Many students possess their own unique potential and "genius," but seem to base their worth on the status of grades instead of their connection to education itself. Antonio Salieri, for instance, created wonderful, emotionally binding music throughout his lifetime. Salieri however, never saw the beauty in his work because Mozart, a child prodigy, outshone Salieri in every facet of the art and with little effort. This caused Salieri to reconsider his worth as he tied it to status and recognition, instead of the unique beauty in his work. This article discusses how the norms of schooling often inhibit identification of this "genius." Modest changes in the manner in which teachers teach and assess students, nonetheless, hold potential to assist students in identifying and empowering their unique talent(s). The authors discuss Aesthetic Based Alternative Assessment (ABAA)--a type of project-based learning that extends beyond science content and places students' interests at the forefront of the learning environment. ABAA's framework allows students to contextualize content through authentic experiences, rewarding constructivist thinking. The article provides examples of how to facilitate project ideas using ABAA.