Blazing trails and leaning into new experiences, senior Sophia Sylvester is making the most of her senior year at CHS. In a recent interview, Sylvester reminisces on her high school journey and how each extracurricular has helped shape her growth and view of the future. “Each activity has taught me something different about myself and what I want to do next,” she said.
As an English captain for Academic Super Bowl, Slyvester understands that hard work and perseverance will pay off. For three years, Sophia Sylvester has contributed to the success of the CHS Academic Super Bowl team. The Academic Super Bowl team has a record of excellence when competing in local and state level competitions; under Sylvester’s leadership, the 2025-2026 season continued with that legacy. Leaning into weekly practices and personal connections, the team has really highlighted their capabilities. “We are really working together as a team, and being able to talk and open-up with each other,” Sylvester shared. Throughout this season, there were actually two teams in the English category, which Sylvester highlights as something all Trojans should be enormously proud of. A milestone of this year for the team was custom T-shirts that everyone was able to earn and enjoy.
In addition to Academic Super Bowl, senior Sophia Sylvester displays the breadth and depth of her talents through other extracurricular activities such as Work Ethic and National Honor Society. Participating in Work Ethic throughout her high school career, Sylvester has developed skills and experiences that have helped her to understand the power of a strong and effective resume. By participating in Work Ethic, Sylvester hopes to also earn the Governor’s certificate this year. “I pursued Work Ethic just to kind of help me learn and build up my resume,” she said. Actively participating in Honor Society has been a highlight for Sylvester between her junior and senior years. By earning volunteer hours, she will be graduating with the National Honor Society tassel. Through the National Honor Society, Sylvester has learned about the power of great leadership as she develops her own leadership style.
Thinking about leaning into what she loves, Sylvester has also participated in WSDSO-FM and has published articles in the Sandscript as a valued member of the newspaper staff. Engaging in WDSO-FM activities has been a validating experience for Sylvester. The station serves a ninety-square mile area broadcasting throughout the Duneland Community. In support of WDSO-FM, she serves as a trainer and has taken on many activities throughout her senior year. “It’s helped me become more confident speaking and working with others,” she said. By taking on additional responsibilities and branching out, Sylvester hopes to continue to prepare for her college major. In the same vein, Sylvester has served as an integral part of the CHS newspaper staff, publishing over twenty articles in the Sandscript. Sylvester credits her newspaper staff experience in refining and amplifying her writing and communication skills.
As senior year at Chesterton High School comes to a close, Sophia Sylvester leaves an impression on those that have had the privilege to know her. Over the last four years, Sylvester has explored her passions of reading, writing and listening to music by aligning those passions with robust extracurricular experiences. In each experience, she has grown and developed future-focused skills that will carry her through as she heads to college in the fall. Through the trails that Sylvester has blazed at CHS, she will most certainly continue that energy in future endeavors. This student spotlight proudly focused on senior Sophia Sylvester.
