AP Capstone program boosts college readiness for students

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two McAllen Memorial High School graduates, through the district's AP Capstone Program, have taken a course specifically on research and looked into subjects they want to learn more about and share.

Diego Vazquez is passionate about medicine and has studied the impact of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) medications on older adult males. He studied how ADHD medicines affect the Middle East demographic among males.

“All that data contributes to my research,” Vazquez said. “Should we put limits on these medications? Should we consider alternatives? The goal is to prevent any future casualties or future problems in that demographic.”

His research, called "Impact of ADHD Medication on Adults Aged 45-55: Research Insights", has been submitted to the Youth Medical Journal database for possible publication, said the district.

Alicia Gorena and Diego Vazquez, AP Capstone program students from McAllen ISD, submitted research for professional journals.

Alicia Gorena’s topic, "Mind Over Menu: How Tex-Mex Stereotypes Affect Hispanic Girls’ Mental Health", is designed to let other girls know they are not alone.

“My main goal overall was to bring awareness to the stigma and how harmful it is to these girls,” Gorena said. “I just wanted to bring awareness to the amount of eating disorders that are prevalent down here."

Their material is polished enough to be submitted to professional journals for publication, a first in McAllen ISD’s AP Capstone Program, according to the district.

Diego will study medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Alicia plans to attend Texas State University to become an environmental attorney.

AP Capstone is a two-year high school program that emphasizes developing a student’s research skills, presentation skills, speaking skills, and critical thinking skills. The first-year students take AP Seminar, and the second-year students take AP Research. Students can earn college credit and an AP Capstone diploma.