Reese Sanderson Capstone 2025

Hello! My name is Reese Sanderson and my capstone project was about reproductive health awareness. Under this overall goal, there were two main aspects of my capstone; getting period product disposal bins in all of the gender-neutral and girls bathroom stalls at SLA (for throwing away used period products), and a period symptom/cramp awareness campaign. As for why I chose to do this for my capstone project, the reason is simple: I saw a problem and wanted to be part of the solution. Menstruating individuals at SLA were forced to carry their used period products outside of the bathroom stall in order to dispose of them. With the social stigma surrounding periods, this is a really tough ask. Myself and many others had expressed frustration with the lack of trash cans in stalls and the unnecessary stress and discomfort it added to our school day every month. Additionally, as co-president and co-founder of the Reproductive Health Alliance (RHA) at SLA, I knew I wanted my capstone project to address reproductive issues like these. The question was, what could I do about it?

I started off by discussing with my fellow club members of RHA to see if they were interested in solving this issue as well, to which they all enthusiastically agreed. From there, I set up meetings with Mr. Lehman and Mr. Mike (the building engineer) to discuss possibilities and eventually order the bins. Many meetings and after school hours of planning went into the idea and execution of the Bin Decorating Event. By promoting the event and installation of the period product disposal bins through hanging up posters, and making announcements to advisory’s and over the PA, we were able to have a very successful event! There were tons of students involved (across genders as well!), which helped to ensure that the bins would be understood for what they are, and treated respectfully in the stalls.

The RHA and I also hosted a Period Cramp Simulator event in the commons, using a muscle cramping device and sticky pads as shown in the pictures. This event succeeded in introducing menstruation and common menstrual symptoms as a topic of conversation across genders at SLA. The event provided insight for people who do not experience menstrual cramps, and demonstrated what it might be like to go throughout the day or week with this symptom. As an often dismissed issue, it was encouraging to see people come to an understanding with what period cramps are like and gain empathy for those who deal with it.