A Wizard's Path: Sophia Zupancic

Senior Sophia Zupancic is extremely devoted to providing outreach for mental health resources through Morgan’s Message and creating unity in her community through her extensive involvement in several honor societies. Her time at Washingtonville High School has been full of lessons and triumphs that she will hold onto dearly.

Sophia is a part of many honors societies at Washingtonville High School including National Honor Society, where she is Vice President, Math Honor Society, English Honor Society, Art Honor Society and is secretary of the Science Honor Society. 

Being a part of these societies requires Sophia to achieve a certain amount of hours of community service each month. The responsibilities and requirements vary for each society, but have instilled a love for helping others. Recently, the English Honor Society assisted Taft Elementary with their ‘Pick a Reading Partner” event, a night dedicated to fostering a love for reading in young learners. To read more about this initiative, click here. 

“I'm probably the most proud of my community service,” she said. “I feel like I'm most proud of my involvement in all of the things that I'm not really getting credit for…I like being able to do something for other people and not get anything in return.”

Sophia is a part of Best Buddies, Unified Basketball, president of Special Olympics, and brought Morgan’s Message to Washingtonville High School just a short few years ago. Her favorite club to participate in is the Special Olympics because she enjoys creating memories with her peers that she typically wouldn’t connect with in the ASIPIRE program. 

“I just love the students and the athletes, they’re the most genuine people you’ll ever meet,” Sophia said. “It’s just so much fun. You see them in the hallway and you say hi, and it brightens their day and it makes me so happy.”

In regards to Morgan’s Message, Sophia was inspired to bring the nationally recognized organization to Washingtonville High School as a freshman, after discovering the program online. Mogan’s Message is an organization that strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health, specifically for student athletes. 

“Morgan's Message kind of just showed up on my Instagram one day, and I thought it was a really good reminder that your sport can get really tough and you need to prioritize your mental health,” she said.

Sophia wanted to utilize this program for the varsity lacrosse team, who were going through hardships at the time. Sophia has been a part of the varsity team since eighth grade, and has been captain since her sophomore year. She plays attack and takes the draw at the start of each game.

Sophia was able to expand Morgan’s Message to the majority of sports teams at the high school level, participating in dedication games to spread awareness of the Morgan’s Message mission. To read more about Washingtonville High School’s involvement with Morgan’s Message, click here. 

Through her many leadership roles, specifically as lacrosse captain, Sophia has been able to find her voice and take initiative in situations. She finds that she has developed skills to help her navigate conflict in difficult situations.

“We had tough games and tough practices, and there was a lot of drama that went on. I still feel like it helped me learn a lot,” she said. “I feel like all those little memories are probably my favorite, because they contributed to who I am now and how I now lead.”

Earlier this school year, Sophia received the Making a Difference Award, which recognizes individuals within the Washingtonville Central School District community who show exemplary character and service. She was nominated by her coach, Erin Mahar, who praised Sophia for her leadership and perseverance.

“She leads by example every single day — showing up early, staying late, and giving her best effort not only for herself, but for everyone around her,” Coach Mahar wrote in the nomination form. “She encourages younger players, celebrates her teammates’ successes, and never hesitates to lift someone up when they’re struggling.” To read more about Sophia’s nomination, click here. 

When it comes to academics, Sophia is heavily involved with science research through Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA), a program she has been a part of since her sophomore year.

Her project specifically focuses on the differences in heartbeats between children and adults, particularly concerning the T-wave, which is part of the heart’s rhythm visible on an EKG. Sophia is currently finishing her research paper after collecting all of her data last year. To read more about her project, click here. 

Sophia has taken several rigorous courses throughout her high school career including AP physics, college biology, college history, college English and AP BC calculus. These classes, along with her SUPA research project, has allowed Sophia to explore her post-secondary education career options.

She will be attending college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in management, while also playing on the university’s lacrosse team. 

Sophia has a strong passion for science, and was inspired to study biomedical engineering through her involvement in SUPA. Through this, Sophia was able to gain insight into what her career could potentially look like after college. 

She also credits her freshman and sophomore math teacher, Mr. Cerar, who she believes helped instill her love for math and engineering. Sophia’s educational journey at Washingtonville has given her the resources and opportunities to explore her future while curating skills and relationships that she will carry.

As she looks ahead to graduation, Sophia’s goal for the rest of the school year is to be present. 

“I think maybe one of my goals I can shape for the end of the year is just to be here, be present,” she said.”  I do feel like I find myself always looking to the next day, and not actually living  because I have so much going on. Even with all that going on, I feel like I need to be there. I think that's one of my biggest things that I want to do, especially because we're running out of time.”