While many children rush down the stairs on Christmas morning, eager to open presents beneath the tree, there are others who don’t have the luxury of gifts or a family to celebrate with. Rather than spending the holidays at home, 10-year-old Sophia Anton (12) and her parents purchased hundreds of toys for a local orphanage, where they spent the entire day playing games with the children. This experience, which began as a simple act of kindness, sparked Sophia’s lifelong passion for community service.

As an adopted child, Sophia had a personal connection to children in orphanages. She gained a strong sense of appreciation for volunteers.

“The most rewarding thing is knowing that if I was that person, I would be so grateful and thankful because I was that person at a time,” Sophia said. “Being that volunteer for other people has really changed my perspective in life.”

From a young age, Sophia faced hardship. She grew up with a single mother who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away when Sophia was 10 years old.

“Watching people help my mom and watching my mom help people in turn really gave me this passion to help other people,” Sophia said. “Because I saw what my mom went through, I made it my goal in life to do that for other people.”

After her mom passed away, Sophia was adopted by her uncle, Joe Anton. He introduced her to important family values that shaped Sophia’s character from an early age.

“As a parent, I have tried to instill in Sophia the importance of empathy and compassion,” Joe said. “We have had many discussions about the value of giving to those in need and her community. I think the most important [are] the examples her mother showed her.”

Sophia currently serves as president of the National Honor Society and collaborates closely with her fellow NHS officers to find new volunteer opportunities for members.

“[Sophia’s] enthusiasm about service and volunteering always stands out,” NHS Vice President Jacob Kaufman (12) said. “She is very involved and willing to try something new when related to [community] service.”

Additionally, Sophia serves as vice president of the Young Scholars Tutoring Program. She helps coordinate tutors, track volunteer hours and supervise tutoring sessions.

“I really love tutoring,” Sophia said. “The really nice thing about the tutoring program is that [students] can have help in anything. It doesn’t even have to be a class.”

As an active volunteer, Sophia has learned to balance her time wisely with school work and adapt to any challenges that may arise.

“I’ve gained a whole lot of patience,” Sophia said. “I’ve gained even more understanding for others, just adapting and throwing yourself into a situation where you [have to] figure it out as you go along.”