Senior Sofia Hargis-Acevedo is about to close a monumental chapter of her life: high school.
Her senior year has flown by and now she is about to begin a new chapter of her story, but not without reminiscing on her senior year and high school experience.
Sofia is a second-year editor of The Central Trend, but she has been on the staff since her freshman year. Joining the class was a last-minute decision after going back and forth between classes, and she only signed up for a semester. Nevertheless, she quickly took a liking to the class and set her goals for the next few years.
“One week into that class I was just like ‘Oh my god I love this so much, this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of the year, maybe continue on the next four years,” Sofia explained. “Honestly that first week I knew my goal was to be where the editors were then which were Lynlee Derrick and Abby Wright. So, it was just like I worked so hard to switch my schedule around because I signed up basically on accident.”
The first week of the class was an amazing experience for Sofia. Teacher Ken George’s unique teaching definitely drew her into the class. His passion for journalism inspired her and she realized that was where she belonged in the school, even in the eccentric hybrid environment she joined.
Even though there were times when she thought that she lost her burning passion for the class, she has always found her way back. In the fall, she will grow her passion away from room 139 at Northwestern University, where she will tell more and share more stories along with giving everybody a voice to share.
Sofia’s entire high school experience has been such an important part of her life. There are so many moments that will stay sacredly in her heart, like moments of finding out she was for sure to be an editor with Allie Beaumont. She recently got her letter from her freshman self from Freshmen Honors English, and the letter asked if she could become editor-in-chief, which she gladly did. There are so many fantastic things she has done during the past four years, that it is hard to pick one, or even a few.
“The fact that I can’t think of one specific moment just shows how great it’s been,” Sofia explained. “How great these past four years have been, how thankful I am I’ve been able to have such a good experience these past four years, so like there isn’t too much I can say.”
Sofia’s past year has been filled with exciting, once-in-a-lifetime moments, and friendships that will be hard to lose. Along with being editor once again, Sofia is a senior. She is finishing her final year at Forest Hills Central High School, which involves so many things that every other grade doesn’t get to experience. The year has been monumental, emotional, and delightful. It has flown by, but even from the beginning, she’s been ready.
“Beginning of senior year is definitely a different feeling than right now,” she described. “Beginning of senior year definitely there were moments where I was bittersweet, like thinking a year from now none of us will be here, we’ll be spread across the country. But for the most part, I was just so excited because the year I had been waiting for for so long because, within that first day of school, we all became closer.”
Sofia experienced the special senior moments that are reserved especially for that class throughout the year. It has lived up to her expectations, enjoying senior skip days, barbeques, and even just the exhilarating buzz about the college experience that lies ahead. Her classes this year were still difficult, despite the easy senior year accusations. She took AP Spanish, anatomy, AP lit, and more.
Sofia has also grown new and previous friendships during this special year. She has reconnected with old friends that she may have thought she had lost touch with and become people she conversed with daily.
“I feel like I’m already a social person, but I feel like I’ve grown even more with my social skills,” Sofia said. “I just feel like I have just talked to more and more people, and have created more and more bonds and friendships that I did not think that I would have made.”
Especially with her close friends, Sofia is hoping to keep those connections even in the sometimes far distances of college. The distance will definitely be a difficult transition. Friends who have grown up a street down, and with easy, instant access, will be living their own lives states away. Nevertheless, Sofia is ready to continue her life into these next stages.
“I’m just ready,” Sofia said. “Reaching my goal of getting into my dream school is everything I could’ve asked for. And moving onto the next chapter is so scary too, because I’ve lived here for 13 years, and so being able to experience a new environment for the first time is so exciting for me.”
Throughout all of the excitement and sadness, laughs and tears, there is still the collection of lasts that comes with such a big change. Even in the last week, the lasts have emerged with a bittersweet yet thrilling feeling. Big things like the last dance, football game, or assembly, and smaller things like the last Lit poster, or trying to stay awake in a class. With every last, comes one step closer to everything that lies ahead. The opportunities are wide for Sofia. Her bright personality, phenomenal leadership, and strong motivation are shown in so many places: in TCT meetings, at practices, in classes, and even just being around her. Although she will be a missing piece from the school in so many ways, her next steps are some that are exactly what she has looked forward to and prepared for. All of her past experiences will never be forgotten as she closes this chapter just to open the next one.
“I’m ready,” Sofia said. “I feel like I’ve had my time here, and I’m just excited to see where the future takes me and what happens next, and I’m just ready to move on and experience different parts of life.”
