Sophia Thompson Chooses Savannah College of Art & Design

Sophia Thompson is so creative that she intends to refine and then use those talents as the springboard to a fulfilling career. The Huntington High School senior intends to get started by studying interior design and architecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.

“The environment in Savannah is something so unexplainable,” Ms. Thomson said. “SCAD is all about the arts. It has taken over so much of the town through its restoration design, making Savannah new again while also using the old materials to keep the history. The beauty, not only in the school and dorms, but also throughout the city just makes it such a charming and gorgeous area, that gets your creative mind flowing no matter where you are.”

The senior is excited to be moving on to such an exciting college program. “At SCAD, the core curriculum is designed around your major and you are encouraged to explore areas beyond your major and take various classes to complement your skill development,” Ms. Thompson said. “SCAD’s career preparation offers a program called SCADpro, a program in which big-name companies turn to SCAD students to seek fresh ideas, new inventions, and creative solutions for their companies.”

Ms. Thompson said the key to her success has been “staying positive.” She has come to the realization that regardless of the outcome, “there is a reason for everything that happens.” She displayed the courage to step out of her comfort zone and study architecture and interior design at Wilson Tech and it set the stage for her college plans.

“SCAD is the No. 1 art school in the United States, according to artandobject.com,” Ms. Thompson said. “SCAD holds some of the top art events in the US, specifically, the SCAD film festival; SCAD fashion show and many more. More importantly, SCAD and Savannah overall are an extremely welcoming place and I am so beyond excited to go!”

The Huntington teenager said she intends to major in interior design and carry a minor in architecture. “Since I was younger, I have always had an interest in designing,” Ms. Thompson said. “For the past two years I have been in the architecture and interior design/CAD (computer aided design) program at Wilson Tech through Huntington. The program at Tech was the best decision ever; I absolutely love it. Not only do I get 10-plus college credits,  I will also be certificated in CAD. It taught me so many new skills and helped reinforce the career path I want to take. The summer going into senior year I also completed an architecture summer program through Syracuse. This program helped me think abstractly and understand how rigorous college is going to be.”

Highlights over the past four years have been studying at Wilson Tech and dancing and performing with the Huntington Highsteppers competitive dance team.

“Having the opportunity to take the architecture and interior design program at Wilson Tech was more than I could have imagined in high school,” Ms. Thompson said. “I have gained the knowledge people only begin to learn in their sophomore year of college; an experience to work on real projects that will be built from my design, along with skills that will last me a lifetime. I always recommend Wilson Tech to others. It was by far the aspect of high school I most enjoyed.”

Performing with the Highsteppers is another highlight that Ms. Thompson will always remember. “I’ve been a member since my freshman year and there have been many hard time that challenged me both mentally and physically, but they only made me stronger,” she said. “I have a passion for dance and being able to be a part of a team at school was so exciting for me. I loved creating music and dances to perform at the football games, but my favorite part was our trip to nationals. Something is so rewarding about performing on the national floor with my teammates after putting our blood, sweat and tears into the season. Moments like that are memories I will have for a lifetime. No matter what comes our way, my team and I find a way to work through it and stick together. I have loved being a part of such a great team and will miss it next year.”

Ms. Thompson has won awards for her motivation, academic performance, work habits, attendance and professionalism at Wilson Tech. She was named a Distinguished Senior at Huntington High School.

“I loved my journey through Huntington, however, I am extremely excited to move forward with my life,” Ms. Thompson said. “I will definitely miss certain aspects. I’d like to thank my teachers, specifically, Mrs. [Amelia] Saggese, Mr. [Robert] Gilmor, Mrs. [Kristiana] Salerno, Mrs. [Patricia] Avelli and my Wilson Tech teacher Mrs. [Isabella] Mancini who are absolutely incredible and helped me through so much.”