Class of 2026 Finishes Strong with Senior Projects, Research, and Theses

As the countdown to commencement begins, students across disciplines are wrapping up their journey with unique senior projects, theses, and undergraduate research. 

Ellie Florek-Grader ’26
Honors, Secondary Education and Mathematics major

Ellie Florek-Grader ’26 always enjoyed math class. As a kid, she felt empowered by teachers when challenged with the subject and hopes to replicate the feeling in a classroom of her own. Florek-Grader believes that studying education teaches you to encourage, uplift, and build meaningful relationships with others, which inspired her thesis research on the importance of early connection.

Through observation, the aspiring educator studied how equitable math placement practices support greater participation in STEM fields by minority high school students. Florek-Grader looked at how students’ interactions with teachers and guidance counselors influence their attitudes towards math as they transition from middle to high school. Her research was sponsored by NH-LIFT Grant which is funded by the National Science Foundation. 

Florek-Grader intends to start teaching this fall—ideally at a public middle school—in southern New Hampshire.
 

Brigid Hughes ’26 
International Relations major, French minor

From suburban Michigan to studying abroad in southern France, Brigid Hughes ’26 has gone the distance since arriving on the Hilltop. With an innate interest in world history, geography, and international politics, Hughes was inspired by her “Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa” and “Research Methods” courses to expand her understanding of global human rights violations for her thesis. 

Hughes explored strategies used by non-governmental organizations (NGO) for human rights abuse advocacy in African mining sectors. She compared NGO reports on cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone’s diamond mines to determine why certain sectors experience more successful human rights reform than others. The thesis was accepted by the New England Political Science Association (NEPSA) to be shared at academic conferences. 

Hughes will intern in BAE Systems’ finance, business development, and legal departments after graduation while working towards a Master of Public Policy (MPP) at Saint Anselm.
 

Cameron Mandeville ’26
Studio Art major, Education minor

Despite describing his aphantasia (inability to visualize images) as “feeling around in the dark,” Cameron Mandeville ’26 creates intricate digital art and animation. The Studio Art major relied entirely on muscle memory and musical motivation to storyboard his thesis—a six-minute animated television pilot, Wonder Scape. 

Mandeville’spilot is fantastical, magical, and medieval. Beginning with rough line animation, he sketched his scenes on a tablet before fully rendering the illustrations with color, shadow, and 2D lighting. Inspired by famous animators, various forms of media, and cartoons like “Adventure Time” and “Gravity Falls,” Mandeville wrote a witty script for his whimsical original characters—all voiced by his classmates. 

After commencement, Mandeville plans to teach middle or high school art while continuing to develop the pilot into a full-fledged series. 
 

Henry Zent ’26
History major, Classical Archaeology minor

Fascinated by people, places, and the stories that come with them, Henry Zent ’26 picked up Jack Weatherford’s “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” for some light extracurricular reading. As the pages turned, Zent became enthralled with the Mongol Empire, a nomadic group that ruled Asia and parts of Europe from 1200-1350. Intrigued by their unprecedented rise to power, the History major inevitably fell down a thesis-inducing rabbit hole. 

While most depictions of the Mongols focus on their violent warfare, Zent researched how they developed a near-perfect commerce system—the Yam system—that stretched from Ukraine to Mongolia. Designed to keep travelers en route during their cross-continental voyages, the postal system provided them lodging, food, and refreshed horses roughly every 15 miles. Although the Mongols reigned for nearly 150 years, the system was one of the empire’s only establishments during their reign. 

Upon graduation, Zent will earn a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Saint Anselm and continue to travel the world. He hopes to use his historical knowledge to create environmental policy that can benefit local farmers and agricultural communities nationwide. 
 

Colin White ’26 
Forensic Science major, Cyber Criminology and Chemistry minor

Colin White ’26 always dreamed of having a career that made a significant difference. With a strong scientific inclination, disinterest in subjects like physics, and awareness of inevitable illicit activity, White leaned into forensic science. As a kid watching “CSI,” White recalled seeing luminol (a crystalline powder) being dusted over surfaces to locate traces of blood and DNA. Determined to make his own mark on the forensic world, White researched an alternative solution to enhance fingerprints with silica nanoparticles. 

Due to its ability to entrap dyes, White experimented with the particle to enrich preexisting powders used in crime scene investigation. When applied, the particle reacts with a print’s sweat and oil glands and causes it to enhance. Under ultraviolet light, the entrapped dye fluoresces, producing much clearer prints. White additionally learned about a chemical reaction known as a super glue heating chamber. When heated, the glue’s vapors respond to sweat and oil glands from prints on non-porous, solid surfaces and make them even more visible when dusted with powders containing the particle. 

After graduation, White sees himself earning a master’s degree in forensic science with a concentration in toxicology and working in a forensic lab.
 

Madeline Trisket ’26 
Classics major 

With a resounding passion for art, history, and language, it’s abundantly clear why Madeline Trisket ’26 chose to study classics.As a senior, she found herself in two Latin courses: one on Roman orator Cicero and the other on Roman historian Sallust. Her desire to produce a writing supplement to support her postgraduate pursuits prompted her to explore a piece of Roman history that deeply captivated her: the Cataline Conspiracy[ABC8] .

In her reflection, Trisket detailed Cicero and Sallust’s vastly different recollections of the 63 BCE plot to overthrow the Roman government. Through a close reading, she observed the lack of women in Cicero’s account (written during the attack) as opposed to Sallust’s (written 20 years after) which frequently referenced them. Compelled by the influence of gender roles on the portrayal of the armed insurrection, Trisket conducted a word study to examine language usage in Sallust’s narrative to question why the historian chose “feminine” words to further the insult. 

Post-Hilltop, Trisket is considering everything from teaching Latin to physically demanding agricultural roles. Although she doesn’t know exactly what she’ll do, Trisket is confident that her well-rounded liberal arts education has readied her for success in any field.
 

Jennifer Patient ’26 
Honors English major, Communication, Psychology, and Gender Studies minor 

For all things faith, feminism, and literature, Jennifer Patient ’26 is your girl. Enchanted after reading Willa Cather’s 1918 modernist novel “My Ántonia” in her 20^th Century American Literature class, the English major cast the coming-of-age classic as the star of her senior thesis. As a Christian, Patient believes the most empowering, beautiful way women can live is whatever God is calling them to, be it marriage, childbearing, or something entirely different. She admires how the prose champions both types of women; those in pursuit of domestic work and those who wish to transcend that mold.

Titled “Memory, Motherland, and Community in Willa Cather’s ‘My Ántonia,’” Patient’s thesis explored how Cather’s personal experience with Christianity and feminism influenced the semi-autobiographical narrative. Set in the developing American west and told through a male narrator’s memories, the book explores the “New Woman” concept that had 20^th-century women rejecting traditional domesticity and embracing independence, education, and careers. Her thesis reflects on the work’s ability to transcend time by questioning the achievability of the “American Dream” while discussing mental health challenges and sharing the immigrant story. 

After graduation, Patient plans to earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. 

While on the Hilltop, these seniors expanded their understanding by chasing their passions. Their undergraduate accomplishments will undoubtedly transform them into poised professionals who will take their perspectives, knowledge, and zest for learning wherever they go next.