and let that guide your decision.

There are limitless options for capstone projects. The only things to avoid are plagiarism and irrelevancy. Pick something that inspires you and that will provide you with a useful foundation to make the next step. If all else fails, ask people around you!

They may have a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses than you do. A simple conversation with a parent, friend, tutor, or teacher may lead you on a journey you never considered. 

How to find a capstone project

Trying to find an original capstone project can be challenging. In recent years, undertaking a capstone has become quite common with American students. As such, you might find it tricky to come up with an idea that doesn’t seem overdone or, worse, like plagiarism.

However, there is only one you! The composite parts of your interests may be shared by many, but the sum of your interests is unique to you. This means that sometimes you might find your best idea is an interdisciplinary one. 

Let us pretend you are a student who is interested in the environment, American history, and mapmaking. Now, if you were to try to come up with a capstone idea, you might begin by considering a study on the impact of environmental runoff in your local river or an investigation into the roots of different people living in your community.

You might then go online and see that such projects seem unoriginal or trite. Desperate and discouraged you might force yourself into one of these narrow approaches.

However, a better option would be to consider how to weave your many interests into one coherent capstone. For you, this could involve researching the construction and maintenance of wooded paths in your local forest or reservation going back to the precolonial era.

You might interview community leaders, study historical maps and texts, practice cartography, and ultimately enrich yourself in several areas at once. Needless to say, you would also produce a more authentic and unique capstone project. 

Consider: You are multifaceted, and the interactions of those facets are what makes you unique!

How long should a capstone project last?

Broadly speaking, a capstone project is intended to last for the bulk of your senior year. The majority of capstone projects are proposed in the summer between junior and senior year, or early in the fall, and then completed in the spring or summer of senior year.

However, there is no absolute rule here and indeed many schools encourage students to begin working on their capstone projects as early as freshman year. 

While there is no limit to how long you can work on your capstone project, there is a limit on how little. A capstone project by definition should be long-term and extensive. At a minimum, we are talking about several months.

The purpose is to demonstrate to colleges, your community, and yourself that you can undertake a project over a long period of time. This involves many skills that colleges prize, such as time management and planning, prioritization of tasks, determination, and diligence. 

Remember that a good capstone project cannot be rushed. You will likely want to be working on it for at least the bulk of your senior year. 

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How to design your own capstone project in simple steps.

• Proposal – Your big idea! The details of the proposal you will be expected to put forward will be different from school to school, but there are some general guidelines. A proposal should be initiated by the student and put forward to a professor, teacher, or community leader. This proposal should contain an observation and a hypothesis; review of existing literature; a planned study or experiment; and possible problems with the proposal. If the proposal is approved by an expert, you are ready to proceed to the next steps. 
• Anchor Experience – The main event! This is where you actually study something, observe, or conduct research. This may involve any number of things depending on your own project. This experience should usually involve a mentor and prolonged exposure to the subject at hand. 
• Portfolio – Evidence and conclusions of your work! Throughout your capstone project you should maintain a portfolio of all related writing, work, and research. Your portfolio should include any experiments run, observations recorded, or conclusions reached. It is what you will show to colleges to prove your work and what you will be expected to present at the end of your project. 
• Presentation – Defend your thesis or show it off! The final step of most capstone projects involves presenting your work to one or more experts in the field. Oftentimes, this just involves presenting your portfolio to the same teacher who approved your proposal and who has been acting as your mentor throughout. Sometimes, however, it may involve making a presentation before a large group of people and defending your thesis from questions and comments. The exact nature of your presentation will naturally differ depending on your choice of project. 

How to pick the best capstone project

Your capstone project should relate to your intended major . If you plan to study chemistry, don’t do a capstone project on romance literature. If you plan to study American history, don’t do a capstone project on marketing in your community.

If you have not yet decided what to major in or what you want to focus your college education on, then it makes sense to use your capstone project to experiment with something – try on the hat and see how it fits. 

Additionally, you want your capstone project to be something that inspires and motivates you. It is no good picking something that sounds brilliant and earthshaking in theory, but that will in practice bore or frustrate you. That is the surest way to produce poor quality work.

You should assess your own habits and motivations and come up with the best project that fits you. Colleges can usually tell a genuine interest from a manufactured one. Therefore, you should pick something which will allow you to show them your best work in a subject you are deeply immersed in. This will always produce the best results. 

While I have said previously that a capstone project can be a good opportunity to experiment with a possible interest, it is important to briefly elaborate on that to provide better context.

It is an opportunity to expand on a preexisting interest that you are not sure if you want to dedicate your education or career to. It is not an opportunity to manufacture a completely new interest. Remember, a capstone is meant to be the finishing touch on your entire schooling. It should always relate to and expand upon your previous work. 

It is therefore best to pick a capstone project that you function as the final step on a journey you have already been undertaking. If all else fails, consider your interests and passions and go from there. Even if it seems only tangentially related to academia, that would be better than choosing an academically sound project that doesn’t inspire you.

Capstone project examples

Conclusion: Capstone Projects in High School

Be sure to discuss your options with your family and educators and consider what options work best for you given practical considerations. 

And, finally, do not be discouraged by the depth of capstone projects. Consider it not as a test to pass or fail, but rather an opportunity to learn, grow, and prove your unique brilliance!

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Three Approaches to Senior Theses

Central Magnet School, (Murfreesboro, TN). For the past eight years, as part of graduation requirements, Central Magnet School requires student to complete a Senior Thesis. The Senior Thesis is an interdisciplinary project where seniors synthesize what they have learned, demonstrate college level scholarship, and develop and complete an original process or product that contributes to the greater field of study. Students must incorporate cross-curricular components by having two faculty (one in the English department and one in another department) as part of their thesis panel. Students choose a topic of interest that they research with the help of a mentor who is an expert in the field within the community. Mentors for students have included university professors, politicians, medical professionals, educators, engineers, and individuals in IT and marketing. During the theses, students also have regular conferences with a Field of Study Advisor, who is an expert in the field and their Senior English teacher.

Students choose from one of three approaches to their thesis. The Experimental Thesis approach includes research in the areas of Bio-Med and Psychology. For example, a past topic addressed “Antibacterial Properties of Cockroaches and Maggots against Escherichia coli.” The Product Thesis approach involves a student creating a product based on their research. For example, students developed apps and computer programs, wrote business plans and novellas, composed concertos, and created documentaries. The Systematic Thesis approach answers a definite research question by collecting and summarizing empirical evidence. For example, a student thesis addressed “The Rise of a New Tornado Alley: The Impacts of Dixie Alley’s Rise to Power.” The thesis culminates in students publishing and defending their findings.

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What Is A Senior Thesis And How To Write It?

First, what is senior thesis? A senior thesis is a written project where you use different hypotheses, theory, argument, or creative thinking. It is usual practice for most students to take this project work in the senior year of college or high school.

A senior thesis tends to be more demanding than a research paper in terms of the amount of work and the length of the write-up. However, it is less than the work required for any Master’s thesis.

Is a Senior Thesis Required?

It is understandable to want to know if a senior thesis is required. I mean, anyone would want to know just how important it is before choosing to dedicate much time to it.

Well, a senior thesis is not compulsory in every college/university, and neither is it compulsory for every course of study.

In general, you can write a senior thesis if you have an overall GPA of 3.2, are ending your junior year, and meet your departmental requirements. If a senior thesis is not a requirement for completing your degree, you may decide to write one for several reasons. Some benefits are:

• It will look good on your resume
• It will give you an opportunity for some independent research
• You get some experience managing your project, etc.

If you cannot commit to finishing a senior thesis, then you shouldn’t start it. But if you would like to write one, then we’ve got lots of senior thesis topics and ideas for you! You will also get to learn how to write a senior thesis in this article!

How To Write a Senior Thesis

Writing a senior thesis can be a lot easier if you know what to do. First, you need to choose the right adviser, select a topic you would like to work on, write a proposal, and get approved. Here are some things you need to know about writing your senior thesis.

A thesis proposal is a short overview of what your senior thesis papers will look like. This document carries detailed descriptions of your senior thesis topic. Your thesis proposal can be between 1 to 5 pages long and should carry any relevant information. The proposal will also carry a list of books you’ve used or that you intend to use during the writing of your senior thesis.

The length of a senior thesis may vary depending on several reasons. The senior thesis length can be dependent on strict specifications by the college. Your senior thesis may be between 10,000 to 20,000 words long.

The senior honors thesis is a 6-credit final thesis that you must present as a written formal document. The senior thesis title page, also known as the cover page, is the page that carries, at first glance, details of the project. The information on this page includes the thesis title, name of the student, name of college, name of supervisor, etc.

The senior thesis defense is an avenue created for faculty and examiners to ask you about your research work. You are to tell them the outcome of the research to the point when you’re asked. The questions center around what you have in your senior thesis paper, so ensure you have remarkable up-to-date information at every point.

Senior Thesis Topic

It is essential that you find excellent senior thesis topics. Finding these excellent topics is the pain point for many students. Well, we are here to help you with some senior thesis topics.

Checking out past senior thesis topics can also set you on the right path earlier in your research. For example, if you are a student writing a CMC senior thesis, senior thesis UF, senior thesis Princeton, or yale senior thesis, you can search for award-winning senior thesis topics. These topics can give you an idea of topics that may best suit your purposes. Never forget that you should always choose topics that you find interesting. Here are some history senior thesis topics that you can choose from:

• Yankees of the East: 20th Century America
• History of the German Ford Motor Company
• How women saw themselves in the Jazz Age
• The Emergence of Great Societies
• The roles of women post WWII

Get A Senior Thesis Example

Looking through some senior thesis examples can help you easily get the hang of what a senior thesis looks like. You can also request past projects from senior friends and colleagues, as this can significantly reduce the stress on you.

Senior Thesis Format

Now, I’ll give you a working senior thesis format. If you want an excellent and well-written thesis, you can follow the senior thesis outline given below. Here is an outline according to the guidelines for writing UF senior thesis or Princeton senior thesis.

In this chapter, you have to discuss the significance and purpose of the thesis. Also, you should state what you hope to achieve by the work.

Here, you will discuss the theory behind your research work. This chapter discusses past theoretical works that are related to your research.

This chapter explains how you intend to gather your data. Here, you state the method and experiments you followed to arrive at your results. It would help if you also described the analysis of your data. This must be done conscientiously.

This chapter addresses the findings from your experiments and data analysis only. You begin by listing out the types of tests taken and the outcome. You can use tables and charts to illustrate numeric results as the case may be.

Here you don’t just restate your findings, but you expatiate on the deductions you made from your findings. This chapter answers the “so what?” question. This is not a section to mince words when you explain what the results mean to the theory.

Include all references at the end of work.

Senior Thesis Ideas

There are many fields and sources to get senior thesis topic ideas from. These fields include health, technology, social media, education, religion, music, environment, etc. If you want to do a UF psychology senior thesis research, for example, these are some senior thesis psychology topics you can explore.

• The deep-seated reasons for discrimination and prejudice
• Personal perception and social cognition
• Marketing, propaganda, and persuasion
• Eating behaviors and outlook about life
• Phobias and antisocial behaviors
• Group therapy profile
• False memories and dreams.

Graphic Design Senior Thesis

When you become a senior in the Graphic Design Program at your institution, you can choose a social or personal problem to address through a design problem-solving technique or process. It may take you a semester or session to complete this work, so you have to start early enough. After completing the thesis, you can showcase your work and experience an exhibition. Don’t forget to put in your best effort.

High School Senior Thesis

The high school senior thesis is a document of at least 2,000 words written by high school seniors. This exercise usually strengthens research capabilities. Some high school senior thesis topics may include:

• A documentary on a place
• Learning about programming
• Research about the nature of colors and lots more.

In conclusion, when you’ve decided to write a senior thesis, the best thing to do is segment your work into small doable bits. Also, you need to schedule your time so that you can complete the thesis in due time or contact professional thesis writers . We wish you good luck!

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Why the Senior Thesis? (Updated for 2022)

Is your student in Challenge IV , preparing and writing for their Senior Thesis? Or, will your child soon enter Challenge IV and is intimidated at the prospect of writing such an intensive paper? Although Senior Thesis can be a difficult task, the rewards of this capstone project that ends students’ high school journey are abundant.

What Is the Challenge IV Senior Thesis?

The Greek word thesis means “something put forth.” And the Classical Conversations Senior Thesis is an opportunity for Challenge IV students to “put forth” their ideas. Students pick any academic topic that interests them and incorporate significant and relevant ideas from across the Challenge program. They develop a persuasive thesis statement and then prove their claim in a sizable paper. Later, they present and defend their thesis before a panel in lieu of final exams. The Senior Thesis is the culmination of a student’s entire school experience in which they offer up the fruits of their labors.

As ominous as a paper of this size may sound, this project doesn’t need to be intimidating. As students work through the process of writing their papers over the course of the second semester, they have rich conversations with their Director each step of the way. In addition, they are guided by parents and chosen mentors. And, Challenge IV students follow a writing process similar to the one learned in their study of The Lost Tools of Writing in the earlier Challenge levels but adapted for older, more mature students.

Using the Five Canons of Rhetoric

Senior Thesis naturally takes students through the Five Canons of Rhetoric to create a compelling, well-researched paper. Beginning with invention, students select a topic and ask questions about it using the Five Common Topics of Dialectic to develop a claim (or thesis) to be proven. At this stage, an ANI (affirmative-negative-interesting) chart is helpful to build arguments and to select and then sort supporting evidence. Next comes arrangement, in which students solidify the vision and reinforce the direction of their papers, organizing their information and creating outlines. In the elocution stage, ideas finally hit the paper as students write and refine their first drafts. Through numerous reviews, students and advisors consider the flow of ideas, the argumentation, the style, and the mechanics of the paper. Students then write an abstract — a short, clear summary of the thesis and main ideas included in the paper. Finally, students memorize their abstracts and prepare for delivering an oral presentation and defense of their work in front of judges at a Senior Thesis defense held at their local community.

Why Write a Senior Thesis?

The benefits of writing a Senior Thesis are many. Students produce a rhetorical artifact that represents the skills and abilities gained throughout their years in the Classical Conversations programs. They demonstrate true ownership of their education by coordinating with an advisor, planning and completing a long-term project, and publicly defending their positions. Presenting their theses before a panel allows students to incorporate all three modes of persuasion: logos (logic), ethos (character), and pathos (emotion). Throughout the Challenge years, students encounter and discuss big ideas, and the Senior Thesis is a beautiful culmination of their educational experience.

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This post was originally published on January 11, 2016.

Written by:

Kathy donegia, i want to start homeschooling.

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Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis Student Workbook

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A yearlong course for grades 11-12

The senior thesis is a capstone project, the crowning achievement in a student’s academic journey. In completing the thesis, students bring all that they’ve learned—reading, writing, and arguing—to bear on one issue. They learn the background of the topic, analyze other people’s arguments, and synthesize their findings and discoveries, putting it all together to form a true, good, and beautiful whole.

Through the use of workshops, assignments, and presentation practices, the Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis  workbook walks students step-by-step through the process of writing and then delivering a thesis. Students will gradually draft the six parts of the thesis—introduction ( exordium ), statement of facts ( narratio ), thesis statement ( partitio ), argument ( confirmatio ), counterargument ( refutatio ), and conclusion ( peroratio )—as they are taken through the thesis process from start to finish, from choosing a topic to crafting a snappy title, and everything in between.

Versatile and straightforward, this text can be used by students who are only writing a thesis paper, only delivering a spoken address, or doing both. Additionally, the genius of Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis is that it can be utilized by students using any rhetoric curriculum and even by strong students who have not yet studied rhetoric.

Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis is an all-in-one resource—journal/scratch pad/research notebook and rough-draft-to-final-copy writing guide—that will equip students to create a strong, compelling, and well-crafted senior thesis. The text is spiral bound so that students can easily draft portions of their theses and take notes in the workbook, either in class or at home.

To learn more about the value of the senior thesis, read Dr. Alyssan Barnes's blog post, "From Sophomore to Senior: Why Students Need the Senior Thesis," here .

This is a consumable item. For more information on this product’s copyright, please refer to our General FAQ section  here .

What sets  Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis apart from other rhetoric texts?

•  RA Thesis can be used in conjunction with any rhetoric curriculum •  RA Thesis  uses clear, accessible language •  RA Thesis  takes students step-by-step through the writing of the thesis, from start to finish •  RA Thesis  aids students in writing a paper, speech, or both •  RA Thesis  helps reluctant or struggling writers generate good ideas and organize them well •  RA Thesis  contains presentation practice and writing workshops in each chapter •  RA Thesis  supplies tips from former senior thesis students •  RA Thesis  includes sample student writing and an example of a complete student thesis •  RA Thesis  brings classical rhetorical theory to bear on a contemporary issue

What people are saying about Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis :

“It is crucial for contemporary students to know the classical rhetorical tradition. Dr. Alyssan Barnes takes this ancient wisdom and presents it in its full complexity, showing through helpful exercises and clear processes the practicality, richness, and wisdom of this tradition and how it applies to the modern student. Only a master teacher of the art, with long and deep experience, could have produced a book this valuable to students.” —Gregory Roper, PhD, Chair of English, University of Dallas, and Author of The Writer’s Workshop: Imitating Your Way to Better Writing

“The senior thesis process can overwhelm students and parents alike. Research, writing, defending—these things seem like impossibilities. Thanks to Dr. Alyssan Barnes’s latest entry in the Rhetoric Alive! series, solace is just ahead. Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis offers hands-on, practical advice to help navigate the murky waters that often bog down thesis work.” —Sean Hadley, Thesis Director, Trinitas Christian School

Students who have used  Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis are saying:

“This workbook walked me through writing a thesis in simple but elegant steps that kept me engaged and actually made me a better writer.” —Ben B.

“At first, I was dreading the idea of doing a thesis, but this step-by-step method let me organize and express my thoughts in a fun and easy way.” —Grace M.

“Before I did the exercises in this book, I wasn’t a very good public speaker. I am now much more confident sharing my ideas in front of an audience.” —Blake N.

“With this workbook as a guide, I was able to understand and compose a proper argument. The explanations helped me organize my thoughts while writing my thesis.” —Will D.

ISBN: 9781600513572

Dimensions: 8.5in x 11in

Alyssan Barnes PhD , Author

Dr. Alyssan Barnes began teaching in 2001 at an urban classical school in Dallas, Texas, which offers a classical education primarily to less fortunate students. She now teaches rhetoric, Latin, and AP English at Live Oak Classical School in Waco, where her three daughters also attend. She completed her PhD in rhetoric in 2014 and wrote her dissertation on classical education. She is also the author of Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis Student Workbook.

Rhetoric Alive!  Book 1 Suggested Schedule  (PDF)

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Published Reviews

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"Rhetoric Alive! Book 1: Principles of Persuasion  is the most comprehensive, classically focused rhetoric textbook that I have seen on the market. . . . The explanations are written in engaging prose, punctuated with easy-to-digest examples and a plethora of pleasant and performance-enhancing activities.  Rhetoric Alive! Book 1: Principles of Persuasion  serves as an excellent textbook for a first-year rhetoric course in the classical school or homeschool curriculum." —Joshua Butcher, Rhetoric Teacher, Trinitas Christian School

“Rhetoric Alive!  is a highly knowledgeable, comprehensive, and clear Aristotelian treatment of the art of rhetoric. . . . Its virtues are many, but two are especially prominent: its patient pedagogy and its detailed and interesting exercises. . . . This is a living rhetoric bound to animate the spoken and written suasions of any teacher or student who submits to its instruction.” (Taken from the foreword.) —Scott F. Crider, PhD, Author of  The Office of Assertion: An Art of Rhetoric for the Academic Essay

“This text has the potential to shake up English studies at the secondary level. It is a formidable and appealing innovation that is wonderfully old-fashioned and yet as fresh as anything I’ve seen in a long time.” —John Briggs, PhD, Director, University Writing Program, UC Riverside

“Rhetoric Alive!  moves Aristotle’s ideas and concepts out of the classical past and sets them on the bottom shelf for high school students—and the accomplishment is that it does so without reducing them, but instead revealing their relevance and worth. It delivers on the aspiration of the title: It brings Aristotle’s  Rhetoric  alive.” —Craig Doerksen, Head of the School of Rhetoric, Regents School of Austin

“Combining Aristotle’s insights on rhetoric with examples of speech and writing ranging from Augustine to Shakespeare and from Emily Dickinson to Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Alyssan Barnes has written an illuminating and useful guide for all K-12 teachers of the liberal arts. The selections are well-chosen and age-appropriate. The analysis is first-rate. The connection of past to present is exemplary. Excellent scholarship combined with practical applications.” —Dr. Peter Gibbon, Senior Research Fellow, Boston University

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The Senior Thesis

When we started Founders Classical Academy of Leander in the Fall of 2013, in the middle of countless unknowns there were a few things we were certain of: we were going to commit to the ten points on the Barney Charter School Initiative’s list of what makes a true classical school, we were going to teach our students to love and protect their country, we were going to talk about the virtues, and all of our students would write a senior thesis before graduation. Among our high school students that last one is a sticking point, and I thought it would be helpful to talk about how the senior thesis works and why it is such an important part of a student’s education at our school, and  classical schools around the country. 

• It’s an opportunity for students to reflect upon their education before graduation. For some, this will be the last time they are asked to read a text closely or write carefully. For all of them, it is an rare opportunity to bring their elementary and secondary education to a conclusion and take stock of who they are as students before they go on to college and adulthood. It is a chance for them to ask themselves what they are interested in, what is important to them, and what they want to understand more fully.
• It’s an opportunity to practice and demonstrate the ability of speaking authoritatively about something one has learned. Think about everything a Founders student learns in high school or, in the future, what our students who have been with us since Kindergarten will know. Then think about what a shame it would be if our students lacked the ability to explain what they know in a clear and systematic way to others. What a missed opportunity that would be.
• It’s an opportunity to work closely with a member of the faculty on an academic work. The experience of working one-on-one with a trusted teacher over a period of several months is an chance to deepen one’s learning, and explore something important in more depth than is possible in the classroom.

When a student graduates from Founders Classical Academy, he or she has the education to be a successful and virtuous adult and a powerful force for good in the world. The senior thesis prepares students to take their place as citizens in our republic and serve as examples to others of the value of a liberal arts education.

Let’s take a look at the prompt the students are given when it’s time to begin their senior thesis. The question is simple, and it’s the same for all students:

Choose a book from the curriculum and show what it teaches about human nature and the human good.

If you think about it, this is a way for students to talk about the  question – the thing that is most important for all of us. Aristotle says at the beginning of the Nicomachean Ethic s that for all of us human beings, our primary question is what will make us happy in life, or, what is the good? All of the books we read at Founders Classical Academy have something to teach us about who we are and what we should pursue in life, and by choosing one of them, a Founders student has an opportunity to consider the most important question in depth.

Take a look below at the books our current seniors are writing on. We invite you to take an hour one afternoon this spring to listen to one of our seniors talk about what they have learned in high school. Senior thesis presentations are open to all members of the Founders Classical Academy community and they are one of the best ways to see what is possible when students receive a classical education in high school.

Senior Thesis Presentations, Class of 2018 (Updated 4/10/18)

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60 Best Senior Thesis Topics To Write On

After completing your high school or college, you finally sense a sight of victory at the end. However, one more hurdle remains for you to conquer – a senior thesis paper. It will determine whether you graduate or not.

Many students struggle when it comes to selecting proper senior thesis topics. You receive pressure from your professors and supervisor to present a professional topic.

If you still feel unsure about what topic to use for your senior thesis, our expert writers have you in mind. You will find the right idea and motivation to get you started with your thesis from the list below.

Are you ready to finish your course in style? Then scroll down for professionally handpicked senior thesis topics.

High School Senior Thesis Topics

• The role of the school administration in curbing bullying
• Pros and cons of giving students homework in high school
• What is the effectiveness of online learning for students in high school?
• The impact of policing in schools and the role of student participation
• How effective are group work assignments essential for students in high school?
• Does the teacher’s competency relate to his/her academic qualifications?

Political Science Senior Thesis Topics

• How third world countries are adapting to the emerging issues in political democracy
• The impact of the 2020 US presidential elections on world peace
• How do political ideologies affect freedom of speech in dictatorial countries?
• Using social media to advance political manifestos and campaign
• The role of political analysts in shaping public opinion
• How did Cambridge Analytica play a role in the US elections

History Senior Thesis Topics

• How peaceful protests have advanced over the years in championing civil rights
• The history of the immigration patterns on the US-Mexico border
• The rise of the birth of gay rights movements in the United States
• Sexual orientation in the US during the slavery period
• The history of the national flag and anthem
• The impact of the first and second World Wars affected the perspective of the world on unity

Graphic Design Senior Thesis Topics

• An investigation of how graphic design functions in marketing communications
• Similarities and differences between contemporary and conventional graphic design tools
• The evolution of graphic design in the technological era
• The role of graphic design in corporate branding and marketing
• An analysis of the use of colours in designing promotional materials
• The approach of women in design in comparison to men

Senior Thesis Topics Psychology

• How to moderate psychological and physiological responses to stress
• Evaluating the vulnerability to acute stress-induced anxiety and depression
• Examine the correlation between depression, sleep, and cardiovascular dysfunction
• How does the quality of sleep vary with executive functioning in adults
• How different sexes react to fear-conditioned behaviours
• The role of motivational speeches in enhancing self-esteem

Good Senior Thesis Topics

• How gender roles have continued to evolve in the 21st century
• Investigating the relationship between hangovers and work productivity
• Mapping the roles of supervisors in research projects and presentation
• How does loneliness lead to depression and anxiety among teens?
• How culture and traditions shape the moral aspects of a community
• The place of technology in preserving valuable cultural artifacts

Sociology Senior Thesis Topics

• How alcohol abuse among teenagers is affecting their performance in class
• What is the impact of life-time jail sentences on the victim
• How has female empowerment led to neglecting of the male gender
• Pains and struggles of a single mother
• The relationship between population pressure and increased crime rates
• Challenges facing women in a male-dominated workspace

English Literature Senior Thesis Topics

• Discuss the origins of Shakespeare’s novels
• The relationship between literature and the renaissance era
• How are fairy tales important in creating a narrative perspective in literature?
• The differences between criticism and symbolism in oral literature
• Evaluate the Gothic representations of gender
• How has technology shaped oral and written literature?

College Psychology Senior Thesis Topics

• Adjusting to physical illness through psychological therapy
• The relationship between self-esteem and egocentrism
• How to build your identity in modern society
• How interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships shape behaviours.
• The adaptability of the human mind to changing geographical locations.
• How eating disorders affect society’s productivity.

Criminal Justice Senior Thesis Topics

• Is capital punishment helping to reduce crime in society?
• The role of community corrections towards a moral society
• Are criminal courts serving their purpose to maintain justice?
• Criminal justice ethics in modern society
• The impact of technology in spreading war crimes and civil crimes
• Effective ways of preventing crime in schools and colleges

Can Someone Write My Thesis?

If you have picked a topic of your choice and thinking about what to do with it next, we offer professional thesis writing help to college students. Place your order now and get a cheap, quality paper delivered to your inbox within no time.

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Writing a senior thesis: is it worth it.

Before coming to Yale, I thought a thesis was the main argument of a paper. I quickly learned that an undergraduate thesis is about fifty times harder and fifty pages longer than any thesis arguments I wrote in high school. At Yale, every senior has some sort of senior requirement, but thesis projects vary by department. Some departments require students to do a semester-long project, where you write a longer paper (25-35 pages) or expand, through writing, the research you’ve been working on (mostly applies to STEM majors). In some departments you can take two senior seminars and complete a longer project at the end of the semester. And other departments have an option to complete a year-long thesis: you spend your senior year (and in some cases your junior year), intensely researching and writing about a topic you choose or create yourself.

Both my departments––English and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration––offer all three of these options, and each student decides what they think is best for them. As a double major, I had the additional option to write an even longer thesis combining both my majors, but that seemed like way too much work––especially since I would have to take two senior thesis classes at the same time. Instead, I chose a year-long thesis for ER&M that combined my literary interests with various theoretical frameworks and the two senior seminars for English. This spring I’m taking my second seminar. Really, I chose the option to torture myself for a whole year, the end result being a minimum of 50 pages of innovative thinking and writing. I wanted to rise to the challenge, proving to myself I could do it. But there also seemed to be the pressure of “this is what everyone in the major does,” and a “thesis is proof that you actually learned.” Although these sentiments influenced my decision to complete a thesis, I know a long research paper does not validate my education or work as a scholar the last four years. It is not the end all be all.

My senior thesis focuses on Caribbean literature - specifically, two novels written by Caribbean women that really look at what it means to come from an immigrant family, to move, and to find yourself in completely new spaces. These experiences are all too relatable to my own life as a second-generation woman of color with immigrant parents enrolled at Yale. In my writing, I focus on how these women make sense of “home” (a very broad and complicated topic, I know), and what their stories tell us about the diasporic experience in general. The project is very personal to me, and I chose it because I wanted to understand my family’s history and their task in making “home” in the U.S., whatever that means. But because it’s so personal, it’s also been really difficult. I’ve experienced a lot of writer’s block or often felt unmotivated and judgmental towards my work. I’ve realized how difficult it is to devote your time and energy to such a long process––not only is it research heavy, but you have to write and rewrite drafts, constantly adjusting to make sure you’re being as clear as possible. Really, writing a thesis is like writing a portion of a book. And that’s crazy! You’re writing two or three whole chapters of academic work as an undergraduate student.

The process is definitely not for everyone, and I’ve certainly thought “Why did I want to do this again?” But what’s really kept me going is the support from my advisors and friends. The ER&M department faculty does an amazing job of providing us mentorship, revisions, and support throughout the process; my advisor has served as my editor but also the person who reminds me most that this work is important, as I often forget that. It also helps to have many friends and people in the major also writing their theses. I’ve found different spaces to just have a thesis study hall or working time, with other people also struggling through. Recently, I submitted my first full draft (note: it was kind of unfinished but it’s okay because it’s a draft!), and it was crazy to think that I wrote 50+ pages, most of which are just my own original thoughts and analysis on two books that have almost no scholarship written about them. It was a relief for sure. This week I will be taking a full break from it, but it reminded me of why I began this journey. It reminded me of all the people who’ve supported me along the way, and how I really couldn’t have done it without them. And now, I’m really looking forward to how good it will feel to turn in my fully written thesis mid-April. I’ve realized that this project shouldn’t be about making it good for Yale’s standard, but for myself, for my family, and for the people who believe in this work as much as I do.

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Yale Child Study Center welcomes new clinical trainees for the 2024-2025 academic year

The Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) welcomes new trainees to its world-renowned educational fellowships, internships, and practicum programs in July each year. YCSC training programs share a common goal of providing a deep understanding adaptive and maladaptive development in children and their families. This is gained through supervised clinical intervention delivery, didactic experiences, and involvement in research initiatives designed to increase knowledge and inform clinical decision-making.

The following trainees have joined YCSC education and training programs this summer as fellows, residents, interns, and practicum students.

Advanced Clinical Social Work Fellows

Phoebe Josephson, MSW attended the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Barnard College. During her graduate training, she worked with parents, supporting them with financial, well-being, education, and career-related goals. She also provided individual psychodynamic psychotherapy to college-aged young adults. She is passionate about working with the unique needs of families and creating a warm, supportive environment to foster change in their lives. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano and spending quality time with family, friends, and her dog.

Hector Zaragoza Valentin, MSW received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Portland State University School of Social Work in Portland, Oregon. During his graduate training, he served as a Bilingual/Bicultural Mental Health Clinician at Raices de Bienestar providing Spanish language therapy. His decade-long career has been in service of k-12 students, LGBTQ+ communities, communities impacted by HIV, and most recently as a statewide crisis responder. Hector is a celebrated mariachi, violinist, and Mexican folk dancer.

Albert J. Solnit Integrated Adult & Child Psychiatry Residents

Rachel Hennein, MD, PhD received her MD and PhD from Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health, respectively. She worked with Dr. Luke Davis to study the implementation of evidence-based care for tuberculosis in Uganda, as well as with Dr. Sarah Lowe to study the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers. Before coming to Yale, she graduated from Duke in 2016 with a double major in global health and psychology. In her free time, she enjoys making pottery on the wheel, going for walks in East Rock Park, and trying new restaurants.

Eric B. Zheng, MD, PhD earned his MD from Weill Cornell Medical College as part of the Tri-Institutional Weill Cornell / Rockefeller / Memorial Sloan-Kettering MD-PhD Program. He completed his PhD research at the Rockefeller University in the Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, where he worked with Prof. Li Zhao to study the origins of genetic novelty using computational techniques applied to the fruit fly Drosophila. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard College, where he was also a member of the men’s varsity swimming team. Outside of research, he is very interested in education and outreach, particularly related to pipeline programs designed to expose talented potential trainees from underrepresented backgrounds to biomedical research careers. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new foods, reading, and searching for forgotten writing instruments.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellows

Alexandra Desir-Clarke, MD earned her bachelor’s in sociology from Boston University with a minor in public health, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in health studies from Cornell University. She went on to earn her MD from Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, with a distinction in Humanities. She completed her psychiatry residency at Northwell Health at Zucker Hillside Hospital, where her clinical and academic focuses included first-episode psychosis, school-based mental health, trauma-focused care, and health equity initiatives.

Alayna Freeman, MD received her MD from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences F. Edward Hèbert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. She received her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2017. During that time, she commissioned into the United States Air Force, and she continues to serve as an active-duty military officer. During her graduate training, she completed internship and residency training at UT Health San Antonio in Texas. Her professional interests include substance use disorders in adolescence, adjustment disorders in the context of military trauma, trauma-informed care for African American children and families, and separation—individuation coping. In her free time, she enjoys photography, practicing as a licensed esthetician, and playing the piano.

Richard Gomez, MD is originally from Dallas, Texas and has lived in various places. Shortly after high school, he moved to the Bay Area to complete his bachelor's degree in biology at Stanford University. He then spent six years in Los Angeles, working in different fields, from a health technical startup in Santa Monica, to clinical research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Recognizing his passion for medicine, he left California to complete his medical education at Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine. After graduation, he moved to New York City to do his residency training at New York Medical College, Metropolitan hospital in Manhattan. Additionally, he is an APA Child & Adolescent fellow and has enjoyed the opportunity to meet and build relationships with other amazing professionals passionate about child mental health. In his free time, he enjoys sleeping, eating, and (sometimes) exercising.

Alero Mayuku-Dore, MBBS earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She completed her residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York. She enjoys candid photography, watching animated movies, and socializing with friends in her spare time.

Savion Smith, MD completed his adult psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona-Tucson, his medical degree at the University of Arizona-Phoenix, his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Arizona State University, and his premed postbaccalaureate certification at Washington University in St. Louis. During his medical education and training he enjoyed various volunteer and shadowing opportunities, including assisting in providing care at St. Louis Crisis Nursery and In Balance Academy. He has found fulfillment supporting disadvantaged youth in various settings such his six years acting as a YMCA swim coach in addition to years of tutoring, counseling, and volunteering in Title 1 school districts. Clinically, Smith is interested in school-based mental health, psychotherapy, and trauma. In his free time, he enjoys leading social groups, roller skating, and science-fiction/fantasy films.

Ulunma Natalie Umesi, MD, MBA completed her adult psychiatry training in Brooklyn, New York with the One Brooklyn Health system. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Medical University of the Americas and her master's in business administration degree from Davenport University. She currently presides over the Board of Directors for SMART Recovery NYC (R), a non-profit organization that provides peer support and tools for those living with addictive and maladaptive behaviors. Umesi started SMART Recovery NYC's first women-only meeting, for those who identify as a woman. She is a REACH (Recognizing and Eliminating Disparities in Addiction through Culturally Informed Healthcare) fellow and the recipient of a research grant, funded by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). She hopes to better understand family dynamics as they relate to substance abuse through research and community mental health education. In her free time, she enjoys trivia nights, practicing mindfulness, playing soccer or badminton, and spending quality time with friends.

Richard Zhang, MD, MA received his medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, his master’s in history of science and medicine from Yale, and his bachelor's degree from Penn State. During his psychiatry residency training at the University of Connecticut, he concurrently served as affiliated faculty at the UConn Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, and as Chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Assembly Committee of Area Resident-Fellow Members. His scholarly and advocacy work has centered on cultural psychiatry, medical education and humanities, and policymaking. Zhang’s drive toward preventing and reducing the progression of mood, thought, and personality conditions led to his interest in working with youth. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his partner and pets.

Child Psychology Fellows

Anthony Cifre, MA is a doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology program at the University of Houston. He received his bachelor's degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from West Virginia University and a master's degree in Exercise Science from Southern Connecticut State University. Before his graduate studies, he worked as a clinical research assistant at Yale, where he discovered a clinical/research interest in behavioral sleep medicine for underserved populations. As a graduate student, Cifre has received clinical training at various hospitals and specialty clinics, including Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston. He has specialized training working with children and families with chronic medical illness and comorbid psychosocial concerns, as well as outpatient settings specializing in treatment for childhood sleep and disruptive behavior disorders. Born and raised in Connecticut, Anthony enjoys playing volleyball, rock climbing, and eating pizza.

Liz DeLucia, MS is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Virginia Tech, where her research is focused on access to mental health care for autistic youth. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology and economics at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to attending graduate school, she completed a post-undergraduate research fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center. She is excited to be returning to complete her clinical internship and postdoctoral training. In her free time, Liz enjoys watching Gilmore Girls reruns and creating crochet projects.

Michael B. Hager, MA received his master's in general psychology at the New School for Social Research and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts at the New School for Public Engagement. During his graduate training, he has completed clinical externships at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (School-Based Therapy Program), The New School Student Health Services (Counseling Center), Montefiore Medical Center (Group Attachment-Based Intervention), and Lenox Hill Hospital (Center for Attention and Learning). His master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation work has focused on the development of a novel observational measure of parental reflective functioning and sensitivity within parent-child free play settings, titled the Parent Rearing Coding System (PRCS). He currently works as a senior research assistant at the Center for Attachment Research and a research consultant at Nurse-Family Partnership/Child First's Center for Prevention and Early Trauma Treatment. In his free time, he enjoys going on adventures with his dog, cooking, weightlifting, and spending time with loved ones.

Faigy Mandelbaum, MA is a 7th-year doctoral candidate in the PhD in Clinical Psychology program at Hofstra University. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Hofstra University, her post-bac in psychology from Brooklyn College of CUNY, and bachelor’s in behavioral science and human services from Bellevue University. She completed practicums at Mclean Hospital-Harvard Medical School in the 3 East DBT outpatient and partial hospital programs located in Boston, at the Suicidal and Self-Injurious Behaviors unit and Orthodox Jewish unit in New York Presbyterian-Cornell, and in the Phobia and Trauma Clinic and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Clinic at Hofstra University's Psychological Evaluation Research and Counseling Clinic. Her thesis examined the impact of childhood trauma on PTSD development in Israeli lone soldiers and found that lone soldiers are 8.54x more likely to develop PTSD when compared to non-lone soldiers. Through a Research Fulbright in Israel and her dissertation, she studied how childhood trauma impacts the development of C-PTSD in military populations. She is passionate about working with children, families, and veterans who have experienced trauma. In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving to explore beautiful corals and historical shipwrecks.

Clinical Interns & Practicum Students

Lillian Blanchard is currently a graduate student in the clinical psychology PhD program at the University of Connecticut. Her research and clinical interests include intervention for young children with emotion regulation difficulties, particularly those who have experienced trauma or early childhood stressors. She has served as a clinician at the University of Connecticut's Psychological Services Clinic and Connecticut Pediatric Neuropsychology Associates. She received her bachelor's degree at Duke University and is originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her spare time, she enjoys baking bread, reading, and doing Pilates.

Alexandria Crawford, MA is currently working toward her PhD in school psychology at the University of Connecticut. She completed her bachelor's degree at the University of New Mexico while she was active duty in the US Air Force. Throughout her graduate training, she has completed practicum experiences at various schools, including The American School for the Deaf, as well as trauma treatment centers in her home state of Illinois. Her dissertation examines teacher accommodation of anxiety and its impact on teacher well-being. In her free time, she enjoys learning new things, hanging out with her two cats, and spending time with her friends and family.

Sabrina Danard received her master's in social work at the University of Connecticut in 2013. She then worked with children and adolescents through IICAPS before an eight-year stretch working in an outpatient setting at The Branford Counseling Center. During this time, she worked with all ages as well as a variety of mental health conditions including bipolar, depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, and schizophrenia. She opened a private practice during this time and continued to refine her skills working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. The pandemic allowed her time to think about what she wanted from a career and in 2021, she applied to Yale's Graduate Entry Nurse Practitioner program. Danard’s desire is to augment her knowledge as a mental health counselor with a medical lens in order to better support those who are suffering. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, working out, and taking pictures of her geriatric cat, Louie.

Jessica M. Duda, MS is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Yale University working with Jutta Joormann. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Tufts University in 2015 with dual degrees in economics and international relations. She worked for several years in the financial services industry before launching a psychology research career. Prior to starting at Yale, Duda worked with Dr. Diego Pizzagalli at the Laboratory for Affective and Translational Neuroscience at McLean Hospital, where she investigated the neural correlates of stress reactivity in major depression. She is interested in the effects of stress across development on cognitive and neurobiological functioning, with an emphasis on mechanisms of anxiety and depression. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the fiddle and hiking in New England woods.

Maurice A. Evans received a Master of Divinity in Biblical studies from Hartford Seminary and bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern Connecticut State University. He has conducted clinical research at Yale University in the AIDS and alcohol research communities. For the past 11years, Evans has served as a social worker for the Connecticut Department of Social Services. In his free time, he enjoys going out for a good dinner and a Broadway show.

Fanta Faro relocated to the United States at the age of 12. She speaks six languages and is enrolled at Simmons University, where she is pursuing a master's degree in social work. She earned a bachelor's degree in social work at Eastern Connecticut State University. She has been applying behavior analysis to individuals with psychological disorders for the past five years. In her spare time, she likes to shop, cook, and clean.

Lidiane Fernandes is working on a master’s in marriage and family therapy at Southern Connecticut State University. She graduated with honors with a bachelor’s in psychology and received an Academic Excellence in Psychology Award while pursuing her associate’s degree in psychology. For the past six months, she has served as a behavioral therapist in Hamden, Connecticut, serving children on the autism spectrum. When she has downtime, she enjoys ladies' night with her girlfriends from her local church, a riveting board game evening, and karaoke.

Alison Kelly, MS received her master's in mental health counseling at Fordham University, and her bachelor's degree at Swarthmore College. She is currently in the counseling psychology doctoral program at Fordham University. During her graduate training, she completed externships at Family Services of Westchester and Montefiore in the Bronx, NY. Her current doctoral thesis examines linkages between school climate and early adolescent symptoms of depression among Black/African American students in grades 6 through 9. For the past three years, she has served as a therapist to children and adolescents at Sasco River Center in Connecticut. In her free time, she enjoys needlepointing, playing with her dog Cooper, and listening to true crime podcasts.

Anna Kilbride, PsyM, MA is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She received a master's degree in child development at Sarah Lawrence College, where her master’s thesis examined representational markers of risk for child outcomes in the attachment narratives of trauma-exposed mothers. During her clinical training, she has completed externships in child, family, and couples therapy at Rutgers University and Montefiore Medical Center. Her areas of interest include the intergenerational transmission of trauma and the role of attachment security in emotion regulation and developmental psychopathology.

Retta Laumann is a second year masters of social work student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She received a bachelor’s of fine arts in acting from Baldwin Wallace University in 2022 and she looks forward to incorporating her arts background into clinical work. She completed her first-year graduate school internship with Arlington County, Virginia's Child and Family Services, where she worked with children and families involved in child protective services. In her free time, Laumann loves to sew, sing, play with her pets, and spend time with family and friends.

Kimmia Lyon, NCSP, MEd, MA received a master's of education in school psychology and a master of arts in educational psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, following a bachelor's degree at The Ohio State University. During her graduate training, she completed an internship at Greenwich Public Schools. She is currently enrolled in a school psychology PhD program at UConn. Her dissertation examines student preferences for sharing social determinants of health information with school providers and factors influencing their comfort level. She is currently a research assistant at UConn, where she is part of a team developing a comprehensive, contextual screener for use in schools. In her free time, Lyon enjoys spending time outside, trying new places to eat, and binge-watching true crime documentaries.

Antuanett Ortiz has a bachelor’s of science in developmental psychology and is currently working toward a master’s in clinical mental health counseling at University of Bridgeport. During her undergraduate studies, she completed internships at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating, she continued to work with children and families through IICAPS and Birth to Three programs. She is dedicated to the field and is continuing her education and training in DBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Circle of Security, and Theraplay. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family of her fiancé, little buddy, and two pups.

Iryiana Rivera received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2021 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in social work at the University of Connecticut, with a concentration in individuals, groups, and families. She recently completed an internship at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Connecticut, where she worked closely with monolingual Spanish speaking students. Rivera currently serves as a medical case manager, assisting individuals who are HIV+ in maintaining their health and serving the overall community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

Dessa Shepherd is an NYU Steinhardt alumnus experienced in program development and management, as well as creating strategic and innovative education curricula and programmatic events. As a proactive leader, she thrives on tackling complex challenges related to creating a more equitable society. She is currently a school counselor and is experienced in program design, curriculum development, and operational strategy. As a former teacher, and now a clinical mental health counselor in training at Long Island University, she aims to be a resource for all teachers, parents, and staff as they guide and educate children, especially those from immigrant families.

Featured in this article

• Phoebe Josephson
• Hector Zaragoza Valentin
• Rachel Hennein, MD/PhD
• Eric Bo Zheng, MD, PhD
• Alexandra Desir-Clarke
• Alayna Freeman
• Richard Gomez, MD
• Alero Mayuku-Dore
• Savion Smith
• Ulunma Natalie Umesi
• Richard Zhang
• Anthony Cifre, MA, MS
• Elizabeth DeLucia
• Michael B. Hager
• Faigy Mandelbaum
• Linda Mayes, MD
• Dorothy Stubbe, MD
• Michele Goyette-Ewing, PhD
• Karen McLachlan Franchi

Related Links

• YCSC Clinical Internships, Residencies, & Fellowships

BuzzBallz founder, a TWU alum, gifts a record $30M to the university's business school

If Texas Woman's University Regents could have toasted the record-breaking gift it has gotten from an alumna, they might have "clinked" a round of brightly-colored plastic BuzzBallz.

Merrilee Kick, the CEO and founder of BuzzBallz, has given her alma mater $30 million, a gift that university leaders said will transform the young College of Business.

The gift was announced at the TWU Board of Regents meeting on Thursday afternoon. University officials said the gift will fund an endowed chair in the business college as well as fast-track the construction of a new College of Business building on campus.

Kick met with press at the Carrollton BuzzBallz plant, where the ready-to-drink cocktails are made and bottled in their patented round bottles. The production floor was bustling, and a conveyor belt was carrying scores of cheery red bottles toward a sorting mechanism. The machine put the bottles in single file, where they headed toward the next step in the packaging process. Upstairs, Kick waited near a fully-stocked bar, where a giant silver BuzzBallz spun in slow, smooth circles.

Kick said her reasons for sharing her wealth are pretty simple.

"My parents were teachers," she said. "They were educators. Their parents were teachers. To me, education is something I'm passionate about. Some people are passionate about dogs or cats, or the homeless, or whatever, you know? And if you have some money, you want to do something good with your money, right? And to me it makes sense."

Kick said she also thinks back to the days when she started BuzzBallz on a shoestring bank loan, running around the plant with her children filling bottles, wiping them off by hand, and packing pallets. She remembers being a busy working mother, trying to create something from what felt like scratch in "Big Alcohol," an industry dominated by men.

"You know, I do a lot of women-promotion types of things," Kick said. "Texas Woman's University gave me the opportunity to encapsulate a business plan that I could pitch to investors, and it helped me in a time where I didn't have any money. Education is the key to freedom. It gave me the freedom to do what I wanted to do, and financial stability."

She also said that TWU, which is in the midst of it's most ambitious capital campaign ever, called on her for help. "Dream Big" is the TWU campaign that set out to raise $125 million for the university's 125th anniversary. Prior to Kick's commitment, the campaign had raised $120,001,553. The gift completes and exceeds the campaign's goals.

Kick's gift doubles the $15 million donation the Doswell Foundation made to the university a year ago.

“This gift affords us an opportunity to shine a huge light on the innovation and business acumen women bring to the table in our globally competitive economy,” Texas Woman’s Chancellor Carine Feyten said.

“I am doubly pleased that this extraordinary gift comes from Merrilee, a shining example of our pioneering spirit and an alumna who has risen to the level of entrepreneurial titan.”

A globe trotter takes a risk

Kick was born in Greenville, but she also claims Montana as a second home.

"I'm a Texas girl," Kick said. "My parents are from Texas and they were finishing college when they had me. And then we moved to Montana. I went to school in Montana, college in Montana and then moved down to Dallas."

Kick started her career as a systems engineer for Ross Perot's EDS. She met her husband at the company, though he worked in finance. They had children, and when wanderlust struck, Kick said her husband moved them to South Africa for nearly four years. While Kick didn't work during that time, she did create a nonprofit organization to train women to work in film and television.

While living in Dallas, Kick had also worked in film and television, and said she was heavily involved in Women in Film Dallas . She helped raise $3 million for the South African nonprofit. Then her husband's job took the family to Stockholm, Sweden. Kick worked for Ericsson, a global information and communications tech company. She also started work in voice acting, and did "thousands of voiceovers for, like, Absolut vodka, Sprite, the U.S government, the Army, you know, all those kinds of things that needed an English language voiceover."

Kick said she also wrote screenplays during the family's five years in Sweden.

Kick and her family came back to Dallas, and Kick went to work for TSNRadio, where she had both full-time and part-time roles between 2002 and 2010. But media pays poorly while keeping a demanding pace, Kick said, and she needed a better paycheck to raise her two small children then. In 2004, she also started teaching at Plano West Senior High. And as is the tradition for public schools in Texas, Plano got as much expertise from Kick as possible.

"I taught five different subjects for them," she said. "I taught business law, international business marketing, sports and entertainment marketing. I taught business computer systems, too, you know, because I used to do that, too."

Plano ISD offered its teachers a professional development deal: get a master's degree and the district would help cover the cost if teachers studied at a local college. Kick knew she didn't want to study education administration, though. Instead, she decided to get an MBA. After all, she was teaching business-centered electives.

"I convinced them to bend the rules so that I could get an MBA instead of a degree in administration. And so I was the first one to push that through," Kick said.

She shopped around Dallas for a school. There was Southern Methodist University, with it's celebrated MBA program. But TWU would admit her without requiring Kick to take the GMAT, a graduate school exam that focuses on management. Kick liked that idea.

"The GMAT would require me to be really good at calculus, and I hadn't taken calculus in years," she said.

She enrolled at TWU and became a Pioneer.

A master's thesis that would go down smooth ... if investors would bite

Kick was still teaching at Plano West while working on her masters.

She said her million-dollar idea occurred to her when she was on the job, sort of.

"I had a cocktail with me," Kick said. "I was grading papers by the pool."

She also had a trinket from Sweden by the pool: an Orrefors crystal ball candle holder.

"I'm grading papers by the pool and trying to think of what I wanted to do my master's degree on," Kick said. "I wanted to do something in the spirits industry because what survives in good times and bad, you know? Booze. For sure. So I came up with the idea to create something that looked like that [Orrefors] container. And I thought that would be kind of interesting to make a party ball, you know?"

The name "party balls" was already taken by the sphere-shaped party kegs, and Kick said she contacted the legal team at MillerCoors, who had the product, to ask if she could license the name.

MillerCoors responded: "Not only no, but hell no," Kick said.

She workshopped product names with her high school students.

"The students came up with 'schwasted balls' and 'kickballs,' you know, all kinds of funny names," Kick said. "And and then we settled on BuzzBallz because I thought, you know, these balls will get you buzzed. It was something that looked like what it was, but I can't say the word 'buzz' because I can't allude to getting drunk or anything like that because that's against (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) rules."

She finally settled on a name: BuzzBallz.

"The 'z' on the end is at an angle, because it makes you tipsy. Get it? Tipped 'z?'" Kick still grins at the pun.

Unfortunately, Kick said, she couldn't get a business loan. She was rejected by every bank in the region. Kick said her impression was that her being a woman, and with no experience in the spirits industry and even less money to seed a business made her too risky for lenders. She also didn't have a distributor for her product.

Nine months later, Opportunity Bank, located in Richardson, asked her if she was still looking for a loan. They sent officers to the space she had rented, where there were no machines yet, but the spots where they'd sit taped off on the floor. But she had pluck and a distributor, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, willing to make an initial purchase.

She got a tiny loan. Less than $200,000 — and putting her house up as collateral — and she was in business: the Carrollton-based BuzzBallz became the only woman-owned distillery/winery/brewery combo in the United States when it launched in 2009. The first pallets of product were shipped in August of 2010.

BuzzBallz eventually grew into a thriving business, largely on the stellar success of its sphere-shaped, shatter-resistant containers, which became a signature of the company’s pre-mixed cocktail product line. It was the first ready-to-drink cocktail that was sold in individual servings at stores. In Denton Walmarts, you can pick up Peach Chiller and Pineapple Colada flavors, among other. Buyers can also pick up four-packs.

Kick sold the company in May to Louisiana-based Sazerac, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, and remains BuzzBallz CEO. Industry sources said that when Kick sold her festive product to the company based in New Orleans, it was worth a billion dollars.

Kick's product will nurture future business women

Rama Yelkur, the dean of the TWU College of Business, said Kick's gift is a game changer.

"This gift is transformational for a business school," Yelkur said. "We educate primarily women, and that really gives us a very unique opportunity to prepare women business leaders for their profession. This is finance, to be ready for Wall Street and other industries, to create and generate women-owned businesses and to support student entrepreneurs. This gift allows us to grow into a leading business school primarily for women, and offer all kinds of cutting edge and innovative programs. It just changes the trajectory for the business school and the ability to offer all these programs."

The TWU College of Business was established in 2017. Yelkur said the college achieved the "gold standard" in accreditation in the 2022-23 academic year, when the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business granted the program credentials.

Yelkur said Kick's gift is an enormous vote of confidence for the college, which offers courses and has a presence on the Denton, Dallas and Houston campuses. Kick's gift will build a college facility on the Denton campus, and Yelkur said the endowed chair will help TWU attracted high-level talent to its business faculty. The gift will also position the university to continue offering programs to women in communities adjacent to its campuses, offering leadership training and skills.

Yelkur said she's been talking with Kick for a while now, and they found that Kick especially liked the idea of TWU's commitment to developing "grit" in its students. TWU doesn't have a hard and fast definition of grit, but Yelkur said resilience and adaptation are important in the 21st Century marketplace.

"When we talked, I asked, 'Can we establish an Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the College of Business that would have an entrepreneurial residence that would help? Do not entrepreneurs incubate products that would help students take their idea from conception to reality?' Merrilee was challenged in a male-dominated industry. She navigated that with grace and determination. But that can't happen to every person. We need to provide that support system to generate more women in businesses."

Kick said she's staying on as the CEO of BuzBallz for four years, which Sazerac estimates as the length of time it will take to make the conversion. Kick said she is looking forward to writing some screenplays and exploring her next venture. And she can be a presence in the TWU classroom, too, to offer mentorship and her expertise to students. She likes the idea of helping women realize their dreams. She has long found a way to plug women into new skills and confidence.

"I wouldn't call myself a women's libber, because I don't hate men, you know. I'm not that kind of person," Kick said. "Men have helped me tremendously throughout my career. It's just that women need the support."

The Board of Regents is expected to announce that TWU will name the College of Business in her honor on Friday.

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Staff Spotlight: Mychelle Harris

August 8, 2024  | Erin Bluvas,  [email protected]

“I like to say I’m from a little bit of everywhere and a little bit of nowhere,” says Mychelle Harris , training administrator for the Center for Community Health Alignment .

Harris’ family moved every three to four years for her dad’s assignments with the U.S. Army. She finished high school in Sumter while he was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base and spent a year studying biology at the College of Charleston before transferring to USC’s main campus.

I’m beyond grateful for my journey from student to staff. I would have never found a passion for my field and met the amazing people I work with.

“I was anxious about finding a niche or finding a group to fit in with,” Harris says. “I’ve never felt like I had a place to call home as a military brat, but Columbia opened its arms and welcomed me in.”

As an undergrad, she studied biology initially – knowing that she had a knack for science and math. She learned about the public health major during a statistics course and says that’s when the spark started.

Harris found mentors in her professors, particularly April Winningham (recently retired) and Sara Corwin , who taught her senior seminar.

“Dr. Winningham gave me the tools to succeed and taught me skills I use to this very day,” Harris says. “Dr. Corwin encouraged us all to try something we’re interested in even if we don’t know if it’ll work out. If you don’t like it, at least you tried it and now you know more about what you do like.”

After graduating in 2020, Harris began volunteering with PASOs and the Community Health Worker Institute – both programs within the Center for Community Health Alignment. She spent six months working closely with the training team and the Southeast Community Health Worker Network.

“Working on these projects and with these teams ignited my passion for community health work,” says Harris, who was then hired as a training administrator for the Center. “I’m beyond grateful for my journey from student to staff. I would have never found a passion for my field and met the amazing people I work with.”

Since then, Harris has been an integral part of the training conducted for community health workers and their allies. She handles logistics and supports the training team to ensure they have everything they need to successfully engage participants.

"As the workforce of Community Health Workers increases, so has the demand for training," says Greg Green , training manager for the Center. "Mychelle has been an integral part of our relationship-building with organizations and individuals who want our training, inside and outside of South Carolina. The logistics for keeping up with the rapid demand increase, across the nation, is not an easy task, but Mychelle does so with grace."

Harris’ favorite part of her job is listening to and sharing the experiences of trainees. She says their perspectives and the contributions they bring to the trainings take the outcomes to the next level and result in lasting connections. 

“Throughout my time in Columbia, I’ve made unforgettable friendships and memories as well as learned many life lessons,” Harris says. “I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything.”

The Staff Spotlight Series is sponsored by the Arnold School's Office of Access and Collective Engagement.

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