Sen. Sophie Getahoun has a nice ring to it.
Don’t be surprised if the Inderkum High School senior owns that title someday, because it’s a distant dream of hers — and she has a history of achieving what she sets out to do.
The 17-year-old already has a resume that includes:
- Grade point average above 4.0 and a two-year member of the National Honor Society
- Participant in Inderkum’s International Baccalaureate certificate program
- Member and historian of the City of Sacramento Youth Commission, representing Councilwoman Angelique Ashby’s council district
- Leadership student at Inderkum and captain of the varsity cheerleading team
- Leader and co-founder of Neighborhoods 2 Nations (N2N), an independent nonprofit group that raised $2,000 for an Ethiopian school
- Active participant in the Black Child Legacy Campaign, which is committed to reducing the number of deaths involving African American children in Sacramento County
Asked to describe herself, Sophie smiled.
“Ambitious and a leader – and very empathetic,” she said.
At Inderkum, Sophie also has been active in the school’s broadcasting program — for example, she has helped create a video to help students fill out a college application used by hundreds of colleges, and she has done numerous podcasts promoting college and career readiness.
Sophie also is a sprinter on Inderkum’s varsity swim team, and she has been active in a campus group that mentors elementary school kids. In her spare time – and she admits there’s little of it – she enjoys watching Netflix or hanging out with friends.
After getting a taste of public service on the Sacramento Youth Commission, which makes recommendations to the City Council on youth-related issues, Sophie said she wants to pursue a career in government, helping others, and eventually become a senator.
“I want to make sure that I’m taking care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” she said.
More immediately, however, she plans to attend college – perhaps Harvard, USC or Georgetown — where she hopes to major in either political science or public policy. Sophie wants to obtain her law degree eventually and run for public office.
To get a step ahead in college readiness, Sophie has taken a geometry class at Sacramento State University and passed an AP World History exam through self-study.
Brianne Larson, Inderkum’s activities director and head cheer coach, described Sophie as amazing. “She’s a great student, her peers enjoy her, and she works hard for our community.”
Sophie said her education is vitally important. Her parents immigrated to America from Ethiopia, where poverty is common. “I feel that education is the only way to break poverty,” she said. “It’s the only way to break the cycle.”
“I feel that money can be taken away,” Sophie added. “Your house can be taken away. But your education is something that can never be taken away. It’s something you’ll always have – and it’s your strongest weapon.”
Her father has been an inspiration to her, Sophie said. He was badly injured in an accident a couple years ago, resulting in surgeries and disabilities, yet his outlook has never wavered – always strong, always positive, she said. “That’s kind of the person I want to be.”
Looking ahead, how does she define a successful life? “I’ll consider myself successful in life if I’m happy and I make the people around me happy, truly happy,” she said.
