Sophia Dupeyron, a pillar of Cape Coral High Schools’ academic atmosphere, is departing to bigger things. Dupeyron is on her way to Columbia University, one of the most prestigious schools in the country, due to her hard work in the classroom and her multitude of extracurriculars.

Columbia University is located in New York, leading to some early uneasiness in her decision to make the big move. 

“At first, I was a little bit intimidated by the location, because it’s New York City, but I think over time, I realized that it’s actually a really big hot spot for opportunities,” said Dupeyron. “I think the thing about New York City is that I’m scared, but I’m also very excited for it. I think it’s going to be really great. I’m really looking forward to meeting a lot of new people, both at the university and just people I meet.”

Dupeyron received a full ride scholarship through a program called QuestBridge, which essentially matches a student to a college and helps them with financial aid. Dupeyron’s older sister, who used the same program six years before and now goes to Emory University, heavily influenced Dupeyron’s decision when it came to using QuestBridge.

It paid off because Dupeyron, after all of her exceptionally hard work throughout four years of high school, matched with and got a full ride to Columbia University.

“When I opened the [acceptance] letter, I was in the car, because I was stressing about it the whole day. I feel like I sometimes don’t get as emotional with other people and my accomplishments, because sometimes I get imposter syndrome. But I felt like that moment, I was just so happy and so shocked, in a way, that I got super emotional,” said Dupeyron.

Dupeyron considered many different colleges before landing on Columbia, but ultimately chose it because of its strong core curriculum and the prestige that its name carries.

Dupeyron is not only interested in Columbia due to its stature, it also holds an importance to her and her future career. Dupeyron is interested in a profession concerning the field of law, being a part of Cape High’s Mock Trial club helped her realize her passion towards law.

“I always liked the news and politics, in a sense, and I think that’s kind of what led me to law, unintentionally. Then what kind of made me confirm that I did want to go into the legal field, was when I joined Mock Trial my freshman year of high school,” said Dupeyron. 

Including Mock Trial, Dupeyron holds various titles in a multitude of different clubs around the school such as Key Club and IB Ambassadors. 

The Seahawk’s Eye was a large part of her high school experience, it contributed to special moments and memories with staff that she will cherish forever. Joining Journalism One as a freshman, Dupeyron quickly rose from staff writer to being thrown in at news editor, boosting her management skills as well as her responsibilities.

“They’ve all[her clubs] really helped me become the person I am today. One of the biggest things that most of my clubs have taught me is leadership and how to manage things specifically. You need to be able to learn so you can teach new members and explain to them how clubs are run, things like that,” said Dupeyron.

Friends, family, and peers alike all consider Dupeyron to be an immensely caring person. One of the main reasons she aspires to become a lawyer is so she can help those in need through methods such as working pro bono cases. 

In multiple aspects of her life as she grows older, Dupeyron has seen firsthand the trouble that immigration laws have caused for those near to her. Once she has obtained her law degree, she is hoping to possibly become a defense attorney, centered in on immigration law. 

“I translate for my parents a lot, like, from Spanish to English. I’ve seen oftentimes people either don’t treat them correctly, or are just very judgmental when they realize that they don’t speak English. I feel like throughout high school, I’ve really learned more about these issues, and not just these issues, but ones in general that have made me more passionate to study law later on,” said Dupeyron.

While striving to accomplish feats both in her school and her community, Dupeyron has inevitably encountered a few obstacles along the way. About a year ago, she began to experience serious medical issues that had the potential to affect her ongoing academic success.

“Starting my junior year, I started noticing some changes in my vision, and I went to the eye doctor, and they referred me to a specialist, and then basically, I had an issue with my eye, where it was basically, bleeding and throughout, a process of a few months, I had to get like three injections in my eye, and during that time, I couldn’t see clear through one of my eyes,” said Dupeyron. 

Dupeyron and her best friend, senior Dakota Downey, met in kindergarten while in the same class. 

“Sophia and I are very similar. Maybe it’s from growing up together, but we even act the same sometimes. We are both introverted people who can get very passionate about things we care about,” said Downey.

Even though they are going to be apart, they are both confident that they will remain close friends. 

“In our years of friendship, Sophia has taught me that it’s important to let people in and tell them things that matter to you. That’s how you build strong relationships and grow as individuals,” said Downey. “I do think [going to different colleges] is going to change our relationship, but I don’t think it will harm us. We’ll have to adapt, but distance makes the heart grow fonder, so I’m not too worried, but I do miss her already.” 

Another close friend of Dupeyron’s is senior Sabrina Dong, whom she’s known since their freshman year, having met in their Digital Information Technology class.

“I would describe Sophia as the person who is never afraid to ask questions in class or include anyone in a group project. Sophia is the type of friend who turns everyday moments into memories that one will never forget,” said Dong.

Though they’ve only known each other for four years, they have created a strong bond and hope to remain close even after the separation of college. 

“We have many similar interests, however our differences also keep us close too. We also have many of the same extracurriculars and classes which help us stay together inside and outside of school,” said Dong. “Although we have our differences, Sophia and I are both hardworking but also know how to have a good time when it counts. We’re always up for trying new things and have a ton of shared interests like law, politics, books, and more.”

Though she is scared, Dupeyron is elated to start this new chapter of her life and cannot wait for all of the opportunities that are waiting for her in her future. Dupeyron has accomplished so much in the time that she’s been at Cape High, and is sure that she will achieve even more at Columbia University.

“I am really grateful for my parents and my family who gave me the opportunity to be here, to study, to get to where I am with Columbia,” said Dupeyron, “Also, for my teachers and my friends who supported me because it’s really difficult sometimes, and being able to talk to people in the IB program who are in the same situation is always really helpful.”