Two Hampton High School seniors, Tiffany Habib and Justine Sullivan, recently had their research published in the peer-reviewed research journal for secondary school students, The Young Researcher, after months of dedicated research through the high school’s AP Capstone program.

“Both students, along with the rest of the AP Research cohort, spent all of last school year working on research projects driven by their own passions and interests!” said Shannon Roos, HHS English Teacher & Instructional Coach.

You can read responses from Tiffany and Justine about their excellent research below:

Tiffany Habib, Grade 12

Tiffany's research paper, “Mental Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions on the Effectiveness and Viability of Telepsychiatry in Allegheny County Jail,” is available to view here.

Why did you pursue research on this topic?

• When I started this class, I always knew that I wanted to research something in medicine since I want to pursue a career in medicine. I recently saw that telepsychiatry had been used more often, and a recent news article came out about the Allegheny County Jail and the healthcare conditions there. I wondered if implementing telepsychiatry would be able to help improve the mental healthcare system within the jail. 

How has the AP Capstone program prepared you for your future endeavors?

• The AP Capstone program has prepared me in many ways for my future endeavors. I want to go to medical school and there are many research opportunities to pursue within medical school and undergraduate school. This program not only introduced me to research but also allowed me to conduct my own research on a topic that is relevant to my field of choice. 

What are your post-graduation plans?

• My plans are to go to medical school in order to become a pediatrician.

Justine Sullivan, Grade 12

Justine's research paper, “Election Theory: Alternative Voting Methods in the Pennsylvania 2022 Senate Election,” is available to view here. 

Why did you pursue research on this topic?

• I discovered my fascination with politics in late middle school, and it was around then that I became aware of how great of a role bipartisan politics play in Americans’ everyday lives. I initially began researching social media algorithms and their ability to pick up on users’ political views, but as I got further into my project, I realized that I wanted to look at bipartisanship and political polarization in a broader sense. From here, I adjusted my focus to the electoral outcomes of both our nation’s standard plurality system as well as non-plurality alternatives.

How has the AP Capstone program prepared you for your future endeavors?

• The AP Capstone program equipped me with various skills applicable to multiple areas of my life, both academic and practical. My writing and reading comprehension improved, I learned how to manage being in complete control over my work, and I got experience collecting and interpreting real-world, tangible data.

What are your post-graduation plans?

• I am planning on pursuing an undergraduate degree in data science. I hope to either join a research team or design an independent study at some point in the future as well.

About the AP Capstone program

The AP Capstone program consists of two courses: AP Seminar followed by AP Research. Each class is a full year course that meets four days a week. Students can enroll in AP Seminar in grades 10-12 and then take AP Research after completing AP Seminar.

AP Seminar focuses on understanding and constructing arguments about real-world, relevant topics. Students complete both individual and team papers and presentations that factor into their AP scores. 

In AP Research, students spend the whole year investigating a topic or issue of their choosing. They first develop a research question based on an authentic gap in their field, write a literature review, conduct primary research, analyze their findings, and ultimately write a 4,000-5,000-word paper and deliver a 20-minute presentation.