Sophie | Class of 2020

March 13, 2020. It wasn’t planned to be Sophie’s last day of her senior year of high school, had she known the day would have looked a lot different. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and photograph her this summer.

Meet Sophie:

Sophie | 2020

Jen: What are you missing most while out of school right now?


Sophie: I am really missing my friends a lot right now. I miss band class, homeroom, and lunch where we could all hang out together. I miss playing card games in the band room, our inside jokes, and playfully bragging to the non-senior band members that we get to graduate in a few months. If us seniors knew that March 13th was going to be our last day of high school there would have been a much different feeling in the air.

Jen: How are you passing time at home during quarantine?


Sophie: I have had lots of virtual work and studying for AP exams, but when I’m not doing that I’ve been doing what most of my friends have been doing, which is watching Netflix and Disney Plus. So far I’ve gone through about two seasons of The West Wing and I’d say its probably my new favorite show. But I’ve also been reading a lot of books (many about politics and history, along with some biographies) which is really nice because that’s something I could never fit into my schedule as much as I wanted to when school was still in session.

Jen: Were you involved in sports or clubs/activities in high school?  What was your favorite and why?

Sophie: I was involved with about every band-related activity that the school offered. Every month I was occupied with either marching band, concert band, jazz band, pep band, honors band, or a combination of a few. I would have to say my favorite was marching band because everyone involved spends so much time together over 9 months and it forms a really special type of family bond. Before I joined high school I heard the term “band family” floating around here and there and I couldn’t quite understand what that meant. But a few months after I joined marching band I understood it completely. I don’t care if that makes me sound like a lame band kid because I know that’s what made my high school experience so great. 

Jen: What’s the story behind your name?

Sophie: My full name is Sophia Rain Suter, even though pretty much everyone calls me Sophie. My middle name is Rain literally just because my parents love rain and rainy days. Luckily I love those things too and I have always loved having a unique middle name. I especially loved it in pre-school and elementary school when all the girls would talk about what their middle names were and I had one that no one else had.

Jen: What is your most memorable moment from high school?

Sophie: I would have to say my most memorable moment in high school was when our marching band made it to state finals my freshman year. North High School’s marching band had never made it to finals before, even though the school has been around for  60+ years. We knew all season that making it would be really difficult, but that was our goal and we worked so hard for it for so long. We were at Pike High School in Indianapolis for semi-state and all of us were standing by the football field waiting for our name to be called during awards. They started calling the names of the schools that were being sent to state finals and when were heard the words “Evansville North” over the speakers we all screamed and laughed and cried because all we worked for had finally paid off. I know me and all my band members will remember those few minutes for many years after high school.

Jen: What was your favorite class in school and why?


Sophie: My favorite class I ever took was We the People. I was very skeptical of signing up for it because I knew you had to speak a lot in front of people and it was another huge time commitment, but I am so glad I decided to do it. I learned so much and I was always excited to go to class (which is a pretty rare thing in school). But what made me sign up for it was not only my growing interest in politics but also because of my past interests in history classes. I really loved taking world history and AP European history. For a short while I even thought about becoming a history teacher because I loved the subject so much.

Jen: Think back to the awkward days of middle school, what advice would you give your middle school self?


Sophie: I would tell my middle school self that high school is a lot better than its portrayed to be. Yes, its a lot more work than middle school, but all the rumors about it being the worst years of your life are not true at all. You’ll make lots of friends, get to take classes your interested in, and you will get a lot more freedom and opportunities you didn’t get before. Look forward to the next four years and cherish them while you can.

Jen: When was a time you felt proud?


Sophie: Probably my proudest moment of high school was when I participated in We the People competition my senior year. We the People was a class of about 30 students who were committed to learning in-depth about the workings and foundations of our government and then competing with our knowledge on the regional and state levels. The state competition lasted two days in Indianapolis and each group in the class had to read two group-written essays and respond to follow up questions with background knowledge studied over the course of the last few months. At school I’m generally pretty quiet, but I definitely showcased lots of things I learned in the follow up question sessions. I prepared for months and memorized countless parts of the constitution, quotes, and supreme court cases. I know I shocked a lot of my classmates and lots of them congratulated me on my performance. Those moments and that class really inspired me and have even influenced what I might do during college and my future career.

Jen: What are your goals/dreams/plans for after High School Graduation?


Sophie: In the fall I plan on attending Indiana University in Bloomington. I have been directly admitted to The Media School where I plan to pursue a degree in journalism. There are a couple different tracks you can take with the journalism program and I plan to go on the news writing/editing/reporting one. Along with that I would also love to do something with political science. A minor in it would be great, but I’ve read that lots of students at IU recommend doing a double-major, so I am definitely interested in that. But bedsides academics I would really love to get involved in different clubs on campus. Lately I’ve even been looking into the Marching Hundred so I could continue being involved with music.

Thank you so much Sophie for choosing me to photograph your senior portraits and allowing me the opportunity to get to know more about you. I know we are living through uncertain times but with your passion and worth ethic I know you will continue to do big things in this world. Always remember to stay true to yourself. You are capable of big things!

Sincerely, Jen

WELCOME

I’m Jennifer Thompson, but you can call me Jen. (Chances are if you call me Jennifer, I’ll think I’m in trouble.) First and foremost, I’m a wife to Zach and a mother to five. A professional family photographer based out of Sullivan, IN, specializing in love and connection — families, couples, newborns, & senior portraits. If I’m not shooting or editing, you’ll find me rooting for my kids (I’m their #1 fan and their biggest supporter), volunteering in my community, or planning my next adventure.