#12DaysOfKindness Student Spotlight, Day 10: Sophie O.

To ring in the holiday season, RaiseMe is celebrating #12DaysOfKindness. Each day, we’ll feature a new high school student doing outstanding work to serve their communities. Today’s spotlight is on Sophie O., a high school junior from Tulsa, OK, who helped empower the voices of incarcerated women by sharing their poetry.

Here’s what Sophie shared about her community service experience:

What is your act of service? 

I compiled an anthology of poetry written by incarcerated women through Poetic Justice.

Can you share your favorite memory from this act of service? 

When I began working with Poetic Justice, I transcribed a poem by an inmate about being a grandmother right after completing one about being an addict. That contrast was really intriguing to me, and I continue to be fascinated by the women’s stories.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from your service experience?

I have learned the value and the power of giving a voice to the voiceless. Because of this, I am currently working to create my own organization that will teach Speech and Debate skills to incarcerated women.

Spread kindness with micro-scholarships

Want to spread kindness to your peers and share the gift of micro-scholarships with your friends for their community service contributions? You can earn $100 in micro-scholarships yourself for every friend that joins RaiseMe. Just click on the green heart on the top right hand side of your RaiseMe Portfolio to spread kindness and earn micro-scholarships today.

Cecilia Xia

Cecilia is the Senior Manager for Content, Community, and Brand at RaiseMe. She leads all of RaiseMe’s communications efforts and got her career start working in higher education marketing. She loves to connect with different members of RaiseMe’s community of students, educators, and parents! In her spare time, Cecilia enjoys hiking, taking road trips, and spending time by the water.