Sophie Moreno is an accomplished Mt. SAC Early College Academy senior as she is one of the Students of the Month for November and December and is the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the yearbook program, The Howler.

She joined The Howler her freshman year as a staff member and has since climbed the ranks becoming one of the head editors of the program. She describes how it’s her, “second year as an EIC so… being able to lead younger people in yearbook has just been a really fun experience. It’s taught me a lot about leadership that I wouldn’t have [learned] otherwise in another elective.”

Sophia Alonzo, Moreno’s fellow EIC of The Howler, describes her work ethic and dedication to the program. “She enjoys the theme and works hard to make sure our vision is accurately represented and wants our book to be the best it can be,” Alonzo states.

Aside from yearbook, a few of her favorite classes she has taken at MECA are environmental science and ceramics.

She specifically enjoyed the aquaponics project she along with her team created in environmental science. However, she appreciates her current ceramics class because, “it just gives me an escape from senior year.”

Outside of MECA, Moreno enjoys improving her skills as a horseback rider. Despite falling off a horse and feeling discouraged to horseback ride again back in 2023, she got back on the horse and confronted her hesitation.

“Just being able to progress again and just being able to feel more comfortable being on a horse has been really amazing.” She continues to say, “it basically taught me to not give up especially if it’s something that I do love even if I was discouraged.”

Other than the confidence she gained when returning to horseback riding, she learned what career she wants to pursue in the future. Moreno is taking her passion for animals professionally as she is planning to become a veterinarian.

She mentions how she, “rekindled that love for helping animals and so I do want to go into veterinary medicine more specifically helping out horses.”

Moreno’s love for horseback riding stems from her adoration for animals. Along with her Spanish and Andalusian mixed horse she uses to ride, she has many pets, including a cockatiel, a cat, and a dog.

She credits her love for animals to her parents. She mentions how her dad grew up helping his grandfather in his farm, “so he grew up around animals so just by the nature of him loving animals I grew up with a lot of animals in my house.”

Moreno also recognizes how much her family has influenced other aspects of her life such as her music taste.

Her music taste allowed her to bond with many of her friends as she is attending a My Chemical Romance concert this summer with a few of them.

She is grateful for them and also for the relationships she has made at MECA. “I would say that the teachers I’ve had have been amazing and the friends I have made along the way have definitely been worth coming here”

As her time at MECA is coming to an end, she urges the rising seniors to not procrastinate on UC applications.

“By the time you have to turn them in it’s also the time you have finals for every other class so don’t procrastinate.”

She also hopes that they enjoy their final months at MECA and spend time with friends as she is practicing herself.

Ultimately, she leaves every MECA student and parent with one request, that being to, “please buy a yearbook!”