INSPIRING OUR FUTURE / INDEPENDENT STUDIES
Dynamic Learning
Caroline Harrison ’22 has developed an independent study project on Canadian landscape artists known as The Group of Seven under the guideance of talented faculty member Ingrid Van Slyke.
BY HEATHER ODELL
The newly designed Honors Independent Study Program recognizes and celebrates the unique perspectives and approaches to learning that shape our student body by providing students an opportunity to work dynamically with an expert in their field and develop relevant solutions to contemporary issues. Partnerships between students, parents, alumni, and members of the greater Adirondack region facilitate the exploration of these students’ particular topics of interest. Sixteen students were involved in a study this academic year. It seems fitting that as our school celebrates 50 years of women at Northwood, twelve of these participants were female. These young women have set the bar for their peers by taking ownership over their learning and demonstrating a tremendous work ethic. A few have even had the good fortune of partnering with Northwood alumnae. Iva-Amanda Nelson ’23 is exploring the world of neuroscience thanks to her mentor and Northwood alumna Madison McCarthy ’19. “Working on my interest in neuroscience independently has allowed me to grow immensely. Having not only a Northwood alum who shares similar experiences as a former student, but also a woman to further empower me in my studies has made my independent study a class of pure enjoyment. Madison McCarthy, Northwood Class of ’19 is a strong-minded intellectual and I do look up to her in regards to the path her career is taking and her work ethic. The networking Northwood has promoted with my study has allowed me to fully engage not only in my immediate community, but with a broader community that despite being a part of, I never knew.” It’s clear the respect for one another is mutual. When asked about her
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Northwood
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work with Iva-Amanda, Madison shared, “When I first heard about Amanda’s passion for science and medicine, I thought back to my time as a Northwood student, when I first became excited about medicine but did not know where to begin. In working with Amanda, I have helped shape her independent study to be focused particularly on research skills that will sustain her over her entire career in medicine, and that I wish someone had taught me when I was a Northwood student. Particularly, I think developing a research question — and being able to execute that research question — through the use of tools like EndNote and PubMed, and concepts such as the creation of a PRISMA flow diagram, filtering a corpus, and doing a literature search have been particularly important in her project and to her development. To be able to work with Amanda on such skills within the
Having not only a Northwood alum . . . but also a woman to further empower me in my studies has made my independent study a class of pure enjoyment.” —IVA-AMANDA NELSON ’23
