Niwot High School Senior Spotlight: Sofia Burks

The Left Hand Valley Courier is known for its coverage of athletes and arts students at Niwot High School. The Courier also honors an array of students who pursue activities such as community service, robotics, academics, and topics that fall under the S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) umbrella.

Niwot High School senior Sofia Burks has spent her four years at Niwot making a difference. Whether it be for her peers, locals, or those in need, she's striven to make an impact in whatever she does. Through her work with various groups that promote community service-driven activities, Burks has become known for her giving nature.

As an International Baccalaureate Diploma student, Burks is constantly challenging herself with advanced coursework and a strenuous curriculum. Despite the difficulty of her academics, she makes time to pursue her passions, especially those involving community service.

Throughout high school, Burks has leaned into the niche, yet necessary, branch of community service that focuses on supporting families facing pediatric illnesses.

She said, "Through both volunteering at Children's Hospital and starting Helping Hands Club during my sophomore year, I was able to fulfill this passion. I am so grateful for student and community engagement as well as support from the administration who have helped with the success of the club."

Helping Hands Club continues to be a popular and thriving club at Niwot. It is now a nationally recognized project by the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America organization (FCCLA), resulting in Burks' top 10 finalist placement at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference last year in Seattle.

Burks said, "It has been really neat and rewarding to see what started as a group of me and three others making cheer cards and door decorating kits for patients at Children's Hospital evolve into a team of 20-plus members with leadership positions with increased outreach to more local nonprofits supporting pediatric patients."

In addition to her work with Children's Hospital and Helping Hands Club, Burks is a member of The St. Vrain Valley Schools Innovation Center Accessibility Team. There, Burks and a group of other SVVSD students work together to promote, advocate, and present on increasing accessibility in both St. Vrain and beyond.

With the group, Burks has had the opportunity to present at the statewide Colorado Science Conference on how to make STEM education more accessible, as well as host a community open house for all ages and abilities to come together and learn how to create a more inclusive community and society. At the open house, community members interacted with various stations showcasing accessibility features on Apple technology as well as other features including braille, adapted physical education, and American Sign Language.

Currently, Burks' top college choices that she has been accepted into are the University of Colorado Boulder, Gonzaga University, and the University of Wisconsin Madison. She hopes to pursue a double major in kinesiology and neuroscience/psychology with a pre-occupational therapy track.

Post-education, Burks' current hope for her career is to work in occupational therapy with a focus on mental health. She said, "I really love the idea of combining my passion for entrepreneurship with my interest in healthcare-OT, like starting up my own clinic."

In her free time, Burks enjoys running, climbing, hiking, going to open mic nights on Pearl Street, making Spotify playlists (with a whopping 120 playlists made thus far), collaging, and photography. In fact, she has started a small photography business and hopes to continue her passion for creative photography-editing-collaging as a side hustle.

As Burks reflected on her time in high school she said, "I know it might sound a bit cliché, but my proudest high school achievement is how much I've adapted." Many people may find themselves relating to Burks in this manner, grateful for the ways in which high school impacted them.