Sophie, Your Friendly Neighborhood Chameleon
By Angelica Z. and Vivek P.
February 4, 2022
noun
/kəˈmēlyən/
A person with many facets and identities that causes them to adapt their behavior and be perceived differently in various situations.
Chameleon used in dialogue:
“Sophie is our saucy Events Manager who threw the most amazing first KLHS prom!”
“No, Sophie is the Lorax, ‘[s]he speaks for the trees,’ plants, and gardens.”
“—Actually, Sophie is the head chef who cooks up the tastiest Soup of the Days for everyone to enjoy.”
“Well yes, but truthfully, Sophie is a Chameleon.”
Taken by Angelica Z. on 1/19/2022 at Bloomsgiving florist shop on Castro St., Mountain View
From countless Zoom webinars given by admissions officers to niche reddit threads filled with advice from strangers, we are told that the most important thing to convey in our application is our AUTHENTIC SELF.
Sounds easy right? Not really. For Sophie especially, someone having interests in all subjects from biology to musical theatre, it was the most difficult part of the college application process. To the KLHS community, Sophie is a leader; to her friends, she is a roboticist; to her family, she is an older sister.
“Everyone has a very different idea of who I am.”
When the people in Sophie’s life, although well intentioned, tried to advise her on authentic essay topics, the disparities between each viewpoint became apparent. She felt misunderstood by others but also by herself.
So who is Sophie?
Though she may not seem it, Sophie is an introvert. She enjoys spending time alone, surrounded by plants and animals, immersed in nature. But being a part of KLS for the past three years has pushed her out of her comfort zone to help create a fun high school experience for herself and others. Sophie has been a staple in KLS traditions and school spirit—starting clubs such as improv and food appreciation to hosting spirit week rallies for an ironically small school. To her peers it’s apparent how genuinely curious she is about learning. In English seminars, History group projects, and Statistics field trips, she always has something interesting and unique to contribute. With so many widespread interests, she’s not entirely sure what to study in college—but that’s okay.
“Everything will be okay in the end; if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
Through all this uncertainty, Sophie got a little bit closer to understanding who she truly is. So how did Sophie eventually manage to overcome her blind men (i.e. friends, teachers, advisors, admissions officers, and parents)?
“I’m so fortunate to have my sister.”
Through the noise of people telling her where to apply, what to write about, and who to be, she was able to go to her sister for a more genuine picture of Sophie.
This essay writing process in which we are tasked to balance our humanizing characteristics with something supposedly shiny and grand is best done by, as put by Sophie, “follow[ing] the dog.” The process can be compared to an art, it can’t be forced but it also can’t be stalled. We’ll leave you with a quote from Stephen King’s On Writing (a book recommended by both Brett and Sophie). “Just remember that Dumbo didn't need the feather; the magic was in him.”
