After completing a months-long research project for her Eighth-Grade Capstone presentation, Annie Gingras ’29 took the initiative to bring her project’s mission to the Williams community. She chose to focus her research on the In a Heartbeat Foundation, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that provides cardiac screenings—administered by licensed technicians—for children, teens, and young adults. Thanks to her efforts, more than 50 students at Williams received heart screenings.
Annie became interested in the foundation’s mission through her passion for sports medicine. She connected with current parent Nikki Polidori P ’21, ’24, ’27, who introduced her to the organization.
Annie’s mother, Katie Gingras P ‘26, ‘29, recalled how it all began: “Nikki and I talked about heart screenings and how EKGs aren’t routinely done. The conversation left me wondering why, and whether we could bring a screening to the Williams community. Fast forward—my daughter Annie ended up volunteering with In a Heartbeat for her Eighth-Grade Capstone project. Everyone hears stories of kids collapsing on the court or field from sudden cardiac arrest and assumes it won’t happen to them. We wanted to help make preventative screenings a reality for our community.”
This kind of real-world impact reflects the core purpose of the Capstone program: to inspire students to pursue their personal interests while creating meaningful contributions to their community and beyond.
“Annie’s Capstone project is a wonderful example of how passion, interest, and effort are the most important keys to improving situations that an individual finds troubling,” said Middle School Dean Joe Cote. “Resources aren’t always easy to come by, but Annie’s project shows that the most valuable resources are people and hard work. Bringing the important work of the In a Heartbeat organization directly into the Williams community exemplifies Annie’s dedication,and raises the bar for future Capstone projects.”
