Sophia Stanisic, a lover of Biology, foreign languages, the arts and service to the community, is The Summit Country Day School’s valedictorian for the graduating class of 2021.
Sophia was part of a Modeling a Protein Story (MAPS) team and was a student in The Summit’s Schiff Family Science Research Institute. She investigated how the cytomegalovirus manipulates the host environment to its benefit.
She was also a member of the National Association of Biology Teachers Biology Club.
Sophia also displayed an acumen for Spanish, earning a silver and bronze medal on the National Spanish Exam as freshman and sophomore, respectively. She also has the desire to learn more about the Serbo-Croatian language.
“I actually learned parts of the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet before the English alphabet,” she said. “The language is very important to me as it is the only language my grandmother can speak. I can speak it proficiently, but I would love to improve my language skills and learn more about how the language relates to the Balkan peoples and their history.”
Sophia served as an Arts team leader where she organized events that sought to promote the arts. She has often served as a cantor for masses at Summit, performs regularly with the May Festival Youth Chorus, has taken vocal lessons and competes in vocal competitions.
In addition to playing field hockey and tennis, Sophia was a member of Key Club. She often volunteered at St. Margaret Hall Assisted Living and Nursing Community.
A well-rounded individual and Summit lifer, Sophia will matriculate this fall to the University of Virginia.