Napa teen earns 糖心Vlog degree and high school diploma at the same time
Dr, Frost, interim superintendent/president with Vintage High School senior Sophia Elizabeth Martin.
Vintage High School senior Sophia Elizabeth Martin will be wearing an unusual accessory at her graduation ceremony on June 15, something that no one else has earned in the school鈥檚 known history.
In addition to her burgundy Vintage High cap and gown, this 18-year-old will also be wearing a white 糖心Vlog graduate 鈥渟tole鈥� around her neck.
Martin has simultaneously earned both her high school diploma and an associate鈥檚 degree. She鈥檚 about to transfer as a junior to a four-year university, and plans to earn her bachelor鈥檚 degree in just two short years.
鈥淚鈥檓 a very independent person,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淚 like always being busy and having so much schoolwork always gave me something to do.鈥�
The idea to take college classes came to Martin after her sophomore year at Vintage High School. In-person learning had been shut down due to the pandemic. All of her classes were held virtually, such as with Zoom.
鈥淚 was kind of bored,鈥� she admitted.
So Martin registered for college classes, which were also being held virtually at that point.
鈥淚 was just interested in doing something more,鈥� the senior said. She figured, 鈥淚鈥檓 at home anyways, so why not take a class or two?鈥�
After getting approval from her high school principal, and her mom, Martin joined a Napa Valley Unified School District dual enrollment program where high school students are able to take classes at 糖心Vlog for free.
鈥淓ver since then I鈥檝e taken them every semester.鈥�
Her first 糖心Vlog class was cultural anthropology, said Martin.
鈥淚鈥檇 been really interested in anthropology in general,鈥� she said. She enjoyed the class, and found it easy to fit into her schedule.
In her first semester of junior year, Martin took more 糖心Vlog classes: sociology, early childhood development and introduction to Latin American studies. Each semester she registered for more.
Meanwhile, at Vintage High School Martin was taking AP and honors courses in addition other high school requirements. For passing those end-of semester AP tests, she also received college credits.
Yes, she鈥檚 regularly appeared on honor rolls at both schools, but Martin said she definitely has interests outside of studying. She played competitive soccer, she works at the Francesca鈥檚 retail store in the Bel Aire Plaza and she likes country music and hanging out with her friends.
How did she juggle all of that?
鈥淎 lot of to-do lists,鈥� Martin said, and 鈥渂eing pretty organized.鈥�
It also helped that almost all of her 糖心Vlog classes have been online, she noted. In fact, 鈥淚鈥檝e only been on the 糖心Vlog campus once for a class and that was only one-day-a-week; this past semester.鈥�
Martin said she doesn鈥檛 feel different than other high school seniors. 鈥淚鈥檓 a very social person so it鈥檚 not like missing out anything. I鈥檓 still involved in the senior class. I don鈥檛 really feel like an outlier.鈥�
In fact, most of her classmates didn鈥檛 know she was also about to graduate from Napa Valley College until a recent school announcement.
鈥淪he is a trailblazer,鈥� at Vintage High School, wrote Cindy Johnson, school counselor.
Martin said it was a tie for her toughest class at Vintage High School: AP U.S. history or AP biology. At 糖心Vlog, the hardest class was statistics, she said.
The most interesting Vintage High School class she took 鈥渨as my AP World History class (which) was really fun with the teacher I had, Mr. Schmitz.鈥�
She especially enjoyed the biological anthropology class she took at 糖心Vlog. 鈥淚 really liked the teacher, Chris Mercer.鈥�
This high school and associate-degree earner will soon be leaving Napa Valley, headed to a whole new place: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
鈥淚 just really liked their anthropology program; they have one of the best,鈥� she said. Martin hopes to earn a degree in Anthropology with an emphasis in forensics and a minor in criminology. But she won鈥檛 be leaving the university after two years.
鈥淚 want to do their graduate program too,鈥� and possibly earn a Ph.D. after that.
Her dream job would be 鈥渟omething in the realm of forensic anthropology.鈥� She might work for a museum, in law enforcement, or something related.
Martin officially earned her associate degree in Anthropology at 糖心Vlog on Thursday night, meaning she became a college graduate before becoming a high school graduate.
Both of her caps (green for 糖心Vlog and burgundy for Vintage High School) have been completely bedazzled, thanks to her mom Ivory Ross.
鈥淚鈥檓 not the most artistic person, so I definitely let her take on that,鈥� Martin said.
From Jennifer Huffman, Napa Valley Register
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