Some high school seniors have enough on their plates just handling coursework, homework, and planning for college. Suttons Bay seniors, meanwhile, are also busy trying to change their community for the better.

Aspiring grads in that district are required to complete a senior project, researching and collaborating on a “complex, interesting, and sustainable essential question” that includes a community benefit “resulting in a lasting contribution that is bigger than the project itself.”

Culminating senior projects are growing in popularity nationwide, though most northern Michigan school districts do not require them.

The Ticker spoke with a few Suttons Bay seniors to find out what’s on their minds as they seek to “make a lasting contribution.”

Coming Together for a Cure
For Tayla Bailey and McKenzie May, hosting a lasagna dinner to benefit Tara Noffsinger’s cancer recovery was the natural choice. “We have known her practically our whole lives,” says Bailey. “When someone goes through something as serious as cancer, the whole community feels their pain.” Donations from businesses in Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties helped cover food costs and silent auction items. The dinner, held at the high school before a home football game, raised $3,000 from its 125 attendees.

The January day of Logan Mikesell’s project—a chili dinner to benefit Dan Sohasky, who is also battling cancer—brought a massive snowstorm, but that didn’t stop 150 attendees from showing up. Mikesell collaborated with a number of adults to organize a dinner and silent auction, where a telescope and dinner and a movie at the State Theatre were among the high-ticket items. This dinner raised $9,000. Mikesell chose the Sohasky family as the beneficiary because “I knew they were good people and I knew of all the hard work they had done to make this community a better place.”

In the Blood
Jayne McFarlane and Casey Cross organized three high school blood drives (the final one will be held May 15) because, says McFarlane, “it’s an amazing feeling to know that you helped save someone’s life. Knowing that people are in need of help and donations, it was the least we could do.” McFarlane and Cross promoted their events with flyers and in-school announcements and, exceeding their expectations, the first drive resulted in 22 units of donated blood. The May 15 drive will raise also $10 for every person who donates.

Clash for a Cure
An argument over whether football or soccer is the better sport inspired Shane Francis’ and Shocko Shawandase’s collaboration to organize “Clash for a Cure.” The Sat., May 10 competition will exhibit back-to-back exhibition games: 30 minutes of soccer followed by 30 minutes of flag football. After considering how many people have been affected by breast cancer, Shawandase and Francis decided that “Every penny we make will go to breast cancer patients to help pay for their mammograms.” All players will wear pink; local breast cancer survivors will toss the coin at the start of each game. First coin toss is at 5:30. Cost of admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students age 12 and younger.

Each of the students The Ticker spoke to cited the benefits they achieved beyond mere graduation credits; said Bailey, “Even though we are only seniors, we helped make a difference in someone’s life.”