Amala Mammyail was one of the lucky individuals who signed up to present her capstone project early. Her capstone project focused on teaching an orphanage in India, a choreographed dance. When interviewed, Mammyail spoke about the importance that dance has had on her life, and how she wanted to spread that positivity to people that need it the most – kids. “I’ve been dancing since I was three, and it had a huge impact on who I am today. It helps me express myself and is a great stress reliever,” she explains. Mammyail took her passion for dance, and turned it into something that could better the whole community, in her case, the orphans in India. During her presentation, she spoke about the poverty rates in India, and how she has been able to see the impact that money has over the people living there. Seeing that orphans are only kids, and that something as little as teaching them a dance could change their mental outlooks, was enough for her to make her plan. 

“I thought that the orphans could use this since they don’t really get out much and it would be a way for them to try new things. I’ve also wanted to visit the less fortunate and India since I was six years old, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to not only visit but also make an impact.” Mammyail used her capstone experience to not only benefit the kids at the orphanage, but also take the time to visit an area she’s never seen before, in this particular case, India. Capstone is all about making changes in the community, while reflecting upon moments in your highschool career that have shaped you to be the person you are today. Part of this process is taking chances on new experiences, which in Mammyail’s situation entailed going to an entirely new country to make a change in something she noticed needed attention. 

In order to prepare, Mammyail got her proposal done in early May, determined what she wanted to do for the project, and immediately contacted her grandfather who lives in India. He helped her pinpoint all of the orphanages in India, and from there she selected the one that she felt was the best fit for her project. Once she chose the orphanage she wanted to utilize for her project, she created the actual choreographed dance that she would be teaching them, and taught her class. 

“I got to know the girls very well and we became very close. I think my relationship with the girls was very evident during my presentation on Tuesday.” Mammyail reflected on her efforts and dedication that was put into this project. Her hard efforts were well recognized, when she walked out of her presentation earning a ‘highly successful’ from the evaluators.