Sophia Tranguch

World We Imagine - MindMatters Mission: MindMatters is an organization committed to bringing essential mental health services to middle school and high school students to ensure they receive the support, guidance, and resources they need to be able to build resilience and strength to navigate the obstacles of adolescence. Our mission is to encourage mental wellbeing by destigmatizing mental health issues and empowering young minds to flourish. We believe in creating a safe, supportive environment where students can access the tools they need to understand and overcome any mental health challenges. We are dedicated to paving a brighter and healthier future for the children of today.  Rationale: Amidst a rising wave of mental health challenges among children in middle and high school, urgent action is needed to address this growing concern. With each year, we see an increase in the prevalence of mental health difficulties among our youth. In 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42%) students fe...

  About the Author  In her three-part video series and article titled "Five Surprising Moments in Vaccine History," Anna Rothschild delves into the historical background of vaccinations. With the help of other vaccine and health specialists, Rothschild delivers us a thorough video series to help us understand vaccines better. Through her scientific journey, she was able to reveal surprising facts about the early, crude techniques employed to contain the highly contagious smallpox, vaccine skepticism dating back to the late 1700s, and germ theory. Rothschild’s biology degree from Brown and her Masters in journalism from NYU has enabled her to become a successful journalist who has won multiple accolades for her work writing science and health stories. Article/Video Summaries and Takeaways  In the article and the first video entitled, “200 years of Vaccine Skepticism,” Rothschild outlines the mechanism of how immunizations work by showing us an animation of how the body’s d...

Jacqueline Novogratz in the book the Blue Sweater aspired to improve the world with her aspirations and passions. Novogratz's genuine interest was to close the wealth and poverty gap, which led her to resign from her secure job as an international banker. As I think about my future and what I want to pursue as a career, I am confronted with the dilemma of selecting between a path that promises me stability and one that offers genuine personal fulfillment and makes a difference in the world.  When I think about my future, I picture myself living back in my hometown of New York City in a nice apartment with my husband and two kids. To be able to live comfortably and raise a family in this expensive city, you must be working at a job that pays well. The thought of this has definitely impacted what career paths I am considering for my future. However, what I am most passionate about (and hopefully can pursue) is mental health advocacy.  In my junior year of high school, I struggle...

Growing up in New York City, I have had the privilege of seeing numerous musicals on Broadway with my family. My favorite musicals include Come From Away, Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, and Dear Evan Hansen. However, one musical that absolutely blew it out of the park was Hamilton created by the Singer-songwriter and Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamilton is a brilliant musical that utilizes hip-hop/rap to tell the revolutionary story of the United States during the 18th and 19th century. What stands out about Hamilton is that it differs from traditional musical theater as it appeals to an audience that isn’t particularly fond of musicals by incorporating a popular genre of music. While I enjoyed studying history in school, Hamilton completely brought this portion of American history to life in my mind. The storytelling and catchy lyrics of this musical draw in the audience to listen to the story of Alexander Hamilton’s life and his involvement during the American Revolutionary War. You d...