Intellectual Curiosity Drives Passionate Exploration

Sacred Heart, and Silicon Valley, can often feel like a pressure-cooker full of desire to excel academically, with grades and memorization prioritized over exploration and in-depth understanding. Students rarely get opportunities to dive into topics that fascinate them, as their attention is pulled to studying for their next test or completing their next project. However, the Senior Honors Independent Study program at SHP allows students to pick a topic that they’re particularly drawn to and explore it for an entire semester. In doing so, seniors are able to assess what they are truly interested in, which allows them to explore such topics further in college and beyond. Additionally, the SHIS program allows students to develop vital skills such as submitting applications, being self-motivated and dedicated, and engaging with teachers and mentors.
Senior Honors Independent Studies are semester-long courses in which students work with a department at SHP and an on-campus mentor within that department to formulate and execute a course in which they explore a topic of their choosing. Students determine their assignments and assessments and create a timeline and due dates to ensure that they stay on top of their work. They also work with an off-campus mentor who specializes in the topic of their study, corresponding through email or live conversations.
The SHIS application process is extensive to ensure that students are aware of, and excited about, the work that comes with an Independent Study. It also allows students to consider what their study will look like throughout the year. The application requires the student to identify their motivation for taking the study, their essential questions, their learning objectives, their list of learning objectives, their off-campus mentors, and their assignments.
Avery Wagner ‘25, who completed a SHIS on behavioral economics, explained, “[the application process] was really essential in crafting an idea. I underestimated how much time this takes to really work through and plan out, so the application process really helped me plan out and see a vision, making the execution process during first semester senior year easier.” The application process prepares students for the experience of taking a SHIS, as they must take time to think through their real goals and focus of their SHIS. Wagner also detailed, “It put me in the mindset of, ‘this is gonna be hard,’ because the application process was so long, so it really kind of set my expectations for a grind.” The application process prepares students for a semester full of hard work, in which they must maintain organization and dedication to their topic, research, and assignments.
The SHIS program is unique in that it is driven by the senior, which leads to deeper engagement. Coco Kling ‘25, a senior who took a SHIS focused on the intersection between cognitive processes and voting behaviors, explained, “The SHIS program is really cool because it allows designated time in the day for seniors to do really cool research on really interesting things.” Senior year can be stressful, and Kling recognizes the value of having set-apart time for academic exploration. She continued, “I’ve loved having that time to enjoy my interests because I have so many interests, and I love doing research, but it’s been really hard to have that time.” While SHP students come to school to learn, the business of massive workloads and constant assessments can take away from their ability to explore their true interests, and therefore limit the depth of learning being done. However, the SHIS program presents a counter to this form of learning, as in-depth research and exploration lends itself to learning driven by passion and deep intellectual curiosity.
Additionally, students often engage with topics they hadn’t planned on including in their studies. Their interests grow and shift throughout the semester as they immerse themselves in their research and learn from their mentors. Wagner described, “When I was doing things, I would have to adjust, because I would find things out in my SHIS that I didn’t intend to, so what I submitted on the application was probably 30% of what I actually put together just because of what I found out through the process.” While Wagner admitted that she didn’t expect to make so many adjustments, especially after completing such an in-depth application, she recognized, “I put together something even better than I thought I was going to.” Through their shifting research and exploration, students are able to recognize what truly interests them, and follow their passions wherever they lead. In this process, the final products of a SHIS are regularly better than expected, as they become a reflection of the student’s shifting intellectual curiosity and the development of their exploration.
Students build strong relationships with their on-campus mentors, taking advantage of the incredible resources and knowledge that SHP teachers have to share. Kling decided to work with two on-campus mentors, which is unconventional for a SHIS, yet was valuable for her project. Kling explained, “I worked with Ms. Phillips, who helped me with my psychology research, and Ms. Williams, who helped me with my political science research, so I got to blend those two deep passions…and I discovered some pretty cool stuff.” Being able to engage in conversations with and be challenged by teachers outside of the classroom provides a deeper sense of understanding and fosters passion for the topics at hand.
The SHIS process culminates in a 45 minute presentation, given at the end of the semester, in which the student displays their findings. This presentation serves as a compilation of the papers and projects the student has produced throughout the year. As Kling explained, “My highlight of my SHIS experience was probably giving the presentation. Also turning in my final paper. It felt so nice because I had all of this information and I was able to talk for 45 minutes straight about something that I knew…people don’t normally have the opportunity or ability to do that about one topic so I thought that was really cool.” SHIS presentations provide an incredible opportunity for students to share their passions with the community.
The work that is done throughout the SHIS process prepares students for the world they will face after graduation. The application process has value, as Mr. Ramos, the Senior Honors Independent Study Coordinator, explained, “it invites the second semester junior student into a real-life process of applying for a grant, applying for higher education studies, in the midst of everything else that a second semester junior needs to do.” Although it certainly includes extensive work, the application process allows juniors to become comfortable advocating for themselves and completing work under pressure. As Kling explained, the final product is “comparable to a dissertation or a thesis in grad school, so it’s really awesome that you can do that as a senior in high school.” Being able to research and engage with experts throughout the SHIS process allows students to become comfortable with planning out and prioritizing their work, and exploring topics which fascinate them.
SHIS also provides an opportunity for SHP students to practice the Goals of the Sacred Heart. As Ramos described, “A student who completes a SHIS and has their SHIS application reviewed and accepted is one who has demonstrated the ability to work independently, embody Goal 5, personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom, and also enact a deep respect for intellectual values in an area that they really feel and breathe.” Students are able to live out the goals of the Sacred Heart by exploring their intellectual curiosity on their own timeline.
The SHIS program at SHP allows students to grow and discover their passions, and build a foundation for their future. As Ramos described, “[the SHIS program] provides an adolescent student an opportunity to take steps towards putting into reality their purpose or passion in life.” The topics which students dive into become central to their lives during that semester. Ramos cautioned, “Be careful what you narrow your topic on because you are going to be breathing it for the semester that you will be doing your SHIS.” In immersing oneself into a topic, students gain a passion and respect for the subject they are exploring. The passion which is cultivated in the senior year program often influences a lifetime of exploration. Ramos continued, “For many of the students who do a SHIS, when they come back or when they check in with me or with other people on campus, they say that their SHIS was an inspiration for what they chose to study in college and then what they chose to do professionally.” In a SHIS, students engage with any topics they are drawn to, allowing them to discover what they wish to explore in higher education, which otherwise can take years to determine.
The Senior Honors Independent Study Program at SHP allows seniors to engage with their learning in new ways and dive into the topics that fascinate them, and in doing so can form the basis for a lifetime of intellectual curiosity and passionate exploration.