“Having all these experiences has opened my eyes to the world and what is happening. I just want to try to play my part in helping people as best I can.”
We recently caught up with Sophia Hughson. She says that Loomis Chaffee “has made me more mature, independent. It has made me grow — for the better.” Sophia is no stranger to being in a new environment. She came to Loomis from France, and she had moved to France not long before, having to learn the language quickly. Sophia’s father, William, is a 1982 LC graduate.
Year: Junior
Hometown: Avignon, France. Sophia was born in San Francisco, Calif. Her family moved to Chicago, Ill., when she was about three. At 12 years old her family moved to France, where she attended a French-speaking school. “It was hard at first, but I made amazing friends, and it was an incredible experience.”
Activities: Prefect in Longman, volunteer International Student Ambassador, on the ski and tennis teams. Joined The Log this fall and plans to take photographs and produce graphics for the school newspaper.
A homework assignment, course or teacher that stands out to you? “For a homework assignment in English class for one of the books we were reading, we had to create a playlist and choose a song and write about why we chose that song. I still remember it from freshman year. I chose ‘Star Shopping’ by Lil Peep because it encapsulates the sentiment of having lost something that was once very dear to the characters in the book, Red at the Bone. Additionally, it represents the distance and unreciprocated feelings between Aubrey and Iris, characters in the book.” Sophia also spoke a person who stood out to her. “My advisor my freshman and sophomore years — she was never my teacher — but she was my biggest supporter. I really enjoyed working with her. I always felt like she was my No. 1 supporter, guiding me along the way. If I ever needed anything, I felt I could always talk to her about anything.” Sophia’s advisor was history teacher and school archivist Karen Parsons.
If you could change something about the world, what would it be? For the past two years Sophia and her family have volunteered with an organization called Global Volunteers, which was founded in 1984 and works in 17 countries, according to its website. “Last summer we were in a border town in Texas, and I got to learn about the immigration process into the U.S. The year before, we were in Poland working with Ukrainian children at a summer camp. So I would want to take away human suffering, which I know is an impossible task, but just alleviate the pain a lot of people are going through.” She said she has always been interested in volunteer work, having also given her time in nursing homes and on food drives when she was younger. “Having all these experiences has opened my eyes to the world and what is happening. I just want to try to play my part in helping people as best I can.”
Favorite meal: Her mother’s beef bourguignon [a beef stew-like dish slowly simmered]. “It feels like home.”
Favorite snack: Movie-theater popcorn
Describe yourself: “Adventurous, because I love hiking and the outdoors ... and I would say persistent. Having to go to France and learn a whole different language obviously was challenging, but I persisted. And I’d say empathetic.”
On the feeling of skiing: She said it gives her a sense of freedom. “When I ski, I feel I don’t have to think about anything at all, and I feel on top of the world.” She has been skiing since she was about three years old. She also has gone snowboarding and said she might like to try that again this winter since “I went surfing for the first time this summer.”