Senior Experience is an interactive learning partnership with the professional community through which Academy seniors increase, in depth and scope, their knowledge and abilities in a self-selected area of study under the guidance of a mentor.  While the role of the mentor is highly individualized, all mentors desire to have an educational impact.  Some mentors may design a special project specifically designed for the student to develop his/her skills.  Others may bring the student into an ongoing project that may require the student to either work in collaboration with other colleagues or to work independently on one aspect of the project. And yet other mentors, due to the restricted nature of their work, may invite the student to learn through observing and shadowing. In all cases, Senior Experience attempts to connect the student's interest to the world of work in pursuit of meaningful learning experiences. In the process, students experience growth and learning in authentic and diverse workplace settings, ranging from architecture to zoology.

· Senior Experience is a graduation requirement for which seniors receive nine academic credits.
· Seniors report directly to their internship site every Wednesday during the academic year for the full business day. Transportation is the student's responsibility.
· Instead of an out-of-house internship, seniors may opt to conduct an in-house project under the guidance of a faculty member.
· Internship activities are performed with no monetary compensation to the student.
· A plan of action that outlines the scope of duties and responsibilities is developed collaboratively by the student and mentor at the beginning of the internship.

· The program concludes with the Senior Exhibition - a final, highly personalized presentation made by the senior before the Academy community.

AAST senior performs brain surgery….on mice, that is.

Columbia University's Center for Neurobiology and Behavior has as the main purpose to bring together researchers in various neurological fields in order to understand neurobiology and behavior at the cellular and molecular level. Dr. René Hen, my mentor, and his lab focus on diverse areas of behavior, neurobiology, and molecular genetics, with the goal of understanding brain function and organism behavior. In this lab, I work closely with Stephanie Dulawa, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Hen's lab, who does research in behavioral and molecular biology. Her behavioral research includes a project to develop an animal model for depression in mice creating subjects on which antidepressants and other treatments could be tested.
My main objective and focus is to assist Stephanie in her numerous studies. One of the first lab techniques I learned was setting up a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Stephanie initially taught me the science behind this procedure, and then instructed me how to perform this experiment. With more experience, I leaned to set-up and complete all PCRs by myself. Stephanie later showed me how to section and slice a mouse's brain, which I later placed on slides. The most enjoyable aspect of my internship is working with live mice. I collected DNA samples from several mice by either removing a few toes, or snipping off the tips of tails. I also rearranged cages, pairing specific mice with others. Occasionally, I performed a stress inducing experiment on a select group of mice. This involved placing a mouse in a bucket of water for 6 minutes and watching how it reacted. I have also been fortunate enough to have the experience of removing the brain from a mouse. After watching another lab partner, Kerri, remove two brains, I was allowed to perform the procedure by myself. The task was quite thrilling since I was able to successfully remove the brain. The only disheartening aspect of my internship was the occasional tedious or frustrating experiment. I have learned how annoying it can be when you do not get the results that you want, but I have also realized how incredibly exciting it can be anticipating results, and how rewarding it is when significant results are achieved.

AVAGC senior takes sports to another level.

While Fitness Breakthroughs, Training Tips, and Rapper's Gonna Run (P. Diddy takes on the marathon) were the headline articles which appeared in our November 2003 issue of Metro Sports New York, what caught the attention of my parents was my name on page 3 adjacent to Editorial Intern. With offices throughout the U.S., Metro Sports is published 11 times a year by MetroSports Publishing, Inc., a sports publication not only for the hard core athlete, but for all fitness enthusiasts, and Metro Sports New York is the publication you will see in this area in health clubs and retail stores like Campmor, or the Running Company. Whether you want to find out about the latest fitness breakthroughs, or get training tips for the slopes, or if you simply need a directory of all winter ski areas and events in the northeast, Metro Sports New York will have it. Because I am an athlete, I knew Metro Sports New York and I would be perfect for each other, and we have been.
As an intern there I have not only had the opportunity to write and publish my own articles, work on their website, and attend events, I have become an integral part of the working staff complete with by own voicemail, desk and computer. I have learned

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what it is like to work in a deadline-oriented market, and what it is like to work as a member of a team. I see my mentors as my co-workers and feel that after this experience I am ready for the real world. And, obviously, my mentor believes I am also for he has already offered me a job.

APT senior joins the Ball Team and learns the rules of finance.

I intern with Mr. Phil Ball, Vice President and Senior Financial Adviser of Merrill Lynch's Global Private Client Group in their Paramus branch office.  The reason why I was attracted and ultimately chose to pursue this internship in the wealth management sector of the financial industry was mainly due to the personal qualities I observed in my mentor and his commitment to growing and nurturing the future generation of leaders for the financial industry.  Because of Mr. Ball's encouragement, I was not afraid to try something new that did not correspond with my automotive major at the Academy for Power and Transportation. 
During my Senior Experience internship my mentor has opened several doors for me at Merrill Lynch.  First, I am a member of my mentor's Ball Team, which is a business unit of Merrill Lynch's Global Private Client Group.  Mr. Ball works with several people who are experts in different areas of wealth management and finance in order to provide his high net worth clientele with complete, solid financial advice that is not limited to the stock market.  As a member of the Ball Team, I am expected to be a contributor and team player whether I am performing clerical tasks, working on projects for clients, or going to visit clients with my mentor.  Because Mr. Ball wants to see his interns succeed, my goals have become his goals. Through my internship at Merrill Lynch, I have the opportunity to learn about finance, an area that is critical to the success of any industry, and to experience firsthand a corporate environment.

AEDT senior is trained to technically train others.
The Mercedes-Benz Technical Training Department is responsible for providing performance based training to Mercedes-Benz dealer employees on diagnostic procedures, maintenance, general repair, and collision repair for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.  As an intern in the Mercedes-Benz USA Technical Training Department, I help my mentor and his assistant Sean create media for various Mercedes-Benz websites.  A great deal of time is spent editing technical training videos for car models, converting them to an appropriate Web format, and inserting them in web pages.  This information is used by mechanics and dealers across the US to provide customer support.  While prior knowledge and experience in the field of video editing is very useful in this internship, my mentor and his assistant helped me learn and grow through their patience and willingness to answer any of my questions. I was also given the opportunity to redesign an existing educational DVD, using the department's seemingly unlimited technological resources.  This internship has provided me with a glimpse into a professional world in which technology is key.

AMST senior brings Channel 13 to the Academy.

As part of the Senior Experience program, I intern at In the Mix, a PBS national award winning program for teens, which airs on WNET - Channel 13 at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays.  At In the Mix I have had several exciting opportunities; however, being given the chance to co-produce a show was the most memorable of them all. When the staff was putting together the In the Mix show on ethics, I suggested that they consider going to the Academies to film the Freshman Ethics Project. Before I knew it, I became involved on the production end, and it soon became my responsibility to set up a shoot of the Freshman Ethics Project that entailed acting as a liaison between school personnel and the producers of the show to make certain that the shoot went smoothly. And, after the footage was successfully taken, I was able to be part of the post-production editing process by helping the producers decide what shots would portray the message of our Freshman Ethics Project best. To wrap up the show, I was asked to find a host to narrate certain parts of the show, which I luckily found right within our own school community. Needless to say, I am looking forward to seeing the show and I won't hesitate to make certain everyone knows when it will air.

ABCT senior gets a behind-the-scenes look at moviemaking.

Perhaps you recognize the Mailer in Bigel-Mailer Films. Yes, this independent film company is an enterprise of the famous author, Norman Mailer. And, while film might suggest a world of glamour, working to put together a film is anything but glamorous. It is work. As an intern at Bigel-Mailer Films, Inc., I worked this past December as a production assistant on the set of a star driven film, Loverboy, where I made my intern debut and Kevin Bacon made his directorial debut. Knowing that I was not the only one who was green gave me the confidence to succeed, and I did. Loverboy took only six weeks to film, and in those six weeks I had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood and learn everything about making a film - from finding a great script, securing backing, setting up locations, shooting and, yes, searching for that much needed prop like the elusive Ding-Dong. Currently, I am working at a desk, reading scripts, and searching for our next big film.

ACA senior gets to see a hotel "up close and personal."

Currently I am interning at Marriott at Glen Pointe, a member of Marriott International, Inc., a leading worldwide hospitality company with more than 2,600 lodging properties located in the United States and 63 other countries and territories. My

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internship is structured on a rotational basis, including the following departments of the hotel:  Front Office, Kitchen, Housekeeping and the Restaurant. One quickly learns that maintaining a professional image is important in the hospitality industry and, as such, in each department I am responsible for wearing the specific outfit of that department. I generally follow the same procedure when I go to my internship: first, I report to the manager on duty in the department and he/she instructs me as to what needs to be done. Sometime during the day before I leave, I see my mentor who reviews my learning log and discusses how my day went and what I accomplished.
So far I have rotated through two of the four departments:  Front Office and Kitchen. While at the Front Office, I was responsible for checking guests in and out. This is called the "front lines" of the hotel industry. Anything related to guest services goes through this department. After this I rotated in the Marriott Kitchen, which is very different from our kitchen at ACA in several ways. For one thing, the Marriott Kitchen is very fast paced; after completing a task, there is always another one waiting to be completed. Unlike the one-hour culinary class at the Academy, the culinary staff at the Marriott work eight to ten hour shifts and handle tremendous volumes of food items, served at their various functions daily.  Shortly I will begin my rotation in Housekeeping, and my internship will conclude with a rotation in the Marriott at Glen Pointe's Restaurant.  This internship is truly unique because it is given me the opportunity to see the hospitality industry up close and personal.

MATH BOOSTERS

The Math Team has been very busy in the past month competing in the Mandelbrot, New Jersey Math League and American Math Competition. We have four teams competing in the New Jersey Math League: two tied for first place, one in second, and one tied with Wayne Valley for third. Third round Mandelbot scores are not in yet, but as of the last round we were leading in both the National and Eastern Divisions. Many of our students scored high enough in the AMC to procede to the AIME. After the second AMC competition on February 25 there will be several more. On February 28 the math team will compete at Harvard in the Harvard/MIT competition. The team came in second overall last year and we expect to do well again.
Thank you to all the teacher and parent Harvard/MIT trip chaperones. If you were unable to join us but would like to chaperone the ARML competition, on June 4 and 5, please contact Sue Ton at suhneu.ton@verizon.net. For regular updates and information about the math team, send your email address to Fay Sharit at faydave@optonline.net.
Information about Math Boosters, the math team, scheduling and math links are available on the Math Boosters website at academyppo.com/math.

--Fay Sharit, Co-President, Math Boosters