During her time at Morgan, Sofie Passante was a tri-sport athlete, (volleyball, girl’s basketball, softball) girls basketball captain, and a second-team All Shoreline softball player. She was also an NHS and SNHS member, a lead in the 2023 production of Damn Yankees, and graduated 10th in her class. During the conclusion of her senior year, Sofie decided to attend Penn State University to pursue a career in education. Now that she is at Penn State, she enjoys the freedom of being on her own and creating her schedule. One of the biggest changes about moving to Penn State was moving to a school with over 55,500 more students than her high school. Sofie said, “Every day I walk to class and see new people.” Despite this, she adds that she enjoys being a part of such a diverse campus. The campus houses more than 11,000 international students, and during her time at Penn State, Sofie has gotten to know quite a few of them: “I met students from the UK last semester, and they would tell us about their experiences from over there, which was really cool to hear.”
Sofie said that even though she goes to such a large school, she attends the College of Education, which is actually the smallest major. This means that instead of attending classes of over 700 people, she usually attends classes of around 30 people. The largest class she attended thus far was around 200 people, but she said this isn’t as bad as it sounds, adding “You just have to pay attention more, and the professors aren’t going to force you to show up.” As one of the biggest colleges in the country, Penn State has a sizeable campus, spanning over 8,000 acres. The motivation to walk over 20 minutes in the pouring rain or cold, can be hard to find sometimes, especially with so many distractions. The campus features 12 academic colleges, 29 varsity sports, a huge Greek life presence with over 60 organizations, and more than 500 clubs.
Sofie said she combats the bustling environment she lives in by making sure she sets aside time to do her schoolwork. Sofie said, “I’m a very self-motivated person, and seeing good grades definitely helps.” She also adds that a big part of being motivated is surrounding herself with people who share similar values, especially regarding grades.
Sofie shared, ” It’s hard when you want to fit into a certain group, but staying true to yourself helps you find people you actually like.”
When preparing to move so far away, the task can seem daunting. Luckily, Sofie has a great support system at home to not only help her prepare but also send her anything she forgot. “I forgot a lot of clothes at home, and I had my mom send me them. I would also say scissors and nail clippers,” noting that these are items she did not think to pack when preparing for college.
Sofie adds that one of the hardest parts about preparing for her departure was what she had to leave behind: her best friends, teammates, and all her favorite places. But Sofie explained that the memories she made within them are with her every day. She had some advice for Morgan seniors who will soon leave for college: “You don’t know how long it will be until you’re going to see them again, so cherish the time you have, and take a lot of pictures.” She specifically notes how much she misses being close to the beach, as Penn State has a much more inland and rural environment.
If she could redo her high school experience, though, she wishes she went to high school in a time without COVID-19, but she is grateful for all the memories she made within the walls of Morgan, and the town of Clinton as a whole. Finally, Sofie has a message to the upperclassmen of Morgan, many of whom she formed great friendships with over the years:
“Just enjoy the moments that you have left, and don’t take it for granted. Don’t stress so much about going to college. You’ll find people to be friends with and be able to fit in, and don’t worry so much about the process.”
