The Gateway Senior Experience is Pennington's to energize and excite students about what awaits them over the beyond high school. Horizon has been a cornerstone of the Pennington curriculum for over twenty years, and this program supports our School mission of developing individual excellence in all of our students.
How the Gateway Senior Experience is DIFFERENT
The Gateway Senior Experience is more than just a capstone project. It is an opportunity for self-discovery, creativity, and growth. Whether students are exploring future careers, learning new skills, or simply challenging themselves in new environments, this Senior Experience provides a powerful bridge between high school and life beyond Pennington. Seniors in this final year of the Gateway program participate in special workshops, seminars, and hands-on learning to excite and engage students with life beyond high school.
In May, students spend two weeks engaging in a professional internship or passion project, then return to share their doscoveries with new confidence, fresh perspectives, and an expanded sense of possibility.
What to Expect
- Internships at local businesses, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits
- Creative Projects in photography, writing, design, and more
- Meetings and Workshops on communication, life skills, and career preparation
- Guest Speaker Events featuring alumni and professionals
2026 Senior Projects
Shubh worked with other students in a business-focused week of activities in New York City.
Norah shadowed an oculoplastic surgeon in the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Oculoplastic Surgery Service at Penn Medicine.
Logan developed social media content for Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
Senior Experience In Action
Students presented their projects and final reflections at the annual project fair in May 2026.
Senior Year Past Projects
Matthew worked at the Nakavango Conservation Program near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Nakavango is an "intense protective zone" for the critically endangered black rhino. The focus at Nakavango is on conservation management, African wildlife, important conservation issues and sustainable community development.
Matthew currently works as a conservation education instructor at The Seas in Walt Disney World's Epcot.
For his project at Brush Creek Ranch, Brett rode new horses that were purchased in New Mexico to determine whether they had been trained well enough to be suitable for guests at the ranch or if the horses need more training.
Brett currently works at the Saddle Peak Equestrian Center in Montana and is a student at Montana State University-Bozeman.
Kate shadowed the headmaster of Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart in Princeton as part of her senior year project. Kate's experience is focused on learning about educational leadership.
Kate currently works as a first-grade teacher at Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, CA.
Hope's senior project involved working at the Pen Ryn School as a teacher’s aide. The school is Nursery through eighth-grade and she got a chance to work with every grade level! In this photo, Hope is working with a kindergarten class.
Hope currently works as a senior civil clerk in the office of the prothonotary in the Bucks County Court.
Bo Hartpence tackled many different types of business jobs at the Philadelphia Phillies for his Horizon project. Some aspects he explored are sales, advertisement, and promotion.
Bo currently works in clinical data management at Bristol Myers Squibb in Philadelphia.
Mina completed her senior year project at Drexel University’s Center for Functional Fabrics. She worked with a PhD student to analyze data that they collected using a touch-sensitive fabric. She also got to work on one of the Center’s many garment knitting machines called the X Machine made by the company Shima Seiki.
Mina is currently a bioengineering PhD candidate at Northeastern University.
