Breanna Scranton

14 February 2016
Senior Project Reflection
1. What was the best and worst experience of the entire process?
My best experience of the entire process was combining my two passions, art and
chemistry, into one. These two subjects are never combined, so I loved building the gap
between the two. The worst experience was leaving the Stanford Pre Collegiate Summer
Institute. I had the best time of my life there and I hated the day I had to leave.
2. How has the experience changed you? (Skills, attitudes, habits, resources,
capabilities, poise, presentation, etc.)
One way that this experience changed me is that I became more independent because I
was away from my home for three weeks at Stanford. Now I am even more excited to go
to college because I know how intriguing college courses are. I also changed because I
challenged myself to learn how to code. I have never done this before, so I had to teach
myself how to use R Studio in a short amount of time and then create my own code from
scratch. Finally, creating art pieces out of chemistry definitely changed me because I used
my skills from both subjects and combined them into one. This was new for me as I had
no previous knowledge of how to approach this task, so I basically used my creativity and
experimenting with all the various chemicals. I saw that household chemicals are useful
resources and my passion for chemistry and art grew even further. I believe my skills for
both also increased which will help me as I continue my studies.
3. What would you change if you could do it again?
If I could do it again, I would have loved to obtain a water sample from the Gulf of
Mexico and test the phosphate concentration in order to compare the results with the
other water samples I tested. This would have made the research I conducted regarding
the eutrophication problem in the Gulf more meaningful because I could have
experienced it firsthand.
4. What advice do you have for next years seniors?
Some advice I have for next years seniors is really choose a project that you care about
and that challenges you. The reason I was so invested in my project is because I truly
challenged myself by morphing the two things I care about the most. I also did many
tasks that I had never done before such as piloting a lab, taking a college course at
Stanford, learning how to code data, and create art out of chemistry. If you take risks with
your project, the reward is much greater.
5. What did you learn along the way which was unexpected and not anticipated?
Something that I learned along the way was how serious the problem of eutrophication
actually was. When I tested phosphates in water, I did not plan on doing an entire
research project about it and then making the art pieces. My original plan was to have
these three components completely separate and only include the chemistry art pieces in
my senior project. After I was intrigued as to why someone would have to test phosphate
concentrations, I was astonished by what I found. This was very unexpected which is

why I conducted further research at Stanford and then decided to utilize my artistic skills
and represent this issue in a creative way. Originally I was just combining art and
chemistry, but I actually ended up combining art, chemistry, and environmental science.
6. How did completing the Senior Project allow you to see things in more depth? Were
you surprised by the complexity of your topic once you began your research and
fieldwork project? How did you see other students and teacher in a different light?
In what ways did you understand and perceive a broader picture of the educational
process?
Completing the Senior Project allowed me to see things in more depth because I took
laboratory and art skills, and enhanced them in order to see the world differently. I took a
simple spectrophotometric determination of phosphates and pushed myself to take this
further by conducting my own research outside of class. I was able to then see how this
lab would be applied in a real life situation which gave me an in depth perspective on
what I was experimenting with. I also saw chemistry more in depth through my artistic
experimentation. I often completed chemical reactions during labs, but I now saw these
reactions for their color rather than their substance. I also saw art more in depth because I
realized that I could do the same thing with copper and chemicals that I can with a canvas
and paint. I was definitely surprised by the complexity of my topic once I began. I did not
realize what an in depth topic eutrophication was, so this took a lot more research. I also
did not know how complicated computer coding was, so learning this took a lot of
dedication before I could begin my own code. Creating art with chemicals was actually
not as difficult as I expected. I have been successful with not that much complex
research. I saw my professor at Stanford in a new light because she knew so much about
Hydrology as this is what she got her PhD in. She helped us so much with learning how
to code and I definitely gained a new respect for the topic of Hydrology. She also wrote
me a letter of recommendation which was much appreciated. I now perceive the
educational process as a way of taking extreme risks rather than playing it safe. Before
my senior project, I always just did my homework, studied for tests, and did not expand
those boundaries as that was what I was comfortable with. This project allowed me to do
so many new things that I never thought of doing before. I have learned more from this
project than anything else because I challenged myself to use my interests in a way that
has never been done before. Art and chemistry are usually not seen as one, but by
combining the two, I now perceive the educational process as seeing connections. These
connections are the catalysts for new creations, technology, and ideas. I am now ready for
college because I realized what I want to study and I am excited to truly be the paragon of
a scientist and an artist.
7. In what ways has the Senior Project changed your concept of yourself? Are you
more confident of your abilities? Are you more focused and directed? Are you more
willing to take a risk? In what ways has it perhaps raised more questions than given
answers?
I am definitely more confident in my abilities because of the Senior Project. First of all, I
was able to pilot a lab that Mr. Thaler has not tried before. I also am more confident
because I was accepted into the Stanford Pre Collegiate Summer Institute and taught
myself how to computer code, a useful skill that I will need in college. I also am more

confident in my artistic abilities because I creating the same effects with chemicals as I
do with paint. I am more focused and directed now because I am positive that I want to
study both chemistry and art in college. I am also more willing to take risks because this
project challenged me to do many things that I have not before. One question that I have
now include how can I manipulate chemicals even further to create actual images with
them instead of just created concepts. Another question I have is will the eutrophication
problem ever be resolved and how can I help fix this.
8. Which aspect of the Senior Project stretched you the most? How did you react to
this challenge? How did you feel during the learning stretch? How do you feel now
that it is over?
The aspect of my Senior Project that stretched me the most was learning how to code
with R Studio. This was basically like learning an entire new language in 2 weeks and
then creating my own code with these new words. At first, I was terrified when I was
presented with this challenge because it made absolutely no sense to me. After a couple
days, I began getting the hang of it and was eventually able to start from scratch. During
the learning stretch, I felt frustrated sometimes when my code would not work because of
something so minute. After I would finally be able to export a code, I felt extremely
accomplished because it took so long to get there. Now that it is over, I feel more
prepared for college because coding is usually taught in college. I now have knowledge
about how to scientifically code large amounts of data already, so this will make the
transition to college much easier.
9. How did working through the Senior Project process bring the senior class closer
together?
Working through the Senior Project process brought the senior class closer together
because we all kept in contact when we had questions for each other about the paper or
the portfolio. We also were always excited to learn about what other peoples projects
entailed.
10. How has this experience influenced your future planning in terms of work,
education, or the development of personal interests?
This experience influenced my future planning because I was able to write about my
senior project as one of my college essays because of the huge impact it has on me. I am
now not hesitant to pursue both art and chemistry in the future. Although I will pursue
careers in both, I hope to bring the two worlds together as a part of my career as well.
11. How has completing the Senior Project affected the way you approach work, dealing
with people, or presenting yourself publicly?
Completing the Senior Project made me approach work with more risk because I now
know that if I set my mind to something that I have not tried before, there will always be
something I learn from the experience. I also am better with dealing with people now
because I spent three weeks on my own at a university. Obviously, I had to act more
mature because it was Stanford. I was then inspired to put all my efforts into completing
my application for this university because I absolutely fell in love with it.

12. What humorous incident happened during the process? Was it funny when it
occurred or only in retrospect?
A humorous incident that happened was that I had to leave Stanford after the class was
over. THIS WAS NOT FUNNY AND STILL ISNT!!! I CRIED A LOT!! Hopefully I get
to return in the fall.