Senior project brings smiles to ill children
Student arranges performance at Shriners Hospital
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

Sounds of laughter rang through the halls of Shriners Hospitals for Children-Los Angeles on March 15 as the Santa Susana High School's Children's Theater put the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch on trial in "The Fairy Tale Courtroom."

The comedic performance was organized by Samantha Couch as part of her senior project, an assignment given to fourth-year students to show what they've learned in school and how they plan to use the knowledge in their lives.

"Now that it's over, I'm kind of sad," said Couch, who started work on the project back in September.

For the 17yearold, interacting with kids is just a natural part of life. Considering her job at the local YMCA and her role performing as part of the Children's Theater, the inspiration for her senior project was obvious, Couch said.

"I can't imagine what it would be like (for) a kid to live in a hospital, so being a part of Children's Theater I decided to try and make their lives a little happier," Couch said.

Couch's senior project consisted of casting and directing a play that her Children's Theater classmates performed. She also took the show on the road, performing at local elementary schools such as White Oak and Simi in addition to the Shriners Hospital in L.A.

Shriners Hospitals is a network of 22 pediatric hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, providing specialized care for orthopedic problems, spinal cord injuries, burns, and cleft lip and palate, all at no charge.

"We appreciate the students coming to perform for us, especially the kids," said J i m i r a Smith, recr e a t i o n a l therapist at the Los Angeles hospital. "Whenever they want to come back to visit, they are more than welcome to."

One of the 15 members of Couch's cast was Santa Susana sophomore Melissa Holloway.

"It was really fun and a little sad to perform at the hospital," Holloway said. "It felt nice helping others and giving them something different to do. They got to interact with us a little bit, and they seemed to like it."

All senior projects at Santa Susana require a written research paper, a portfolio documenting the students' efforts and a presentation made to a panel of teachers, alumni and a classmate.

Couch's adviser and Children's Theater supervisor, Melissa Albertson, provided the senior with help along the way.

"My job as her adviser was to guide her," Albertson said. "I wasn't doing it for her, but any questions that she had I helped her through it."

Couch followed through with making the important calls, Albertson said. Performing at the hospital and elementary schools was possible only because of the senior's efforts, her teacher said. The hardest part of the project was raising the money and having to tell her friends what to do, Couch said.

"I didn't think I would be able to accomplish all that I did," Couch said. "There were times when I wanted to quit."

To raise the money for the bus to get to Shriners-Los Angeles, Couch set up a performance at Santa Susana. The show sold out, she said, and with the help of local businesses and their donations she was able to raise $577, well above the $300 needed for the transportation.

"I set our goal high and we exceeded it," Couch said. "It was a really good turnout; we had people come to the door and ask if they could come in."

As Couch heads toward graduation, she takes with her the memories of the children at the Shriners hospital who made her senior project worth all the effort, she said.

"Knowing I did this all on my own was really rewarding," Couch said. "One of my teachers told me that I was going to change a lot of lives some day."

Next semester Santa Susana may require seniors to complete a senior project in order to graduate, said Mark Sheinberg, Web design and computer programming instructor. Teachers and staff are proposing a pilot program for the next graduating class.

The school has yet to make a decision on the proposal.

"I think that the students that would normally try to take the easy route out will now have to do the project, and they will see the benefits," Sheinberg said.