The Hope’s in Academy is a program that HOPE’S IN runs in District 220 of Illinois! The program is for Freshmen in high school to learn about social advocacy and gain the skills and confidence to start and implement social impact projects! The Hope’s in Academy is one of our core initiatives in our mission to help develop the next generation of humanitarian leaders. This program is funded by a local foundation called the Barrington Area Community Foundation and is lead by our Executive Director Courtney McGovern and by Dr. Heath McFaul and Amy Winkelman of Barrington High School.

In an effort to share more about what the Hope’s in Academy is all about, we are going to showcase various students that are involved with the program throughout the year! Today, we would like you to meet Sophia! Please enjoy reading her insights.

1) Why did you want to join the Hope’s in Academy?

I was very excited to receive an invitation to join Hope’s In and be a part of this nonprofit because it inspired me to reciprocate the commitment of the Hope’s in Academy’s members into a passionate cause of mine. Transitioning into Freshman year of High School, I looked for a way to find my purpose and feed my desire of giving back to my community and even save lives. Hope’s In provided an amazing and welcoming door for that, and ever since I have come to appreciate communicating with my peers and sharing my ideas. I feel very grateful and privileged for this wonderful opportunity to learn about the leadership skills that will be imperative for my future endeavors.

2) What is one of the best things you’ve learned so far at the Hope’s in Academy?

Personally, I think I learned the most from communicating with my fellow friends and classmates. Everyone had very intuitive and creative ideas to share, and I have come to acknowledge that it is alright to agree to disagree. I had to stand up for my project before it disappeared, but for that to happen I also had to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. It was a great experience learning about everyone’s different perspectives and exercising my communication skills because I know that I will need these attributes for the rest of my time with Hope’s In as well as my life.

3) What are some big dreams you have to change the world?

Ever since I was young, I felt the obligation to serve my community and people through healthcare. However, as the years have passed, my vision has matured along with me. Our world is quite unified today making it smaller, therefore when a problem arises, it affects multiple communities at once. My ultimate goal in life is to go beyond just helping individual lives, but reaching out to communities at a time, to maintain and improve the quality of life.

Here at HOPE’S IN, we are so grateful to run this program because of the generosity of the Barrington Area Community Foundation.