As members of the Class of 2022 set their sights on Commencement on May 28, 2022, several seniors are pursuing a Diploma with Distinction. The Diploma with Distinction is awarded to students who choose to expand the scope of their Senior Independent Project (SIP), which includes working alongside an alumni mentor who is an expert in the student’s chosen field of study.
Pairing current students with Trinity-Pawling alumni creates an opportunity to foster brotherhood beyond the students’ immediate experience with their classmates. It presents an early opportunity to show our students the value of professional networking and the importance of giving back as they transition from being high school students to members of the School’s Alumni Association. Also, importantly, it exposes them to leaders in their industry who are eager to share a wealth of experience and knowledge.
Dave Clarke is an editor at The Washington Post and a 1992 graduate of Trinity-Pawling. This spring, Dave is working with Francisco Bendezu ’22 as a mentor for Francisco’s SIP in journalism. Bendezu is the editor of the Trinity-Pawling student newspaper, The Phoenix. He is particularly interested in the nuances of interviewing subjects for news stories. He and Clarke are taking an in-depth look at the art and science of interrogative questioning. It is a craft that transcends work in journalism and is likely to serve Bendezu well when he matriculates at Princeton University in the fall.
George Dilworth is a Director of Finance at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. He graduated from Trinity-Pawling in 1984 and has been paired as a mentor this spring with Christopher Pellitteri ’22 from Holbrook, Massachusetts. For his SIP and Diploma with Distinction, Pellitteri is designing a business model for a modern healthcare system. He will surely benefit from Dilworth’s 24 years of experience working within a system that owns two hospitals, manages a third, and employs 11,000 physicians and other medical professionals.
The Diploma with Distinction awards students who are self-directed and ambitious. In many cases, students take their projects from conception to design and execution. Once the work is completed, students will present their final product to a panel of faculty members and to an external SIP committee comprised of alumni. Ultimately, projects are shared with the entire School community.
The Senior Independent Projects exemplify Trinity-Pawling’s commitment to a vigorous and engaging educational experience, a hallmark of the School’s newly adopted Strategic Vision.
by John Newman