"Senior May" Students Inspired by Cranbrook’s Alumni, Programs

This May, while approaching graduation, seniors are still lingering on campus in the special capstone program, Senior May, lasting three weeks. As part of the Cranbrook Educational Community, many on-campus working opportunities are provided to students, including work at the Science Institute, Art Museum, Office of Alumni, Brookside Lower School, and Chartwell Food Service.

 

At the Office of Alumni, Nikki Zheng and Abeer Sheikh, both interested in social and political science, obtain insight through management and office tasks related to communication and marketing, fundraising, event planning, and engagement with alumni. Nikki, who is going to major in political science and pre-law track at the University of California, Los Angeles, views her experiences here as a worthwhile opportunity to enhance her communication skills and learn about the inner workings of Cranbrook. Abeer, who is going to major in biological science and public affairs at Wayne State University, started contacting and researching alumni at the beginning of her senior year for different reasons, such as Daniel Ellsberg. Inspired by the tight connection of alumni with Cranbrook, Abeer decided to continue her journey of discovering past CK times at the Office of Alumni in a journalistic way. At the Office of Alumni, Abeer plays diverse roles, including greeter at Class Reunion events, interviewer of retired faculties, and author of articles about alumni. During this process, Abeer not only builds up her own social network with enhanced communication skills but is also motivated to continue to work at the Alumni Office at the college.

 

On the other side of campus, Fiona Ren, who will major in studio art at New York University, immerses herself in the art workshop of the Cranbrook Art Museum. To explore diverse artistic practices and curatorial design making, Fiona participates in curating one of the latest exhibitions with the theme of X-Ray, which unveils the superficial hidings to delve into the core of artists’ minds and hearts that are usually invisible to people by the naked eye.

 

On-campus working opportunities also provide considerable convenience for boarders. Rendering passion in physics and math, Jenny Tang, who lives in the Kingswood girl dorm, chose Cranbrook Institute of Science (CIS) to set up her journey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At CIS, students have different projects every single day, and the academic level varies a lot. Students participate in field trips chaperoning kids at Oakland University for a Water Festival, which does not involve any science. Also, students have the opportunity to design a lesson plan and conduct experiments to demonstrate the physics and chemistry involved in the formation of polar vortexes, which is more academic-based.

 

Students who have a passion for food can also find a sense of belonging at Chartwell Food Service. Tony Wang, who is going to study game design at Purdue University, is a master chef who is good at various Chinese cuisines. Every day at Chartwell, Tony helps prepare fresh materials for student meals in the dining halls. Sometimes, at the Kingswood cafe, as a drink maker, Tony makes different kinds of coffees, boba, and smoothies for students looking for leisure time and relaxation. Just like he said, this unique experience brings him a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction as a food lover.