Hi! I am Sofia McHugh, student body president and a boarding student at Santa Catalina School in beautiful Monterey, California. 

From the age of 9 I knew I wanted to attend boarding school. When I visited the Santa Catalina campus many years ago, I saw a group of driven, curious students. They were fiercely independent and confident, athletic and studious. I wanted to be them. Flash forward to high school and here I am! 

I grew up in Newport Beach, California, where my parents live, and it is only a six-hour drive (or one hour flight) from school. My sister, Emmy (16) also goes to Santa Catalina. Here, I have found my passion for field hockey and leadership. I served as class president for two years and am head of the TEDx Club and The Patriot Fund, a club started by my sister and I. My proudest accomplishment is being voted by the school to lead as Student Body President.

When I think about my future, I know that medicine will play a role. Epidemiology has always been an interest of mine. I have been studying disease and viruses for as long as I can remember. Every summer I immerse myself in some sort of study program to learn more about medicine, and to give-back in some way. Last summer I spent time administering basic healthcare to a small community in the Dominican Republic. This summer I was chosen out of 500+ applicants to be one of 22 students to take part in the UCI Summer Surgery Program. This one-of-its-kind program allows high school students an un-paralleled view of the live operating rooms in a trauma 1 hospital. I was able to stand next to surgeons and watch live surgeries take place, all the while working with a team of 5 to develop an innovative idea to present to the head of UCI Urology Department, Dr. Jamie Landman. It was a small taste of what I hope to do in my future, lead in the field of medicine and innovation. I am also heavily interested in surgery, and, after my newest program where I was able to see multiple surgeries, I have confirmed my affinity for the craft. Through research, community service, opportunities to be feet away from an operating table during surgery, and hands on learning of surgical skills, I have made it a goal of mine to become a leader in medicine. 

For college, I am ready to pursue a rigorous education to prepare me for medical school wherever life takes me next. I hope to one day be of service to less fortunate communities around the world with the help of medicine.