For my capstone, I designed and produced custom volleyball team gear for the SLA boys’ and girls’ teams. My inquiry question was, “how can student-led fundraising and custom apparel design strengthen school community and team spirit for the boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams?”. I had received team gear in my first two years of being a volleyball player during high school. The merch was organized and produced by upperclassmen and when I came to that age, I was inspired to do the same for my own teams to make teammates feel special and connected the same way I did. During my junior and senior year I decided to research companies, create original designs, organize team orders, and fundraise to cover costs. I worked with two different companies, one being a local Philadelphia print shop, to create sweatpants and hoodies. In order to raise money, I organized multiple three-day bake sales which consisted of designing promotional posters to hang around the school and baking and selling food items. I tracked finances and other data through Google Forms and Google Sheets and during this process I communicated with teammates, school staff, and printing companies to manage sizes, quantities, and delivery logistics. I advanced my skills in graphic design, budgeting, fundraising, time management, and professional communication. I am very proud of my final product and its impact on the school community. It took a lot of patience, organization, and collaboration to turn my ideas into successful physical products.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u9OoM9jG_EYVahk0Dx9j13CS_QHaf9rjNy8o_G-_r04/edit?tab=t.0