Noah Curiel presents “The Flavor of Gratitude,” a project focused on preparing meals for single-mother families while researching the value of family dinners.

LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - Live Oak High School seniors invited community members to see the results of months of work during the school’s Senior Project Fair on May 21, held one week before graduation ceremonies.

Students filled the fair with projects that reflected career goals, personal experiences, cultural identity and community service. Displays ranged from sewing and veterinary work to law enforcement ride-alongs, cooking projects and small business development.

Senior project advisor Kayla Lemieux said students may choose from several project pathways, but all participants must complete the same major requirements.

“Expectations are the same. There’s a community service component, there’s a senior project component, and they also do work-ready interviews, so they have to create a collection or a portfolio,” Lemieux said. “Then we had local businesses, 19 different people, come in and they gave them a mock interview experience.”

Aaliayah Gerardo displays a silk shawl inspired by her Maidu heritage during the Live Oak High School Senior Project Fair on May 21. Gerardo said the project symbolized transformation and the transition from high school to college.

Lemieux said the interviews gave students practical experience speaking with professionals before entering the workforce or college. She added that one student was offered a position following an interview.

“Our kids rocked it,” Lemieux said.

Students also completed a minimum of 10 volunteer service hours connected to their projects. According to Lemieux, seniors collectively contributed more than 2,000 hours of community service this year.

The projects reflected a wide range of student interests and experiences.

Senior Aaliayah Gerardo presented “Sacred Stitches,” a hand-crafted silk shawl inspired by her Maidu heritage and traditional Native American medicine dresses. Gerardo explained that the dresses symbolize transformation and growth.

Mariah Mason displays her self-published book, “In Defense of the Wind,” during the Live Oak High School Senior Project Fair. Mason said the book is available on Amazon and has sold 40 copies.

“The way this movement works, it kind of imitates a butterfly,” Gerardo said while displaying the flowing garment. “I thought it’d be a good way to show transformation, because it shows a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. I thought, high school to college.”

Gerardo said traditional shawls are commonly woven from native grasses, but she chose brightly colored silk fabric to emphasize the butterfly imagery and symbolism tied to personal change and new beginnings. As graduation approaches, she said the project connected directly to her own transition into adulthood and college life.

Other students focused on developing practical skills while serving community members.

Noah Curiel’s project, “The Flavor of Gratitude,” centered on learning how to smoke and prepare meals including tri-tip, ribs, chicken and side dishes. After practicing the cooking techniques, Curiel organized dinners for single-mother families.

“Once I learned how to do all that, I did two practice cooks and then for the final one, I did a dinner for single-mother families,” Curiel said. He later added that he ultimately prepared meals for two single-mother families and another dinner for a teacher.

Curiel said his research examined the role family dinners play in non-traditional households.

“For my research question, what is the value of family dinners for children growing up in non-traditional families?” Curiel said. “I did that because I grew up in a single mother household and I wanted to see if family dinners had the same effect for other children as it did on me.”

Curiel dedicated the project to his late father.

Paulina Martinez presents “Cultivating Connections: Hosting a Farmer’s Market” during the Live Oak High School Senior Project Fair.

Several students used the senior project requirement to explore possible career paths through mentorships and job shadowing experiences.

Julissa Perez spent 12 hours shadowing Sutter County Sheriff’s Officer Paige Tarke during both day and night patrol shifts to gain a better understanding of law enforcement work. Perez said Tarke encouraged her to experience both shifts to see the differences officers face depending on the time of day.

Officer Tarke said she serves as one of the department’s recruitment officers and has mentored people before, but Perez was the first high school student she worked with through the senior project program.

“It was very rewarding and I feel like I learned a lot from her as well,” Tarke said.

Perez said the experience strengthened her desire to pursue a career in law enforcement and eventually become a detective.

“I think it made me more excited to be an officer, yes,” Perez said.

Julissa Perez and Sutter County Sheriff’s Officer Paige Tarke discuss Perez’s law enforcement shadowing project during the Senior Project Fair at Live Oak High School

Other projects included raising ducks from eggs for hands-on veterinary experience, publishing an original book, launching a mobile detailing business and organizing a community farmers market with support from the Live Oak City Council.

Lemieux said the fair represented more than just a graduation requirement. She said it demonstrated the willingness of students to commit themselves to difficult, long-term projects while balancing school and personal responsibilities.

“Senior projects are hard,” Lemieux said. “This group, we had every student show up to their presentations. We had every student show up to events like this, so they are willing to do hard things. It gives you hope for the future.”

“We’re really proud of them trying and pushing through, even when it was hard.”