Author Archives: Sophia B.

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About Sophia B.

Hello! My name is Sophia and I love being a MV teen voice blogger!

Review: Kill Bill (Volumes 1 & 2)

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Kill Bill (Volumes 1 and 2) is a series of action/thriller movies directed by the renowned Quentin Tarantino. After watching Volumes 1 and 2 of this cult classic twice, I’ve decided to thoroughly rate the movies based on two aspects.

Plot & Story:

The movies’ premise is that a pregnant woman known as “The Bride” used to be a former assassin, but gave up her job for a normal life. Her former lover, Bill, and his posse of assassins attempt to murder her on her wedding day. Four years later, she wakes up from a coma, determined to get revenge on all of them. They made her lose her unborn child, her whole wedding party, and four years of her life. After making a hit list of everyone involved in the massacre, she gets her justice and ends her enemies. At the end of Kill Bill Volume 2, The Bride finally arrives at her last destination, Bill’s house. There she finds her little girl with Bill, who kept her safe all along. However, she knows what she has to do. Bill and The Bride battle each other, but in the end, The Bride wins and gets to take her daughter with her. I would rate the plot and story a solid nine out of ten because of the action and emotional aspects.

Musical Score:

The musical score of Kill Bill is masterful and I’d say it is one of the greatest film soundtracks. Each song plays with your emotions, making you feel fear, suspense, and excitement. My two favorite songs from the soundtrack are “The Lonely Shepherd” by Gheorghe Zamfir and “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” sung by Nancy Sinatra. “The Lonely Shepherd” is the iconic flute song from Kill Bill. It plays during key moments, especially in emotionally significant scenes that involve Bill. “Bang Bang” symbolizes The Bride’s past trauma and betrayal, which were the main reasons she went on her revenge quest. I would rate this chef’s kiss musical score a ten out of ten.

Overall, Kill Bill Volume 2 is my favorite movie. I’d say that Kill Bill Volume 1 has more action and Volume 2 has more emotional depth and character development. I hope you enjoyed this blog and watch the movies if you haven’t before!

– Sophia B.

Mission Viejo Biology Day Event

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Through the Mission Viejo Teen Advisory Board, I had the pleasure of volunteering at the STEAM Stations Biology Day event. It was held at the Potocki Center for the Arts, where we had organized hands-on activities to allow children to grow their curiosity and explore their interest in the field of biology! Two of the main activities were owl pellet dissection and fingerprint art.

I worked at the owl pellet table, where I taught the children about the different bones they were finding through a bone identification sheet. I remember being eleven years old and dissecting owl pellets for the first time, so it was exciting to share that experience with kids around the same age as I was. Their excitement when they identified a mole’s skull and other body parts filled me with joy. My favorite part of the whole day was seeing their “aha!” moments mainly because I felt proud to help them learn and embark on new discoveries.

At the fingerprint art station, the children drew different animals not only on paper but also on small wooden boxes they could take home. Many of them had very creative fictional animals, like dragons and unicorns.

Overall, I really enjoyed seeing the children’ s imaginations running wild and free. Volunteering at this event reminded me how rewarding teaching could be. As a potential biology major in college, sharing my passion with the children gave me a sense of fulfillment. I would definitely partake in this event next year and I hope that you and/or your children come! I’ll see you there!

– Sophia B.

Greece Summer Vacation

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During my summer 2025 vacation, I had the opportunity to travel to Greece with my family. Out of all the countries I’ve ever been to before, including Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Mexico, I would rate Greece as my favorite. Listed below are the four different islands I went to.

Athens (5 days)

Athens had the most attractions Greece had to offer. From ancient ruins to countless museums, I’d say if you want to take in as much history as you can from Greece, you should go to Athens. My favorite site we visited was definitely Acropolis. For some background, Acropolis is an ancient archaeological site where Greeks settled and proudly defended Athens. There are many columned buildings, like the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its Porch of Caryatids, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Moreover, there were ancient theatres that were used for music, oratory, and poetic performances. These include the Theatre of Dionysus, birthplace of Greek theatre, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Additionally, before taking the two hour drive to the Temple of Zeus, our taxi driver took us to my favorite restaurant in Athens, Labros. They had the best souvlaki, fries, meatballs, and Greek salad I had eaten in my whole trip. I highly recommend going there if you plan on taking a trip to Athens!

Mykonos (3 days)

Mykonos, known for being one of Greece’s “party islands” was my favorite island we went to. Our hotel, the Nissaki Boutique Hotel, had a jaw dropping ocean view with many party yachts anchored in the water. This alone made my Mykonos experience one hundred times better. Moreover, the island’s vibe was completely unmatched. Strolling through Mykonos town, petting the cats, and having delicious gelato was so different from visiting museums in Athens. Additionally, I took a day trip to Delos, an ancient sacred island known for being the legendary birthplace of the gods Apollo and Artemis. In its day, Delos was a thriving commercial and trading center in the Hellenistic period, with its original stones and houses still standing. I thoroughly enjoyed Delos and would recommend taking a day trip there if you are in Mykonos!

Santorini (3 days)

In Santorini, I went to its two main towns, Fira and Oia. One takeaway I have from Fira and Oia is that it’s like a hike. To see the different parts of the town, you must go up many hills and stairs, but once you do, it is so worth it. The sunsets and ocean views at the tips of these towns were breathtaking, and I did not regret the sore legs! I loved exploring these towns and I know you will too!

Crete (4 days)

I spent my last four days of my Greece trip in Crete, and I definitely believe that was too much time. Due to Crete being the biggest island in Greece, many of its attractions were spaced out. My family and I did not find this out until arriving there, so many of the attractions we planned to see and put time towards were not visited. I really enjoyed walking on Crete’s black-sand beaches and swimming in its clear green waters. Overall, I’d say Crete was a beautiful island and I liked its beaches the best.

I hope after reading this blog you plan a trip to Greece! 

– Sophia B.

What is HOSA– Future Health Professionals?

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If you are a high schooler interested in the medical field, HOSA would be an amazing organization to get involved in! Health Occupations Students of America, or HOSA, is an international student organization that works to improve the access of high-quality healthcare to everyone and to promote potential careers in the medical field. HOSA offers a special program of leadership development, inspiration, and recognition.

The State Leadership Conference (SLC)

If your high school has a chapter, or you would like to start one, the main goal of the club is to compete at the SLC. You would need to compete in two different events, one fully online event (known as red events) and another online and in-person event (known as blue events). For example, some red events include Behavioral Health, Dental Terminology, Human Growth & Development, and Nutrition. Moreover, some blue events include Clinical Nursing, Dental Science, Medical Assisting, Sports Medicine, and Physical Therapy. However, in order to be eligible to compete at SLC, you would need to take tests on your knowledge of your events. If you pass your blue event, then you can compete at SLC and if you pass your red event, then you potentially can get recognized for being top 5 in the state (depending on your score).

The International Leadership Conference (ILC)

For both red and blue events, top 3 in the every state for an event are eligible to compete at the ILC in Nashville, TN. Along with competing, there are also workshops where you get to explore and learn about different paths of the medical field and tournaments like Anatomage (a team-based anatomy competition).

Overall, I hope I spiked your interest in HOSA! I have been apart of HOSA for two years and cherish the opportunities and knowledge it has brought me! I always have the most amazing time at the SLC with my friends and my passion for the medical field grows stronger every conference. I hope to see you at the next SLC!

-Sophia B.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

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In my English class, we read the graphic novel Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. The French-Iranian author of children’s books, graphic novels, cartoons, illustrations, and films created Persepolis as a memoir of her childhood when she lived in Iran during the Iranian Revolution.

To put the Iranian Revolution in perspective, the Islamic Republic of Iran, a theocracy ruled by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was founded in 1979 after a series of riots and demonstrations that overthrew the Shah of Iran. The Shah was overthrown for a number of reasons, including political repression, economic difficulties, and public dissatisfaction with his rule (such as unrest brought on by the Shah’s westernization of the nation).

At the age of 10, Marjane Satrapi was forced to transfer from a coeducational French school to a girls-only school during the revolution. She was also required to cover her hair because the new Islamic regime enacted a law that, for religious reasons of modesty and dignity, required women to wear veils in public. The veil is a powerful symbol in the story because it stands for feminism, identity, and the oppression of women in Iran. Other struggles her family endured, like the Iraq War and her uncle’s execution for opposing the Shah and holding communist beliefs, are also covered in the book.

In AP World History, I formally learned about the Iranian Revolution and the overthrowing of the Shah. Once I read the book, I realized that people actually lived through the revolution and had to undergo the harsh conditions and the changes the new Islamic Republic established. Some of my friends’ parents experienced the revolution and describe it as fearful and deadly, and its long lasting outcome as a royal disaster for the Iranian people.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Happy reading!

– Sophia B

Free Music Tutoring – Musical Mentors

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Interested in music and want free tutoring? My high school has a weekly after school program on Thursdays from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm that offers music tutoring for elementary, middle, and high school students in the Capistrano Unified School District at no cost.

The goal of this student-led program is to inspire more students to keep practicing their instruments. Students are not required to have prior musical expertise, but they must bring their own instruments. Additionally, the students perform on a wide variety of band and orchestra instruments. Similarly, the mentors represent all instruments and grade levels. The students receive free lessons, grow closer to their mentor, and become more enthusiastic about music. As a result, the mentors build their confidence in their own teaching and playing skills while also gaining experience in mentoring. The mentors receive community service hours as an added incentive to participate in the program.

My brother volunteered as a musical mentor tutor for around four years and he passed the baton to me. Through this, I’ve learned how to teach and break down concepts for my students. Depending on the level of my students, I customize the lesson plans to meet their needs. This can include working on scales (fixing pitch and tone quality of the notes) and practicing how to count notes. Subsequently, I spend about an hour working with my students on songs that they need assistance with. Afterward, with thirty minutes remaining in the session, all students gather to practice rhythmic skills and prepare for our annual concert. At the end of the year, we host an annual concert that helps students become accustomed to playing in front of an audience while also providing parents with a chance to see what their children have learned.

Overall, the program helps our mentees develop a greater understanding and appreciation of music, increase their motivation to play their instruments, and work toward improving their musical skills. Musical Mentors is a beneficial and satisfying experience for parents, children, and mentors. I love teaching students, as I find it incredibly rewarding to connect one-on-one and expand their knowledge of music. I plan to continue mentoring for the rest of my high school career.

-Sophia B.

Empowering Kids with Disabilities to Ride: My Volunteering Journey

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During the summer of 2024, I volunteered at a camp where I had the opportunity to teach children with disabilities how to ride a bike on special bikes. The program was called “iCanBike” and I came across it through Lion’s Heart, a teen volunteering non-profit organization. I pursued two of my friends to volunteer at the week-long camp hosted by the nonprofit organization iCanShine, and all three of us loved every moment of it. 

We attended orientation where we learned how the specialized teaching bikes worked, the student that we were assigned to teach, and different strategies to keep our student focused on biking. 

At the beginning of the week-long camp, my student rode the specialized bike that iCanShine provided while I kept full control of the handle. I taught my student how to use his pedals and how to steer. My friends and I had split jobs to keep our student engaged, as they were in charge of keeping him motivated, while I was in control of our student’s safety (like keeping the bike from running into walls). 

Gradually, my student learned how to fully pedal the bike without my assistance. Using cues, I would tap my finger on his shoulder as a reminder to keep pedaling. As the camp came to an end, my student was able to bike on a two wheel bike instead of the specialized bikes and it was so amazing to see his growth!

Overall, this was an extremely rewarding experience. I got to connect with my student one-on-one and teach him the basics of how to ride a bike. I even made an impact on his family, as his mother was so excited to see her child ride a bike. Additionally, the smile on my student’s face when he realized that he was in control and riding the bike all on his own was invaluable. His mom even got him a bike of his own, showing how I’ve had an influence on his life. This volunteer project was important to me because I realized that I can help children with special needs to gain self confidence in their skills like bike riding. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would 100% do it again.

-Sophia B

Shrek the Musical Review

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On November 24, 2024, my family and I went to see the Broadway performance, Shrek the Musical, at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The hilarious musical is based on the first Shrek movie made in 2001 and starts off in the fictional fairy-tale medieval town of Duloc. 

Summary of the Musical:

Lord Farquaad bans fairy tale characters from Duloc and sends them to Shrek the ogre’s swamp.  Shrek is enraged by this, and with the help of a talking donkey, embarks on a trip to speak with Lord Farquaad. Farquaad needs to marry a princess in order to become the king of Duloc, and he makes a deal with Shrek. Shrek needs to save a princess named Fiona, who is in a castle guarded by a dragon, and bring her to Lord Farquaad for marriage in order for Shrek to have his swamp back. Shrek accepts and both him and Donkey travel together, where they slowly grow fond of each other.

They finally reach the castle and cross a bridge above lava. Shrek goes to find the princess, leaving the Donkey alone. Donkey is captured by the dragon, who falls in love with him. During this, Shrek finds Fiona and he fights off the dragon, saving her and Donkey. 

Before reaching Duloc, they take shelter and the audience finds out that Princess Fiona has a curse that turns her into an ogre by night and she can only take her true beautiful form with a true love’s kiss. The next day, Shrek and Fiona become romantically interested in one another and by night she again demands shelter. Donkey discovers she is an ogre and describes herself as ugly. Shrek tries to confess his feelings to her, but overhears her talking about him.

He calls Farquaad to marry her, but misunderstands the situation that Fiona was indeed talking about herself and not Shrek. Shrek stops the wedding, kisses Fiona, and she takes her true form as an ogre. The musical ends with them married with children, and Farquaad eaten by the dragon, who marries the donkey.

Favorite Song:

The composition I liked best was “I Know it’s Today” by Leah Greenhaus, Marissa O’Donnell, and Sutton Foster. The style of the song is pop and I feel it is this because of the use of female singers, who sing with strong voices in unison, the piano, drums, flutes, who give the song the pop aspect. I liked this composition the best because of the passing of solos between the singers, the blend of the background vocals, and the catchy music. The music made me feel happy and calm and the music evoked the images of the Shrek movie. The song reminded me of when I was little on the couch watching it with my family. It gave me nostalgic emotions but also joyful emotions.

Overall, I 100% would recommend the musical to others and I had an amazing experience!

– Sophia B.

Why You Should Join High School Clubs

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As the school year begins, high school students form and join clubs. This phenomenon is called “Club Rush,” which is a week dedicated to students joining clubs. During lunch, there is a craze of students mobbing each club’s stand to see if they’re interested in joining. Clubs are extremely beneficial, as they:

1. Bring People Together: If you want to make new friends or be a part of something that brings likeminded people of your interests together, joining a club is a great way to branch out. Clubs are like gold mines for building social connections with your peers. For example, if you are interested in the debate club, joining will allow you to meet others who are interested in debate, and you can compete with or against each other.

2. Build Your Resume Up: Joining clubs allows you to be involved in your school, especially because they are considered extracurriculars. To preface, the clubs you partake in need to be worthwhile to you, as taking the time and energy towards clubs is what colleges value. Truly being passionate about a club shows that you are dedicated and contribute to the prosperity of your school.

3. Exploring Interests: For underclassmen, specifically freshman, joining clubs allows you to evaluate your passions and interests. You can gain skills that you might have found unimaginable, or you might join clubs that you already have hobbies in. Nonetheless, these clubs give you responsibility that is noteworthy, so being a part of clubs that you are interested in can help you figure out your college major and future job. 

4. Allow Leadership Opportunities: You can gain leadership positions in clubs, making you an experienced individual with managing projects and decisions. The communication skills acquired when running a club are invaluable. Overall, you can become more confident as a person and as a leader with the leadership skills you gain when operating clubs.

I hope my guidance inspires you to explore and join clubs at your high school!

– Sophia B.

What is MUN?

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Model UN or MUN is an extracurricular where students go to conferences and pose as delegates of the United Nations. At these conferences, students are delegates of their assigned country, where they work together to attempt to to solve a world issue.

Some may not fully understand what delegates do in their committees, but want to join MUN. Listed below are normal procedures in a MUN conference.

  1. Speeches: Each delegate gives a one to two minute speech outlining their ideas for solving the committee’s problem. Every speech should include background information on the subject, country policy, and your solutions as the delegate. 
  2. Unmoderated Caucus: UN MODS are unstructured discussion sessions (that lasts around 10-15 mins) during which delegates are free to speak with one another. You can create resolution groups during UN MODS with nations who have similar country policies or similar solutions.
  3. Comments: After every delegate’s speech, there should be two comments (each lasting about thirty seconds) during which the delegate addresses the past speech. 
  4. Moderated Caucus: MODS are scheduled, structured debating sessions that specialize on resolving a particular aspect of the topic. Early in the conference, delegates use the MODS to discuss and debate various concepts. Basically, it’s a debate format where delegates can speak for around 30-60 seconds about a certain subtopic.
  5. Resolution papers: Once meeting in UN MODS, delegates make resolution papers together on the topic, combining all their solutions together.
  6. Presenting: After all the resolution papers have been made, 1/3rd of each resolution group is allowed to present it to the whole committee. For example, if there are 6 people in your resolution group, 1/3rd of 6 is 2, so there are 2 people allowed to present.

I love MUN because you get to meet new people and act like a true United Nations delegate. MUN is truly a fun experience, as going to different conferences with your friends is really fun. I hope reading my post has encouraged you to join your school’s MUN!

-Sophia B.