We were proud to recently unveil the 2018 Tallo Top 100 students.
Hailing from all across the nation, the students of the Top 100 represent a wide variety of talent, skills, and backgrounds. We wanted to get to know these students better and showcase the personalities behind the Tallo platform!
Sophia Reck is our first student in the spotlight. From marine biology to choral performance to the culinary arts, it’s safe to say that Sophia has quite a range of hobbies! She is highly involved in her Pennsylvania community and has her eyes set on The Big Apple for college next fall. What a fantastic student to kick off our 2018 Top 100 spotlights!
Read more about Sophia below in her own words.
Sophia Reck
Senior
Wyomissing Area High School
Wyomissing, PA
For fun, I like to…learn about new cultures and then cook or bake their cuisine. I have a passion for both anthropology and cooking, so I like to combine them in my spare time. One of my favorite recipes was nian gao, also known as Chinese New Year cake.
Something you wouldn’t know about me is…that I traveled to New Brunswick the summer after my sophomore year to study marine biology— specifically whales and other marine mammals. Although I don’t want to pursue biology as my career, I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean and its myriad of creatures.
If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, I would want to meet…Grace Hopper, widely regarded as one of the first computer scientists. Being a woman in STEM is difficult in 2018, so I can hardly imagine the courage and grit it took to be successful in the ‘50s and ‘60s!
The best teacher I’ve ever had is…my computer science teacher, Mr. Minich. I entered his classroom as both the only freshman and only girl in his Java programming course. Without his help and encouragement, I would never have been able to accomplish all I have throughout my high school career.
The last app I downloaded on my phone was…the NYC Subway app. I will be spending my college years in the big apple (foreshadowing 101), so, I wanted to get acquainted with the metro system so I’m ready to go in the fall.
After high school, my next step is…to attend New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering for Computer Science. As I alluded to in the previous answer, New York City is going to be my new home for at least the next four years. Go Violet!
In ten years, I see myself...as a project manager for a technology company in New York or another large northeastern city. My dream employer is Google, but I’m sure that’s true for lots of people! If someone from Google reads this, I’d love to meet up since I’ll be very close to your New York headquarters soon!
My greatest dream is…be able to inspire other girls to pursue their interest in STEM. I realize that not many people had access to the wonderful opportunities I did during high school, so working towards availability of technology for all is still imperative. Hopefully, by the time I’m finished, being a woman in STEM will just be the norm!
The thing I like about Tallo most is…being able to connect and interface with plenty of colleges, companies, and other engaged high schoolers. It’s an amazing resource that I’d recommend to any ambitious and driven student.
We hope for the best for you Sophia, and we’re proud to have you be a Tallo user and part of the 2018 Tallo Top 100!
