2019 – 2020, 12th grade project (300 hours) – Abby Seay
When Abby Seay set out to create the information for her oral defense presentation, her vision was anything but boring. Using computer software, a green screen, and a recruited friend, Abby recorded her oral defense “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” style. Abby “appeared” as the guest star of the show, where she explained to the audience her accomplishments at AAI, various signature assignments from her classes, and of course, her senior-level project.
Can I use my talents to reflect on my life in a meaningful way and to create a narrative in which to convey my life’s story up to this point?
“Can I use my talents to reflect on my life in a meaningful way and to create a narrative in which to convey my life’s story up to this point?” This was the driving question behind Abby’s project. Because she has a passion for embroidery, she knew immediately she wanted to incorporate this into her narrative piece.
Instead of simply writing a narrative essay or autobiography, Abby chose to create an embroidery book, wherein each page revealed important events, people, places, or experiences of her life. Of the 300 hours spent on the project, over two-thirds of that time was spent in the art of embroidery.
Abby says that through this experience her craft drastically improved and she developed her own unique style. One of the biggest take-aways in this project for Abby included the in-depth “discovery of self” in the process; she felt more in-tune to who she has become as a person and in reflection, she now feels she has a better understanding of where she is headed after graduation.