Pomfret’s vision of “inspiring the next generation of change makers and problem solvers” was on full display at this year’s Certificate Program Capstone Celebration. Eight seniors took challenges and questions rooted in their own experiences and transformed them into meaningful solutions through two years of research, collaboration, and hands-on work.

“So many of the extraordinary things that exist in this world are because someone had a hard problem or question,” said Director of the Grauer Family Institute Gwyneth Connell. “What you have shown us here tonight is that the answer to those hard questions is you.”

Pomfret’s Certificate Program gives students the opportunity to dive deeply into complex topics they are passionate about. During their junior and senior years, students concentrate their studies through one of six certificate tracks — an experience similar to choosing a college major. Before graduating from the Hilltop, each student presents their work at the annual Certificate Program Capstone Celebration.

For Angelin Ma ’26, that passion began with astronomy. As a child, she struggled to find books that made the subject accessible and engaging for younger learners. Through the STEM Exploration track, she set out to change that by writing a children’s book titled Oto Astro: Sky to Space. After expanding her knowledge through summer astronomy courses at Harvard, Angelin shared her book with elementary school students and earned multiple book awards for her work.

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For Ethan Offei-Addo ’26, the inspiration came from frustration with a local policy decision. When his town’s planning and zoning board denied the construction of an accessibility ramp outside a nearby church in a lower income community because of an aesthetics law, Ethan began exploring how public policy could better account for equity and inclusion. Through the Social Justice track, he conducted research and worked with a teen think tank to create a blueprint municipalities can use to develop more equitable policies.

In the Character and Leadership track, Aziz AbdullaZoda ’26 focused on another challenge close to home: financial literacy. Inspired by the lack of accessible financial education in his home country of Uzbekistan, he created an online learning platform called FutureFi Network to teach people of all ages about personal finance. The platform has already reached more than 80,000 users, and Aziz is now collaborating with other students to develop a gamified financial literacy app.

Charlotte Reis ’26 also turned a personal experience into a project with community impact. During Pomfret’s Experiential Education trips to Ecuador and Costa Rica, she lived with host families despite not sharing a common language. Those experiences challenged her to embrace unfamiliar environments and deepened her appreciation for connecting people to the world around them. Through the Global Citizenship & Awareness track, Charlotte focused on reducing people’s fear of the outdoors by making the Pomfret Woods more accessible. She installed QR-code trail signs that allow visitors to easily access maps and navigate the trails with confidence.

“I remain in awe of the level of dedication they put into these certificates,” said Dean of Academics Tanya Nongera-Nickerson. “These individuals have spent the past two years conducting research, iterating their projects, collaborating with professionals in the field, and reflecting on how these experiences have shaped them.”​

The evening also featured poster presentations from juniors in the Certificate Program, offering a glimpse into the first year of their projects. Next spring, they too will present their completed work at the Capstone Celebration — continuing a tradition of students identifying problems, pursuing passions, and creating solutions that extend far beyond the Hilltop.

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