Welcome back to our Student Spotlight feature! This week, we connected with Sofia Alexandra Villar Saucedo (she/her) to speak with her about the defining moments of her senior year, how her IB classes fed into her interests, and her five year goals.

 

Now that your senior year has ended, was there any moment or event that made a defining impact or lasting impression this past year?

Being in a class of 48 students, it was interesting to see the different friend dynamics within the group and how we all interacted. Yes, we had our differences, and we had butted heads in the past, but there are also many memorable moments such as Senior Lock-in, Bonfire, and Talent Show that brought us together as a grade. The moral of the story is that people grow at different rates and in different ways. I had learned not to judge a book by its cover through personal experiences of avoiding people I didn’t feel comfortable with during junior year who turned out to be extremely kind and funny by the end of senior year, it’s those types of connections and memories that I will hold on to after leaving AISG.

 

How did the IB curriculum affect your perspective towards education?

The IB curriculum allowed me to open my horizons to different ways of viewing the world. At 14, I began to develop an interest in filmmaking. I was able to choose courses and extracurricular activities that could allow me to create the knowledge of film and my creativity, such as my online Film Studies class. I decided to pursue the full IB diploma, taking courses such as Theory Of Knowledge and writing the Extended Essay on film. Not only did it help me try to understand the intentions behind how things are done but the depth of them. The possibility of choosing my courses allowed me to be more engaged in my classes that otherwise, I would have never had encountered.

 

Regarding the outbreak of COVID-19, what was the biggest challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it?

Due to COVID-19, I felt that this year’s seniors were extremely rushed since we had presentations, essays, and college applications all due at a similar time when some should have been done by the end of 11th grade. With saying that, the first semester of my senior year is when I noticed that I began to struggle. My time management skills were not at their prime, often due to procrastinating on assignments and pushing deadlines further and further away. It would be a day before the deadline, and I would be working on it all day and still not have it done. I sought out the support of my school’s IB Coordinator, Ms.Martin-Bauer, who also was my math teacher. She helped and encouraged me to talk to my teachers and figure out how I should complete my missing assignments. Without her support, I would have felt severely lost and most likely had not succeeded my courses.

 

Where will you be going to college, and what are you looking forward to the most?

I accepted Ryerson University’s offer for their RTA: Media Production Program. I am looking forward to a new environment since I have been attending AISG for ten years. I am excited to be surrounded by people with a similar passion and exploring a new city and country since I have never been to Canada before.

 

What at AISG has prepared you for your adult future?

AISG has helped me realize my current weaknesses and strengths not only in academics but also in interacting with others and being confronted with social challenges. During my time at AISG, I have realized the massive importance of mental health and how significant it is to find a healthy balance between academics, family and friends, and alone time. Mental health should always be taken seriously and never invalidated. I have also learned the importance of my physical well-being. I often took advantage of the school’s weight room facility during my free blocks and after school to destress and focus on myself, which I will continue in my future. Being at AISG I have met teachers and friends that I will hopefully stay connected with after high school and even university.

 

What does being part of the RamNation mean to you?

Being part of RamNation is having the distant phrase “Once A Ram, Always A Ram!” in the back of my head. It means being part of a larger international community where individuals meet as strangers and leave as friends.

 

What accomplishments do you dream to achieve in the next five years, and how will your education at AISG help you achieve these?

It’s difficult to say where I will be in 5 years as I am not sure what I will be doing in a week. My life is filled with uncertainty. Although my path isn’t apparent for the next five years, I do have a couple of goals I would like to achieve. I begin with directing or working on a short film and submit it to a film festival. I would also like to have a part-time job or internship at a film company to broaden my professional knowledge and skills; to get first-hand experiences. Additionally, I aspire to seek discomfort, by placing myself in safe situations that I am unfamiliar with, and intend to learn from them, and grow.

 

Extracurriculars, awards, and athletic achievements while at AISG:

• Media Crew - 4 Years
• Volleyball - 4 Years
• Soccer - 3 Years
• GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) - 1 Year
• Connect 4 Cancer - 1 year

Thank you to Sofia for speaking to us and we wish her the best of luck on continuing her studies in Canada! Once a Ram, Always a Ram!