Our local high school runs on the semester system, much like college or university. This means that if you are motivated and a good student, you have the potential to collect enough credits to graduate early as a senior. This past spring, Sophie decided that she was DONE with her high school experience and wanted to graduate midway through her senior year. That put her being done with high school in December 2021. She enrolled herself in summer school to knock out two classes and cleared the way for a full load of classes fall semester and subsequent year end graduation. Sam and I were cautiously optimistic that she could do it…but it definitely seemed like a big undertaking.

And she DID IT. She did it in spite of a really challenging year, something I have yet to write about in this public space. Maybe someday I will…or maybe not :). She never wavered in her commitment to be done with high school, stayed focused and determined, got good grades and finished strong. She applied early to Utah State University and was accepted this past October, months before her friends would even hear back from the schools they have applied for. She will begin college at Utah State in August 2022. To say she is currently excited about what lies ahead is a massive understatement. Here are a few photos I snapped of her at the courthouse in Auburn the day she found out she was accepted:

When it came time to plan her senior photos, Sophie had a very clear idea about how she wanted to look and what she wanted to convey. We again hired photographer Ethan Dodge (who shot Simon’s photos last year) and on a Sunday afternoon in early November (while Sophie was coming down with strep throat, by the way…) shot these beautiful photos. They capture Sophie as she truly is and I will always look at them with gratitude for the path she has forged and the woman she is becoming. As a side note, everything she is wearing in these photos from the clothes to the shoes she bought herself; she had a vision for how she wanted to look and curated this whole shoot. Here are some of my favorite photos:

Her future is limitless and I cannot wait to see how her story is written. Love you Sophie :).