McKenna Alexander opted to pursue a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certification for her Senior Project. Passionate about aiding others in their recovery and health, McKenna has devoted considerable time to researching CNA training programs and certification processes applicable in hospitals or state homes. After several days of exploring various options, she decided on the ideal location to obtain her license and further her career. McKenna ultimately earned her CNA license with the VA.

Kira Dermatis decided to pursue a long dream she had of creating a webcomic. Dermatis poured her heart and soul into her senior project, meticulously crafting each panel and dialogue bubble of her webcomic, "Artificial Wealth," on the popular platform WEBTOON. With dedication and creativity, she brought her characters to life. As she delved deeper into the creation process, Dermatis found herself immersed in the world she had created, losing track of time as she sketched out each scene and polished every line of dialogue. Chapter by chapter, "Artificial Wealth" began to take shape, drawing in readers with its captivating storyline and vibrant artwork. By the time Dermatis reached chapter 3, she had received feedback from another webcomic artist, praising her work and offering valuable advice for improvement. Grateful for the guidance, Dermatis plans to revise her webcomic, taking the constructive criticism to heart as she fine-tunes her storytelling and hones her artistic style. With renewed determination, she pours herself into the revisions, striving to make "Artificial Wealth" even better than before. With new chapters and a refined artstyle, she hopes to captivate audiences old and new, inviting them to join her characters on their journey through the rich tapestry of "Artificial Wealth."

For her senior project, Jackie Heisler went to dig up dinosaur fossils at an active dig site outside Newcastle, Wyoming. Her love for geology and learning about the past inspired her to do this project. Jackie spent two days at the site and ended up with some amazing finds that her mentor, Jake Harris, let her keep. She eventually took them to the School of Mines to have them identified by the people at the Museum of Geology. She plans on taking the information she learned with her to college to help in her education as a geologist. Jackie intends to attend the School of Mines in the Fall of 2024.

For his senior project, John Heisler collaborated with Dustin Ross to survey the football field. The primary goal of this project was to create a detailed map pinpointing the locations of all sprinkler heads and valve boxes, enhancing maintenance efficiency. Additionally, John gained practical insights into surveying by shadowing Dustin for a day. Using the data collected, he employed AutoCAD to design and print the map.

For his senior project, Landon Heisler volunteered at the Cheyenne River Animal Hospital, a local veterinary clinic. During his volunteer stint, Landon was involved in various tasks such as checking inventory, cleaning, and even assisting before and after surgeries. One of the highlights for Landon was witnessing a dog undergo a leg amputation. He was actively involved in preparing the animal for surgery, which included cleaning the incision site and operating a laser to help seal the wound post-operation.

Always an actor, Mackenzie Hollenbeck took a different route and, for her Senior Project, directed and produced a one-act play. She took this play to the Panhandle One-Act Competition in Hemingford, Nebraska, which Edgemont has not competed in since the 90s, and placed fifth out of seven. The play scored one point behind fourth place and tied with sixth place. However, the judges chose Edgemont’s play as fifth because they liked it better. Hollenbeck also produced the play at Edgemont during the student council’s Burgers & Bingo night. There was a large turnout, and the play was well-received. Hollenbeck spent over thirty hours leading practices, creating the set, and conferencing with staff from Hemingford. She hopes that this will start a tradition of one-acts in Edgemont in the years to come.

For his senior project, Brendan Nelson crafted buffalo woolly chaps and authored a research paper on the history of the American Bison. Under the mentorship of Wade Printz, an Edgemont Alumni, Brendan mastered the basics of leatherworking to create his woolly chaps. When asked about his favorite aspect of the project, Brendan expressed, “The sense of accomplishment from dedicating time and effort to create something aesthetically pleasing was truly rewarding.”

Addison Neville has had a lot of experience with restoring and building vehicles. Over time, she has spent a lot of time working on older vehicles and has dedicated her senior project toward her pickup. For her project, she used her expertise to learn how to weld and make a headache rack for her pickup. The process included learning how to weld and researching different types of headache racks that would suit her and her pickup. After the initial process of learning how to weld, she spent time picking out the metal and started drafting out the headache rack. After completing her research, purchasing her materials, and learning the basics of welding, Addie welded the headache rack together and attached it to her vehicle to complete the pickup. 

JJ Ostenson, for his senior project, created a short film. For the process, he wrote, directed, and edited it all. The reason he chose this was because he is going to pursue a career in Theater Arts and wanted to learn firsthand the process of making a film. Ostenson gathered actors from school and helped guide them through the filming process. Once the filming was complete, he then started to edit and create a film that was similar to an industry-produced film. The film was then premiered to a group of friends and family.

For his senior project, Cian Waite participated in ride-a longs with various police departments, spanning federal, state, and local levels. He accompanied a VA police officer at the Hot Springs VA for his federal experience, rode along with a state trooper for his state-level insight, and joined a Hot Springs deputy twice for local perspectives. Through these experiences, Cian learned that the police in his area are highly professional and courteous.

Olivia Ellstrom hosted a blood drive through Vitalant for her senior project on January 11, 2023, in the Edgemont High School gymnasium. Her love for volunteering and organization inspired her to do this for her project. She has been involved in the Student Council and is passionate about helping others. With the goal being 21 units of blood, the Vitalant crew collected 33 units making for a fantastic turnout. Olivia plans to continue to help others for the rest of her life.

Anna went to Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs to earn her C.N.A. license. She worked in both the hospital and nursing home. Along with her nursing assistant certification, she earned her certification in basic life support.

Jared’s senior project was to improve the weight room. Jared started in late November and finished in February by improving the weight room by adding a new leg press to the gym equipment. He also created a video demonstrating how to properly use the gym equipment and posted QR codes in the gym for visitors to access it.Jared picked this project because he saw how the weight room needed improvement and new equipment. He also has an interest in working out and community fitness and health.

Sierra Morse created three pairs of sweatpants out of recycled sweatshirts. She wanted to learn more about fashion and had seen a girl on TikTok do it and thought it looked cool. Kathy Corbett was her mentor because she is very knowledgeable and experienced in the sewing industry. 

Bridget chose to do her project on American Sign Language. She worked with Nina Ringstmeyer. Bridget developed a basic understanding of the language and deaf culture before working with Nina to translate a children's book. After this, she recorded a video of herself reading the book she chose and another video of her signing the book. With the help of the school's technology coordinator, Mr. Varra, Bridget edited and presented her videos to the public. 

For her senior project, Peyton Ostenson drew a picture of Chance Englebert and sold copies to raise money for his memorial scholarship. After completing the drawing, she sold prints both online through Facebook and in person. In total, she raised $1,074.65 for the cause and was able to spread the word of her art and Chance all across the nation.

Amy Printz underwent a five-week training to become certified as a CASA volunteer. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a program that gives children in foster care someone to be with and advocate for them in the court system during their case. She was not old enough to become a volunteer, but she was allowed to go through the course, and then she put on a presentation for the Edgemont Community about what CASA is and the need for more CASA volunteers. 

For her senior project, Antje Rendon learned how to play the guitar. She picked this for her project because she never got the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument. Antje thought it would be an excellent skill to have. She used an app called Yousician. At times Antje struggled with this app, but in the end, she was successful. Antje recorded her performance on the guitar and other percussion instruments to make a CD. She plans on continuing to learn the guitar while she studies at college.

For Morgan Rohde's senior project, she decided to make soap. She made soaps that were all different scents, colors, and designs. Morgan saw others on Tik Tok making soap and decided to try a new hobby. Initially, Morgan failed, but that helped her figure out what to do later in the project when things went wrong. Once Morgan completed her soap, she sold the soap she made and decided to continue to make soap for fun and to sell. 

Emily Schumacher did her senior project about hair. She started shadowing at Salon 402 in Hot Springs, SD. Emily then returned to Edgemont and practiced popular weddings, prom, and everyday hair on community members. She did these hairstyles when she had time and when other people also had time. Emily did this because she has always had a passion for doing hair, and she wanted to know if she could do it for the rest of her life, so she thought this was a perfect opportunity to find out.