Newman biology students Sabrina Ahmed and Madelynn Adams partnered with the Down Syndrome Society of Wichita (DSSW) for their senior capstone.
Capstones at Newman are done by students as a culmination project of their studies. This project can vary in form per student, including live research-based presentations, special performances and collaborative service projects. For Ahmed and Adams, theirs took the shape of an event for those with Down syndrome, planned and hosted by them.
Ahmed said the project came to be because of her 8-year-old brother who has Down syndrome.
“He inspired me to make my capstone project dedicated to him and the challenges he faces and overcomes,” she said. “My brother and other individuals with Down syndrome experience reduced motor and cognitive functions that cause them to be intellectually delayed compared to their peers.”
Adams said that although she doesn’t have a personal connection to the Down syndrome community, the project is still personal to her.
“Sabrina’s brother also inspired me to collaborate with the DSSW,” she said. “Sabrina encouraged me to expand my knowledge of Down syndrome so I could better understand her brother. As I have gotten to know him, I have found that he is the sweetest little boy, and I wanted to use my newfound knowledge to create a project that would be fun for others with Down syndrome.”
Organizing their capstone
Adams and Ahmed posted volunteer sign-ups in Newman’s GroupMe chats for the event, while their capstone coordinator, Natalie Rolfe, executive director at the DSSW of Wichita, created a flyer and advertised it in their digital newspaper.
“Our project is about motivating and captivating the minds of individuals with Down syndrome through art,” Ahmed said. “We wanted to merge the concepts of creativity and the activation of their motor function.”
The event, titled by the students “Fall into Art,” was held at the DSSW facility in Wichita. It brought in five participants, which Ahmed said was a slightly smaller group than expected due to a weekday reschedule and rainy weather.
Participants rotated through stations featuring fall-themed art activities: painting wooden pumpkins with watercolors, finger painting leaves on a tree base, decorating pinecones, working with Play-Doh and creating paper-plate scarecrows. Volunteers sat with the guests to help as needed.
“The best part about my capstone was getting to share my love of art with others and getting to see the joy on the participants’ faces while completing the artwork we envisioned,” Adams said.
The night ended with a dance party, where participants picked their favorite songs.
“I would say what helped make our project most successful was the help of Natalie, our coordinator,” Ahmed said. “She helped us reschedule our event and find more participants that we probably couldn’t have gotten without her help.”
She said Rolfe also ended up having a closer tie to her than she realized.
“I later found out that she knew my family and remembered my dad was calm, while my mother was more distraught when they found out he would have Down syndrome. It was a full-circle moment,” she said.
Reflecting on the event
Since the event, Ahmed and Adams said it was the guests’ excitement for the event that made “Fall into Art” successful.
“I got to see the smiles on their faces and hear the joy in their laughs as they sang to music and painted,” Adams said. “Getting to help others is something that I enjoy doing, so putting together an event that would not only do that but also help those with disabilities made me happier than I could have imagined.”
Ahmed agreed.
“I got to see their happy faces when they completed their artwork and especially when it was dancing time,” she said. “After the event, it gave me a sense of relief knowing that there are resources and organizations out there like DSSW to help and support my brother to thrive in the real world.”
Learn more about capstone projects
The capstone course prepares the student to enter the workforce/graduate school with opportunities.
