Every time senior Claire Hersh enters Susanna Mellor’s classroom, the first-grade teacher thinks of the sitcom Cheers.

“The kids always call out, ‘Claaaaaaire,’” she laughs, in a way that reminds her of how the character Norm was greeted when he entered a scene on the television program. “They’re always excited to see her and to show her things.”

And this year, Susanna’s first graders have had a lot of chances to greet and interact with Claire, who joins their class several times each week as part of her independent project on elementary education.

Listen to this story | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

“Since I was little, I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher,” said Claire, and she’s taken every opportunity she can to prepare for this career: she’s an expert babysitter, has worked as a summer camp counselor, and has a part-time job at an after-school program.

But one of Claire’s goals—to intern in a real classroom—felt out of reach. After all, elementary schools are often on break during the summer, the time when most high school internships take place. So you can imagine Claire’s delight when English teacher Dr. Laura Johnson, who also manages the internship program, proposed that Claire instead take on an independent project, an option the Upper School offers to interested juniors and seniors in good academic standing.

Upper School Assistant Principal Stacia McFadden, who approves and oversees independent projects, said the division has offered an informal version of this kind of experience for years, often used to resolve class scheduling conflicts. But as the Upper School has worked to create even more authentic learning opportunities for students who want to follow their interests and build real-world skills, the team has started featuring independent projects more prominently as an option for deep learning, fitting naturally alongside opportunities like internships and Advanced Research classes.

“We want to make sure students don’t just leave here with book knowledge, but also with experiential knowledge—and perhaps find their passion while in high school,” said Stacia. “Allowing students to follow their passions leads to more engaged learning, which helps them succeed.”

And the division has found that students who take on independent projects tend to feel empowered by the experience. Each student-led project, which earns credit toward graduation requirements, includes a proposal, regular check-ins with an advisor, and possibly a presentation at an end-of-year showcase, all of which require full engagement with their subject. Fueled by their own interests or passions, students build confidence as they exercise their agency and find purpose in their chosen work.

It's a very unique opportunity, and I'm very grateful for it. It's something I would not be able to achieve, really, if I went anywhere else for school.—Claire Hersh, class of 2025

The benefits that come from these opportunities are as varied as the projects themselves. For Claire, who’s dreamed of teaching since she was four years old, an independent project has allowed her to try on her dream career, solidifying her confidence in that path.

“I’m actually teaching,” said Claire, who’s led both small- and full-group lessons that have helped her get a feel for the job—a rare opportunity for a high school student, and one that most student teachers only have in their last year of college. And it goes beyond benefiting her today: Claire will continue to tap into the knowledge she’s building as she begins her undergraduate work this fall.

“Claire’s going to be able to connect these experiences with her studies,” said Susanna, who views Claire’s independent project journey as a perfect example of the natural learning cycle that builds meaningful, lasting knowledge. “She can use these concrete experiences to hook theoretical ideas back to. I would have loved to engage in something like this prior to studying educational theory, approaches, and history.”

“It’s a very unique opportunity, and I’m very grateful for it,” added Claire. “It’s something I would not be able to achieve, really, if I went anywhere else for school.”

Junior Catherine Seagrave has a similar perspective, knowing her independent project experience could have only happened at Rowland Hall. Like Claire, Catherine found her passion early in life: a love of all things French, nourished by Fancy Nancy, fashion, and her father’s fondness for romance languages. She planned to take a year of French IV as a junior, but at the start of the year, she spotted a second-semester conflict: the Ornithology class she was interested in was the same period as French. Around the same time, French teacher Effy Bentley, whom students call Madame, approached Catherine about an exciting opportunity: the chance to work as a server in Effy’s friend’s bakery, located in a coastal city in northern France, for the upcoming summer—a dream come true for the young Francophile.

I’m grateful I have access to so many teachers who are invested in their students.—Catherine Seagrave, class of 2026

The duo saw a chance to turn the scheduling conflict into a transformative learning experience that would prepare Catherine to live and work in France for eight weeks this summer. After starting in French IV in the fall, Catherine switched to an independent project for the second semester. Building on her first-semester studies, she created a plan that would further the skills she’ll need for her time in France, like a solid knowledge of travel, home, and time vocabulary, opportunities for oral practice, and even creating a French resume. It’s been a purposeful way to deeply engage with her language studies and build her confidence, and Catherine is thankful to be at a school where her passion was recognized and supported in such an unexpected way.

“It’s been so meaningful. It makes me feel very valued as a community member,” she said. “I’m grateful I have access to so many teachers who are invested in their students. I feel personally recognized by my teachers, specifically Madame.”

She’s also grateful that the experience has helped her better understand herself as a learner.

“I like to work independently, so being able to plan my own coursework and learn things on my own, and sometimes work with Madame, is something that I really enjoy doing,” said Catherine.

This ability to take a new kind of ownership of learning has been a game-changer for many of the students conducting independent projects. Senior Ashlyn Lieberman, for one, has enjoyed the chance to determine how and when she wants to take on her studies in wilderness first aid, a subject she felt would be a wise use of her time as someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. With a busy senior-year workload, including four AP classes, it’s been refreshing for Ashlyn to have a project where she’s fully in charge of setting tasks and managing deadlines.

“It’s allowed me to take my time and learn the material I’m interested in,” she said. And it’s let her apply the skills she’s been building at Rowland Hall in new, low-pressure ways that are good practice for college.

“It gave me freedom that I really haven’t had before,” said Ashlyn. “I have a new sense of when things need to get done, and how I can do them to meet my internal standards.” It’s even, she shared, proving to be a smart move as she applies for summer jobs like river guiding, because it shows initiative to employers.

Ashlyn said she’s hopeful more students who enjoy a bit of independence in learning will consider this kind of option. “The type of student who will do well with this doesn’t have to have the best grades of all time or be the most academic,” she said. But if you crave a chance to be more self-reliant and you’re willing to try out a path that may help lead to success, it can be a wonderful way to uncover your personal strengths and build your self-confidence.

And whether a student chooses a project on education, or French, or physics, or finance, the many benefits, and memories, that stem from this type of authentic learning opportunity stay with them long after the work is complete. For Claire, those memories are numerous, though there’s one that rises above all others. When she walked into the first-grade classroom on her 18th birthday, she was greeted by the students as usual, though this time with cries of “Happy birthday!” mixed in. The class then presented Claire with a stack of handmade cards, each of which shared something special: an “I love you” message, a hand-drawn picture of Claire as a cat. As she read through the cards, Claire teared up.

“They reflected the lessons I taught them about punctuation, the impact that our conversations and relationships have had on them,” said Claire. Each was a representation of a child she’s gotten to know, whose life she’s brought joy into, and each is a reminder of the passion that led her to take on this opportunity. She plans to bring the cards to college, where they’ll continue to inspire her as she takes the next step on her journey to bring her teaching dream to life.

“Those will always be treasures to me,” she said.
 

Authentic Learning