Superintendent’s Spotlight: Sophia Amato

Warwick Valley High School senior Sophia Amato lives by the motto, “You can learn something from everything,” – a belief that shines through her wide range of activities, leadership roles and creative pursuits.

Amato serves as a counselor at the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), president of the Warwick Valley Youth Prevention Coalition and secretary for the Class of 2026. She is also the chamber president of WVHS Orchestra, where she plays the viola. This year, she will take on a new leadership role as one of the Warwick Valley Board of Education’s student liaisons. To top it all off, she’s an avid Odyssey of the Mind competitor who has been part of the program since third grade.

She credits Odyssey of the Mind with sparking her passion for mechanical engineering, which she plans to pursue in college. Years of designing sets and costumes has taught her to experiment, problem-solve and create freely.

“I’ve learned a lot about assembling and designing different things,” she said. “I really enjoy the process of seeing how things come together, and I love the challenge of trying to figure things out and problem-solve on my own.”

Last year, Amato’s team took on Problem #5 at Worlds, creating their own ancient civilization, “Meso-paint-amia.” Their set featured constellations that told several different art-based stories, complete with 700 hand-folded origami stars.

While Odyssey highlights her creativity, Amato said her packed schedule has also taught her discipline. Serving as class secretary, she has been busy preparing for Homecoming Week and this year’s parade.

“I’m more of a creative, on-the-fly type of person, but with everything I have going on, I’ve had to start following a schedule to stay organized,” she said. “It’s definitely something I’ve had to get used to.”

Another important part of her journey has been her involvement with the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy. RYLA is a five-day, overnight leadership conference sponsored by local Rotary Clubs that brings area high school sophomores together on the campus of Mount Saint Mary College to develop leadership skills through interactive activities and events.

After enjoying her experience as a participant, she applied to return as a counselor and was accepted. This past summer, she worked with her own group of students on a 12-minute comedy skit. The experience gave her a new perspective on leadership.

“I’ve definitely learned that being a leader is a lot more than just setting a good example. You want to help others grow while also thinking about how you can grow yourself,” she said. “Even though I was leading other people, I still came away having learned things myself.”

Her commitment to community extends into her work with the Youth Prevention Coalition, which she recently helped bring to the high school after participating in a summer leadership program at the Warwick Community Center for the last four years.

Through the Coalition, Amato has contributed to community service projects and even interned with the Director of Prevention Kristine Wilson, analyzing survey data on healthy choices for teens.

This year, she is especially excited to take a class in autoCAD, which will give her experience with the tools and machines she will use in her engineering studies. She’s also eager to contribute as a Warwick Valley Board of Education student liaison, presenting updates about high school life at meetings.

Amato credits many of her mentors for shaping her journey, especially her Odyssey coach, Casey Mears.

“She really encourages us to explore and express ourselves,” Amato said. “She’s someone I look up to because she supports us while letting us take the lead.”

Looking ahead, Amato said she hopes to join the Society of Women Engineers and participate in club orchestra at college. Wherever her journey takes her, she plans to keep living by her motto and learning something from every new experience.