Senior Project will once again returning to St. Louis U. High this year after a hiatus during the pandemic. Now, Campus Ministry leaders are working to improve on the beloved senior tradition to make it better than ever for the class of 2023 in their works of charity throughout the St. Louis community.

Senior Project was first introduced in January of the 1970-71 school year. The experience’s original structure and intent has remained largely the same over the more than 50 years since its inception. Originally 15 days long, the projects was extended to 19 days in later years in order to account for the potential of lost time during January Kairos retreats. 

One of the main aspects of Senior Project is to teach the future graduates of SLUH the aspects of faith, love, and charity that SLUH hopes to foster in all of its students. 

“We quote and use the phrases ‘open to growth’ and ‘committed to doing justice’ but if you don’t actually have boots on the ground and put the work in, how are you really doing that?” said Campus Ministry leader Simone Anzalone. 

Senior Project also helps seniors get a new insight on the marginalized parts of the world around them.

“I think it’s so essential for personal and spiritual growth to be able to encounter people who are different from yourselves,” said Anzalone. “Being able to understand the many gifts and opportunities that have been afforded to us will hopefully help the seniors to be better towards themselves, their immediate community, and society as a whole.”

During their projects, seniors will volunteer full-time at organizations across the metro area and abroad. 

“The seniors will be put in a position almost like an employee at these sites—they should go in as their intelligent and respectful selves,” said Anzalone. “They should go in with an attitude to impress, but know that as much as they think they may impact the site, they’re probably going to be impacted that much or more by the site.” 

During the pandemic, SLUH temporarily stopped the Senior Project and replaced it with the Grande Project, where students created a piece of media that addressed a social issue they cared deeply about.

“The limiting factor of the last two years was the agencies we work with just weren't accepting volunteers, so we had no choice but to offer a different way through Grande Project,” said Campus Ministry leader Brian Gilmore.

With the end of the pandemic, it seemed likely to Anzalone and Gilmore that this year's senior class could possibly have a true Senior Project. However, with so many sites still not accepting volunteers and with several heads of partner organizations out of their previous jobs due to the pandemic, it took eight weeks to secure enough spots for every senior. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Anzalone and Gilmore, Senior Project was finally given the official green light by mid-September of this year. About 50 percent of sites this year are ones SLUH has worked with in the past, with the other half being new.

The class of 2023 was ecstatic at the chance to once again participate in the decades-long tradition of Senior Project.

“I am most excited for the opportunity to do something totally different from anything else I’ve done at SLUH,” said senior Harrison Freihoff. “It’s really important to have a variety of experiences and perspectives to be a good Man for Others.”           `

“I'm looking forward to kind of like an alternative to school than the traditional route,” said senior Simon Hodzic. “I believe that working in the community is really going to better me and give me a pair of fresh eyes for the classroom to finish the last semester strong.”

The seniors will officially begin their work for Senior Projects on Jan. 3.