Each year, the Senior Project Award stands as one of Laguna Blanca’s highest honors, recognizing a senior whose curiosity, dedication, and impact extend well beyond the scope of the project itself. The 2026 recipient, Noah Mitev, exemplifies these qualities through an unexpected journey of discovery and perspective.

His project began with a return to his former elementary school, where he spent time observing a group of sixth graders preparing for graduation. The experience brought him back to his own sixth grade year, which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ended without a traditional ceremony and instead took place virtually. 

What began as a visit soon evolved into a thoughtful examination of teaching, learning, and empathy. In his senior essay, Noah reflected on the dedication and patience required of educators, noting how the experience revealed “a side of education I’d never seen before.” While he ultimately determined that teaching may not be his future path, he gained lasting insight into compassion, patience, and service—lessons he hopes to carry into a future career in dentistry.

Through this work, Noah demonstrated maturity and curiosity, turning a personal moment into a broader understanding of perspective and growth.

Laguna Blanca is proud to honor Noah Mitev with the 2026 Senior Project Award for his insight, thoughtfulness, and the meaningful perspective he brought to this year’s program.

Listen to a short excerpt from Noah's Senior Project speech here