More than 20 Marquette Students Earn AP Capstone Diplomas

A total of 23 Marquette High students earned the AP (Advanced Placement) Capstone Diploma during the 2024-2025 school year, taking part in a program that helps students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration and presentation skills that are essential to academic and career success.

To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research and on four additional AP exams of their choice. During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 160,000 students in more than 3,500 schools worldwide participated in AP Capstone and approximately 27,650 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma.

"Congratulations to all the students who earned AP Capstone Diplomas during the 2024-2025 school year,” said Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement Program. “Their hard work has helped them build foundational skills in project management, presentation, collaboration and research that will contribute to their success in college and in their professional careers.”

AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations and individual essays completed throughout the year. AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary, and students are encouraged to create research projects based on topics of personal interest and are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management and presentation skills needed to complete their projects.

In all, during the 2024-2025 school year, 2,097 Rockwood students took a total of 4,502 AP exams, and 91.1 percent scored 3 or higher. Rockwood students earned 1,028 awards from the AP, including 303 AP Scholars, 207 AP Scholars with Honor, 484 AP Scholars with Distinction, 23 Capstone Diplomas and 11 Seminar and Research Certificates.

Hear from two of Rockwood's Capstone Diploma recipients -- Marquette seniors Grace Dai and Ishita Shah -- below:

Which AP courses have you taken/are you taking at Marquette?

Dai: "I’ve taken seven so far: Human Geography, Seminar, World History, Chemistry, US History, Language and Research. I am currently taking six: Literature, Physics 1, Psychology, Statistics, Calculus BC, Biology and self-studying AP Latin."

Shah: "So far, I've taken Computer Science, World History, Seminar, Government/Politics, Physics 1, Statistics, Research and AP English Language & Composition. Currently, I'm taking Calculus BC, Physics C, Psychology and English Literature & Composition."

What were the Seminar and Research exams that you took for the Capstone Diploma and what sorts of topics/research did you perform for these exams?

Dai: "I had two capstone projects in Seminar: my first one was in the investigation of how genetically modified microbials, like oncolytic viruses, can be used to medicine and other treatments. My other topic was on the implications of legalizing medically assisted death (MAID) in palliative care. In AP Research, I did a yearlong project on biomimicry, the study of applying natural studies into industries such as science and engineering. My research topic was determining if biomimetic-designed (ex. eagle wings, whale flippers, samsara seed) wind turbine blades would affect their power and efficiency."

Shah: "In Seminar, I spent a semester researching and analyzing a real-world issue with a team. We were graded based on our group presentation and individual paper. My group decided to focus on plastic pollution, and I specifically evaluated plastic pollution's impact on marine life. We also completed a timed paper exam in May. In Research, I spent the whole year developing and executing a research study to contribute new knowledge to the field. Building on my AP Seminar research, I chose to investigate how we can reduce plastic waste. I designed an experiment to find out how nutrient availability impacted Chlorella Vulgaris' (a type of microalgae) ability to degrade plastic. My final submission for the AP exam was a 5,000-word research paper."

What interests you in taking AP courses?

Dai: "As I pursue greater depths of STEM, many high school level courses don't offer me the same challenge that AP courses do. If I want to challenge my learning and knowledge to greater extents, I think APs are a strong way to do so."

Shah: "I like AP courses because they're fun in a way regular classes aren't. They challenge me, stretch my creativity and allow me to learn in depth about topics I'm genuinely interested in. Many AP courses also have smaller class sizes, which makes it easier to bond with classmates and build a strong community!"

How much have the AP courses challenged you academically?​​​​​​​

Dai: "Some have certainly challenged me more than others, but each AP has offered me a deep understanding of its curriculum. Be it Us History or Chemistry, they have each challenged me to think deeper to understand the bases of what influences people/the sciences."

Shah: "AP courses have certainly been challenging for me. They are a lot to manage because you have to keep up with daily textbook readings, homework, etc., and the classes are fast-paced."

Do you have a favorite -- or a couple favorite -- AP courses that you have taken and/or teachers in AP classes? if so, why were they your favorite?

Dai: "My favorite AP of all time is Chemistry with Mr. (Edward) Bolton. That class was the most challenging for me but also the most rewarding in terms of the concepts and abilities I learned. It changed the way I view science and STEM, and I realized that I loved chemistry so much that I plan to pursue it as my major in college."

Shah: "My favorite AP courses that I am taking/have taken so far are Research and Physics C. I'm passionate about environmental sustainability, so in Research I enjoyed investigating algae's ability to degrade plastic pollution. Also the curriculum structure for Research is nontraditional, which was a unique experience for me. My teacher, Mr. (Dan) Whiting, was very supportive throughout the research process and helped me turn my study into something I'm genuinely proud of. I am currently taking AP Physics C, and it's my favorite class this year. Mr. (Adam) Sansom is a great teacher, and he teaches the course in a very engaging manner. We go beyond the basic curriculum and get to see physics in action. For example, these past few weeks we got the opportunity to build and launch model rockets! Although the class is challenging, it's also rewarding."

How are you hoping your experience in these AP classes benefits you going forward?

Dai: "I hope in the future to use my APs as college credit, of course, but the skills I have learned in my classes will greatly serve me in the future. As I advocate and educate on a social level, and even debate on the debate team, the cultural and historical nuances that learned in US History have deeply influence my perspective on challenges. My knowledge accumulated in Biology, Physics and Chemistry all serve to help me when I pursue research opportunities outside of school."

Shah: "I plan on going into the intersection of computer science and environment. I hope my experience from Computer Science along with Seminar and Research prepare me for that field. Also, I hope to gain college credits through these courses so I have a head start in college!"