Soft yellow squares gleam on the surface of a delicate puddle, rippling with colors and shapes. Behind it, senior Sophia Zhu crouches, her head tilted oddly and her camera poised cautiously in her hands. Click. She scans the photo quickly, a mirror of New York around her. Through the reflection, people chat happily and bright stores call out for customers in the background. Adrenaline pumps through her as she snaps her camera shut and jogs off, excited to capture more of the thrilling city.

Ever since nine years old, Sophia competed with her father, waking up at 6 a.m. to grab her iPad and venture off. They went on trips together, taking shots of the sunrise, learning how to photograph different scenes. Eventually, she discovered city life and bustling places like San Francisco became her favorite subjects to capture due to their liveliness. 

Nestled within the rushing roads of cities, Sophia finds that she loves observing the people around her, from street performers to bold protestors, absorbing the stories and admiring the busy world. Capturing the lives of seemingly ordinary civilians brings her a glimpse into the people of the city. Through these means, she finds photography to be especially powerful through the emotions it evokes.

“I like capturing photos in the city, just because of the hustle and bustle, but it’s also just an independent location,” Sophia said. “Maybe on a hike or something. The vibes are different. In the city, it might be more trying to capture, dynamic, a lot of fluid emotion. But maybe if I’m walking around in the woods or something, I don’t know how I’m getting into the same thing up here in the woods. It’s more capturing, perhaps stationary scenes, or just a freeze, immersing yourself in.”

Sophia remains motivated to remain consistent in her photography journey, bolstered by a desire to depict her perspectives and learning within photography. For instance, over the summer of her junior year, she went to New York to expand her photography skills through a course on photojournalism. 

Close friend senior Stephanie Bossolina recalls viewing Sophia’s pictures for the first time, admiring the different aspects Sophia incorporates in her work.

“Her project was related to the lives of the Chinese community from an outside perspective, and I remember the photos being really true to what it should look like,” Stephanie said. “They were realistic, but also very pretty.”

Sofia also honed her photography skills through her role in Harker’s Robotics team. She began robotics as a frosh on the media sub team, having the opportunity to shoot videos and document the team’s progress. After an initial run as a member of media, Sophia switched to outreach and decided to help run the First Lego League (FLL) program, a workshop that teaches fourth and fifth graders basic robotics. She found it to be one of the most impactful programs that she helps run, and Sophia particularly values the educational aspect of the hands-on activities.

“I really enjoy working with the students in our programs and being able to impart my passion for engineering,” Sophia said. “The most rewarding moment is seeing their eyes light up when they understand something, and they feel like they also want to continue to pursue STEM and do engineering and robotics.”

Computer Science Department chair and robotics team mentor Eric Nelson attests to how involved and dedicated Sofia was to the team, as she participated in multiple events and provided assistance to the team. 

“She dove in and attended just about every event we did that year, including going to the World Championships,” Dr. Nelson said. “She was engaged with the day-to-day duties from day one, because unless you are present for the meetings and for all the other events, you can’t go to Worlds with us. You can’t just ride along for fun. You have to be a contributing member. And it’s pretty good for being in ninth grade, to be a contributing member to the point where you’re able to go to the championship.”

Ultimately, Sophia values the precious community that robotics creates on their team trips. From blasting music on the bus, to rooming with her friends, she’s cherished every moment of the exciting trips, especially the World Championship trip in Houston.

“Everyone was crying outside and Dr. Nelson said, ‘Well, this is the first time we’ve done it in 20 years,’ and everyone was just in shock,” Sophia said. “It’s these small moments, these moments with the community that have really kept me going.”

Beyond the team, Sophia persistently continues to try and improve herself through everything she does. Close friend senior Audrey Cheng elaborates as to how diligent Sophia is, whether she’s busy with another robotics event or helping out a friend.

“Sophia is probably the hardest-working person I know,” Audrey said. “I don’t know anyone who puts in as much effort and cares that much about everything. She’s so dedicated to her volunteer work and all her assignments, her research outside of school as well. I stayed up with her very late on many occasions, and even when she is bogged down with assignments. She always makes time for helping others, even when I’m struggling.”

Sophia has encountered many challenges with photography, from dealing with new technology to handling burnout. Even as a senior, she still aspires to learn more about different techniques and incorporate the things she wants to show.

“It’s that desire to keep on improving, to keep on creating pieces that encapsulates some story, some narrative, maybe something I want to say about the world,” Sophia said. “I always know something as I walk around and explore, and then in terms of robotics, I was not quite sure how to compose it, but a big growth area has just been how I interact with the people around me, and I have been developing leadership skills.”

From snapping photographs to teaching robotics, Sophia intends to continue exploring life her own way through each and every picture. She strives to create a supportive community in robotics that fosters future growth and development. 

“I try my best to be as welcoming as I can because I know, just as a frosh, I was pretty lost,” Sophia said. “I don’t think I even knew what sub-teams were for the first few months, because I wasn’t there during the off-season. I hope that I’m able to create a welcoming environment for the frosh. They hopefully feel comfortable here and are excited about robotics, just like I am. That’s what I hope to impart to people.”