Sophia Roach is a senior at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she is a creative writing major. Sophia serves as president of the Student Council and the National Honor Society, and is the student representative for the Board of Education of the Philadelphia school district. She is a founding member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at CAPA, as well as the vice president of the Latinx Club. As a response to experiences of racism toward Black and Latinx students, Sophia organized town halls and bi-monthly classroom presentations to educate students on topics such as microaggressions and identifying privilege. On top of making DEI educational periods a mandatory experience for all 800 students of her school, Sophia worked with her teachers to create a curriculum inclusive of women and people of color by helping to develop the required reading list. She also made adjustments to CAPA student policies, ensuring that discrimination of any kind would not be tolerated. Her initiative was presented in the School District's annual Social Justice Summit, and she is currently working with the district's office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to bring her DEI efforts to every public school in the city. Through her role as student representative, she will continue to focus on equity and inclusion directed toward the students of the district. With the Latinx Club, Sophia organized multicultural meetings to bridge with the other culture groups at her school, to promote solidarity amongst the organizations and ensure a community with all minority students at CAPA. Outside of the classroom, Sophia is involved in student journalism, and is editor-in-chief of the Bullhorn newspaper, which promotes youth voices across the city. Sophia is committed to inclusivity, and plans to continue her advocacy while studying on a pre-law track.
Sophia Roach
Position
2023 - PHILADELPHIA
Bio/Description