Sofia Tong

Sofia Tong
She/her/hers
Brookline High School ‘16

Time on The Sagamore: three years
Job(s): News Editor J2 year, Co-Editor-in-Chief J3 year

What is your favorite Sagamore memory?
Eating production takeout on the floor, doing page edits, and chugging straight Cholula during conspiratorial meetings in the English conference room.

What are you doing now?
I’m in my fourth year at Harvard currently writing an English thesis and figuring out treatment plans for a new auto-immune condition.

What did you gain from being on The Sagamore?
The Sagamore was pretty much where all of my high school education took place.

What was something challenging about being on The Sagamore?
Since newspapers cover a wide range of interests, our staff also had a wide range of interests and priorities. Figuring out how to harness every staff member’s strengths while acknowledging that the Sagamore isn’t––and shouldn’t be––everyone’s number one priority in life is probably 80 percent of the challenge. Can’t say we ever did (or could have) overcome it, but trying was definitely a really fruitful learning experience.

Do you use any of the skills you learned in The Sag in your current day life? If so, what?
Framing open-ended and fruitful questions and not being afraid to ask them. Along with learning good style and lean writing, and working with word limits.

What is one of the most important lessons you’ve learned from The Sag?
How to stick with something and invest in it even when it’s challenging. I really disliked being a J1 & really wanted to quit at first because I’m very introverted and J1 definitely throws you out there. But, consistently working at skills I was less comfortable with definitely paid off.