Geneva School of Boerne seniors will deliver their Senior Thesis presentations May 8-16. Senior Thesis is the capstone to a Geneva education and is a dissertation in which the student advances an original point of view, typically on a controversial topic. Seniors select their topics at the beginning of the academic year with help from a faculty advisor. Students then spend their school year researching their topics and drafting a final paper which is submitted before moving on to preparations for the oral presentation component of the program.
The first part of the thesis presentation is an eloquent 20-minute speech delivered by memory before an audience of expert panelists, schoolmates, parents, faculty members and guests. Upon completion of the oral presentation, the invited panelists, alongside a faculty member, question the student on points raised. This is an opportunity for the student to demonstrate depth of knowledge on their topic along with the ability to make practical applications.
The G.K. Chesterton Award is given each year to the Outstanding Senior Thesis Presenter. Students are eligible for consideration for the award based on their research, written work and presentation. Seniors nominated for this honor have shown outstanding depth of analysis combined with ability to present in a winsome and persuasive manner.
This year’s G.K. Chesterton Award Finalists include Victoria Allen, Micah Briggs, Ella Dillinger, Kate Friesenhahn, Jack Walker Harden, Emma Malkowski, Mandy Mills , Jackson Mitchell, Hannah Reyes, Jake Roberson, Rachel Troyer and John Walter.