Women Sharing Wisdom
“I felt empowered and motivated by the stories the woman told.”
Women of Wisdom are collaborators, bridge builders (metaphorically and physically), and mentors. They carry themselves with integrity, with poise, and with strength. Ultimately, they possess the Sophia Academy core values of Courage, Respect, Responsibility, and Peace.
This year at our fourth annual Career Symposium, we hosted 35 Women of Wisdom in an all-day multi-session event that was nothing short of magical. Every one of our students spent time with panelists that matched their interests. During this time our girls listened to the panelist tell their stories, answer questions, and conduct hand-on workshops.
“I felt really inspired so now I want to be a dentist.”
The most important part of the Career Symposium is that we are able to bring in people from the community, our own leaders and professionals, to let our students know that they too can be successful. This year, our Women of Wisdom did exactly what we knew they would; they inspired. Their presence allowed our girls to see themselves as individuals who are successful, who are capable, and who are worthy of celebration.
Every student felt connected to at least one panelist, whether they related due to similar interest in career, through culture, or through creativity the energy was evident. The careers were just as diverse as the women who accepted the call. We welcomed women with jobs ranging from Erin L. Batth, Providence College Women’s Basketball Coach, to Julissa Pereira, the founder of Moms on Missions, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering single parents. We hosted Sav Hazard-Chaney, an artist who founded and owns Rhode Island's first Black and Women-owned rug tufting studio, TuftPVD. We urge you to continue exploring the list of Women of Wisdom who came to Sophia Academy by visiting our Career Symposium page. Here.
“motivated and inspired… you don't need a great beginning to have a great end.”
To our panelists: Thank you will never be enough, but it’s a start. Thank you from the entire Sophia Academy community. You’ve solidified our (and the students) deep love and respect for each and everyone of you.
Special shout out to Erika Nonya for making the tote bags for panelists and the t-shirts for staff. Another shout out to Seven Stars Bakery for the in-kind donation of breakfast pastries and also Meg over at Roger Williams Park Zoo for all their donations to make this event possible. And lastly, thank you to the Career Symposium team, Angie Duran, Miche Fontes, Cece Myers-Rafferty, Viclmari, and Linsey Lopez. It gets better every year and this year you all put in so much work to make sure it happened. We appreciate you!
Upcoming: Fall 2024 Career Symposium
Upcoming Event
October 22, 2024
Sophia Academy is excited to announce our fourth annual Women of Wisdom Career Symposium! We look forward to welcoming an incredible group of panelists to share their own unique stories, careers, and words of wisdom with our students and alumnae.
To read more about the upcoming Career Symposium and find out more about our panelists, visit our Career Symposium page by clicking the button above.
Spring Career Symposium 2024
Remi Jones and Aleksandra Azbel in attendance
At Sophia Academy’s third annual Career Symposium, our students and alumni spent a full-day with an extraordinarily diverse group of women who visited our school. Veterinarians, architects, small business owners, engineers, medical professionals, realtors, journalists, government professionals, and others– women of color–shared their inspiring stories that reflected their own wisdom and exemplified how Sophia students and alumnae can create their own herstory.
The morning began with two panel sessions. With a fun and interactive twist, everyone used small whiteboards to write their answers to questions throughout both sessions. In session one, students remained with their classmates and assigned alumnae. Panelists joined students to form one big circle, creating a warm and open environment where everyone could feel safe, seen, and heard. In session two, students and alumnae divided into smaller circles for an in-depth career discussion based on the students’ interests.
Both sessions began with an introductory ice breaker activity, followed by panelists' introductions, an interactive game, and a student-led Q&A. Some of the student’s prepared questions included: Is your current job or career what you expected to be doing when you were in middle school? Are there things about your background, your race, or your gender that cause people to assume things about you? Do you have any advice for how we can start preparing for our futures now?
In the afternoon, five panelists hosted five different workshops for students and alumnae where they engaged in hands-on, career related tasks. The workshop were How To Make Money With Ugly Homes with Claudia Ramirez, Ready, Set, Action! with Diana Murton, Public Speaking with Shawndell Burney-Speaks, Exploring Your Identity with Sara Monteiro, and Forces of Fight with Kerri Kottman.
In their post-event reflection prompt activity of head- What did you learn today?, heart- What and how do you feel today?, and feet- What lesson did you learn that you will use in the future?, students and alumni wrote on sticky notes:
Head
Heart
Feet
2024 Panelists
Comfort Ateh
Aleksandra Azbel
Naiommy Baret
Asia Bourget
Shawndell Burney-Speaks
Genifer Bustamante
Rachel Gomes
Fallon Jean-Gilles Davis
Bailey Jenkins
Remi Jones
Kerri Kottman
Ashely Lakin
Melissa A. Long
Cathy Lund
Rebecca McGrath
Sara Monteiro
Diana Murton
Nicolette Naya
Jerika Paz
Claudia Ramirez
Courtney Rebensdorf
Anaridis Rodriguez
Christine West
Farewell, Dear Sophia
Sophia Academy 2023 graduation was, as always, a joyous, monumental milestone for our eighth grade class. I was spellbound listening to the unique appreciations expressed by the faculty and staff to each member of the class—they revealed and reinforced the strong bonds among students and teachers, and the special character and personality of each graduate. These are resilient and determined young women, and they have taught us as much as we have taught them.
Each Sophia student’s or graduate’s journey is more than just her own story. It’s one chapter in a collective narrative that binds the Sophia Academy community together. As eighth grader Evelyn Tillman said in her introduction of YSANEL Torres, a 2011 graduate and one or our 2023 Women of Wisdom, “The Sophia sisterhood is a bond that cannot be broken.”
We are a small and mighty community of students, families, faculty and staff, graduates, board members, mentors, volunteers, and donors. We’ve done a tremendous amount of work over the past five years—navigating through the pandemic, building our financial sustainability, and strengthening our social justice foundation. Each and every person’s commitment to the Sophia mission reverberates through our story: Sophia Academy is a place where one can make a profound difference. And for that reason, I believe Sophia Academy will continue to thrive and to draw forth the wisdom of many generations of girls as they forge a pathway to their dreams.
As I conclude my final reflection as your Head of School, I want to express my deep gratitude and admiration. Serving with you for these five years has been the highlight of my career and a highlight of my life. Thank you, and farewell!
-Maura Farrell, Head of School 2018-2023
Linking Students with Music
Congratulations to Sophia Academy sixth grader Inallys Salcedo. Her original composition was chosen by Principal Horn of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Kevin Owen, for his new arrangement of Vivaldi’s La Follia, commissioned by the Philharmonic as part of the Music School’s partnership with Link-Up, a nationwide program in which local orchestras develop a concert that students learn on recorder and voice throughout the school year. At the end of the year, students attend the concert and play along with the orchestra live from their seats. Inallys's composition was one of eight individual student pieces chosen for inclusion in the concert.
First Place at MindBlast XR Hackathon!
Screenshot from Sophia Academy's 2023 Hackathon entry
Sophia Academy’s team took first place at the MindBlast XR 2023 Hackathon sponsored by Winners Circle, a non-profit whose mission is to empower students in marginalized communities through access to cutting-edge technology and rigorous educational programs. Sophia fielded the only all-girl team in the competition and dedicated their April break to preparing for 2-3 hours a day. With the guidance of former trustee and Sophia dad Kobi Dennis, they researched a pressing social justice issue—poverty, food insecurity, and poor nutrition. They then collaborated with industry professional mentor Anthony Favorito to design a Virtual Reality project addressing this issue.
Juan Rodriguez, Winners Circle’s Executive Director, wrote: “We would like to extend our gratitude for giving us the opportunity to work with the exceptional students at Sophia Academy. Their passion, creativity, and commitment to making a difference in the world truly inspire us.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2023!
On June 8th, we joyfully celebrated the class of 2023. Throughout their time at Sophia, these resilient young women have met challenges with grace and wisdom, and embraced opportunities with vigor. We are so proud of our new graduates!
The class of 2023 is off to great college preparatory and career tech high schools including Classical High School, Charette, Cranston High School East, Cranston High School West, Cumberland High School, The Lincoln School, St. Andrews School, and The Met. The Class of 2023 was offered nearly $200,000 in high school scholarship support.
The last week of school was filled with fun, love, and leadership at our traditional events: the eighth grade family potluck where the graduating class paid tribute to one another with heartwarming speeches that revealed and reinforced their sisterhood. Graduation rehearsal was followed by a relaxing trip to Oakland Beach. At their closing ritual, they paid tribute to each member of the faculty and staff, and listened to fond messages of farewell from the 5th, 6th, and 7th graders.
As our graduates move to high school, and our 5th, 6th, and 7th graders move up to make room for the incoming 5th grade class in the fall, we express our gratitude to our essential donors, dedicated families, generous volunteers, and talented faculty and staff, and community partners who walk alongside our students and keep Sophia Academy’s mission strong.
¡Buena suerte a la Clase de 2023!
The Civil Rights Trip Returns to Sophia
At the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, eighth graders took part in a re-creation of a 1960s sit-in. They sat at lunch counters, hands flat on the countertop, eyes closed as the stools shook and headphones played recorded threats. Later, many eighth graders highlighted the sit-in as an eye-opening experience. For a few minutes, they were able to experience history as it happened.
The Civil Rights trip is the culminating event of four years at Sophia Academy. In this four-day trip, eighth graders tour the Deep South and meet with activists to learn about this defining moment in U.S. history. This year, the eighth grade was accompanied by Mrs. Moniz, Ms. DePalo, and Ms. Ana Ceballos. Throughout their four days in Georgia and Alabama, eighth graders toured such Civil Rights touchstones as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s childhood home and the Tuskegee Airmen Museum. They crossed the Edmund Pettus bridge together. They learned about the ongoing struggle for human rights at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
When they returned, the eighth grade class made presentations to share what they learned. For many, the Civil Rights Trip was a look through a window into a lived reality: “My favorite part was getting the opportunity to talk to Mr. Charles,” said Kiara Remigio-Kingsley, referring to the guide who joined the Class of 2023. “I learned a lot more about history…the Internet tells you a lot, but you need someone with experience to explain what really happened.”Mrs. Moniz echoed Kiara’s observation: “Especially with history…it’s hard for students to understand its impact, and so the trip allows for students to walk and live it to some extent, so that they’re able to connect with it and really visualize the history we’re talking about.”
The Civil Rights Movement was a seminal moment that reverberated through the country. As years go by, fewer of the courageous activists of the time will be here to share their stories. It’s more important than ever for young people to experience this trip and learn firsthand what the movement was about, the sacrifices that were made, and the impact of the movement on their own lives.
Arts Intensive Week at Sophia
During the week before our spring break, regular classes were suspended as we reintroduced Arts Intensive week. Five artists—Filipa Estrela, Brandon Contreras, Oliver Arias, Ysanel Torres (our Woman of Wisdom and Sophia alum!), and Damont Combs—spent the week with us. Each student participated in one workshop for a deep and intensive experience with a genre: Public Art, Spoken Word, Dance, Zines & Cartooning, and Film/Video. A culminating showcase was a jubilant celebration of our students’ passion and creative expression. Thanks go to our art teacher, Lynne DeBeer, for ensuring all of the artists were people of color from the surrounding community. They were fantastic and joyful teachers who truly inspired the girls.
