Way to Go! Massapequa student explores civic engagement
Sarah Popeck, a senior at Massapequa High School, was one of 375 students worldwide to earn every possible point on the AP Research exam. Credit: Massapequa School District
A Massapequa High School student is turning heads in topics ranging from social studies to gun violence.
Sarah Popeck, a senior, has achievements that include being a regional technologist for March for Our Lives, a nonprofit that focuses on gun violence prevention, and recently being named one of 375 students worldwide to earn every possible point on her Advanced Placement Research exam.
Popeck's AP Research project, which she conducted last school year, explored the impact of social studies teachers on the advocacy and civic engagement of high schoolers. AP Research is the second course in the AP Capstone Program, a two-year diploma program developed by the College Board.
"I found a huge statistical correlation between teachers who allow discussions in their classrooms and these students' awareness of what’s going on in the modern world," Popeck, 17, said.
To research the subject, Popeck surveyed more than 300 students and dozens of teachers in Massapequa and a handful of other schools in Nassau County. She ultimately submitted a 27-page paper, which was scored by the College Board, and presented orally in front of a panel of Massapequa educators.
Popeck is president of her school's History Club, secretary of Mathletes, and a member of the National, French and Tri-M Music honor societies. She is also a cellist in the orchestra and string quartet.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
