Merle-Smith Campus Ninth Graders Dive Into Identity Through F.I.R.E.

Merle-Smith Campus ninth graders met the challenge of F.I.R.E. (First-Year Interdisciplinary Research Experience), a midterm project that bridges English and World History I. To explore the complex layers of their own identities, students investigated personal topics, curated glossaries of terms, and crafted tangible artifacts to represent their findings.

This year’s projects reflected extraordinary depth and courage. Students explored topics such as bilingualism, the intersection of community and conformity, and the dynamics of birth order. Others delved into deeply personal territory, examining the impact of Alzheimer’s on family dynamics or the legacy of descending from Holocaust survivors. 

Throughout the process, students were vulnerable, honest, and remarkably encouraging of one another. Ultimately, F.I.R.E. offers a rare academic window to dig into who they think they are and reflect on who they might become.

Below are five projects from this year’s ninth-grade class, shared in the students’ own words.

"I personally have ADHD, and I wanted to better understand what it's like to have it in the workfield and in adulthood. My biggest takeaway from this experience is that I understood that there are other people going through the same thing, I'm not alone, and there are others who have been successful with ADHD. I've learned that even with challenges, I can continue to preserve and still be a successful person.” — Rafael Martinez ’29

“I chose to look deeper into art, which is a really big part of my identity and it has been since I was little. I interviewed my dad about how he noticed my love of painting/drawing while I was growing up. I also researched how art connected me to my cultural heritage, and how I used art to destress in tough situations. My biggest takeaway was understanding that art was a bigger part of my life than I realized and how it affected my growth as a person.” — Varshini Kommireddy ’29

“My FIRE project was about being the oldest first-generation American daughter in a Jamaican family. I chose this topic because it's a major part of who I am and I wanted to know what the impact was for me having this role and what my life would look like if I didn't have it. My biggest takeaway was that my independence comes from this part of my identity. It's a major part of me because it has given me many responsibilities to uphold. For example, as an older sister, I am expected to make sure to set a good example for my brother or help others anytime I can. I got a lot of insight from my mother as to how I display this role in her eyes. That was important to me because it helped me understand myself and find out things about myself that I didn't notice, like my independence.” — Hailey Wilson ’29

“My FIRE project focuses on my brothers moving out at a very young age. I explored the effects on specifically the siblings and the family of the ones who move out. This was a pivotal moment and time in my life. I then explored the things that helped me through this tough time: these things are video games and volleyball. I learned much through my research and interview like how I was being affected by this change and how others are dealing with the same problem. I interviewed my parents because they were around the most to observe my behaviour and they had excellent information to give. This showed me how much parents truly cared and observed in me.” — Jamison Ungvarsky ‘29

“My FIRE project is about how I have persevered and will continue to persevere through cultural marginalization. For reference, I am a Pakistani-American Muslim girl with immigrant parents. This aspect of my identity was chosen because as I have grown, I have noticed that I am facing limited opportunities and judgement due to my race and beliefs. Throughout my project, I learned about my mom's experience with bullying and marginalization as a child. One of my mom's most said quotes to me is that "You have to work 10x as hard as the next person". The drive in everything that I do comes from this quote and feeds from the marginalization that my family, people around the world, and myself, have faced. Because of this quote and the experiences that I have faced, I will never stop shooting for the stars.” — Aiza Akbar ’29

Collectively, this year’s projects showcased powerful storytelling, thoughtful research, and meaningful self-reflection. The F.I.R.E. experience continues to exemplify the creativity and depth of Moravian Academy students as they explore what makes them unique and share their voices with our community.