Holy Cross is Spearheading the Capstone Diploma Program for Louisiana Archdioceses High Schools

By: Philip Cruz Perez, ‘21

            Holy Cross graduated 2 students in the Capstone Diploma program last year, a highly competitive course for not only the students but also the schools involved; the two recipients last year were Austin Wyman and Blake Zeigler, current freshman at the University of Notre Dame. 2019’s graduating class held the first Capstone Diploma recipients among Holy Cross and all Louisiana catholic high schools. Capstone is a diploma program developed by the College Board designed to merit students who enroll in numerous AP classes. Its foundation revolves around two required AP courses: AP Research and AP Seminar. To receive a Capstone diploma, a student must earn a minimum score of 3 for their final AP Exam in AP Seminar, AP Research, and 4 separate AP classes of their choosing. A certificate is awarded to students who receive a 3 or higher in Seminar and Research but don’t receive the 4 separate scores required for the diploma. Those students are the following: Elias Brown, Mason Carter, Ben Oelkers, Brennan Robertson, and Ben Young. To comment on the program, Elias Brown, current freshman at USMA, had this to say, “The seminar and research classes were extremely helpful. My classes (at West Point) are often in a seminar setting with plenty of discussion and interaction. HC helped me think critically. As far as research goes, Cadets are expected to bring together sources and materials for various projects on their own. Using skills that I was taught at HC, this process was not new for me. I will say I was well prepared for USMA, particularly because of my scholar classes.”