Sophia Parrillo

I attribute my success to the people I've met and the experiences I've had throughout my four years at school and before. Every single thing I've experienced through school, through friends, through family, has ultimately shaped everything about me - my perception, how I communicate with people, how I communicate with myself, and how I view myself. I developed a great sense of self-identity through going out and experiencing things on my own, getting away from my hometown, and being with people who I love and who share the same values of life and perceptions. I love meeting people and learning things from people, and it's awesome to have that reciprocated. My parents have been my number one supporters since day one, and they've taught me so much about life - not only to experience it for yourself, but to think about how what I do can affect other people, both positively and negatively. The most important lessons they've given me are to be mindful of what you do, to be present in your life, and most importantly, to be kind to yourself and listen to what you need. When you figure that out and follow what you want to do, things that you wouldn't have thought would come to you will come to you as you find yourself on that path.

The best career advice I've received is to focus on what I can control. When I feel like I can't do enough or when I'm overwhelmed by what I see on media, I've been told to focus on what I can control, and what I can control is building a positive environment with the people I have around me and making connections locally, because those are the connections that matter the most. Another crucial piece of advice is to not let rejection define my work or define me. There are going to be so many people who will say no, but there's also going to be so many people who will say yes. I've struggled with that ego death of thinking my work is not great, but if you just keep listening to those negative thoughts, you're rewiring your brain to think like that and allowing those thoughts to overpower your power. I've also learned that as a student, your faculty and mentors are going to be the most important resources. There can be missed opportunities if you don't make those connections with your professors, but I've also experienced new opportunities from making those connections.

My biggest piece of advice is to make connections with your peers and different faculty and staff. If there is something that happens where a staff or faculty member disagrees with something about your work, don't let that define your work or define you. There are going to be so many people who will say no, but there's also going to be so many people who will say yes. I've struggled with that ego death myself, but if you just keep listening to negative thoughts, you're rewiring your brain to think like that and allowing those thoughts to overpower your power. Also, do what you love, and if you do, there will be an audience for anything you do. The more I did something for myself, the more people really enjoyed it and saw the value in it. That shifted my perspective on my creative process and helped me understand that there will be an audience for what you create as long as you do what you love. I also think third-party organizations, photography contests, art contests, art calls, and writing opportunities are missed opportunities that aren't always promoted to students. I wish those were more spoken about in high school and even elementary school, because students often have to find them for themselves, and sometimes too late.

The most important values to me are being present in the moment and being kind to yourself. I believe in listening to what you need, not what other people need. Once you figure that out and follow what you want to do and what you need from life, things that you wouldn't have thought would come to you will come to you as you find yourself on that path. I value being mindful of what I do because things can affect other people both positively and negatively. I think it's important to take the world for what it is, enjoy people in the present for what it is, and communicate better with people without making assumptions. I believe in taking people as who they are, as who they present themselves, because that is who they are in the moment. I also value understanding different perspectives because we all come from different backgrounds of life, and no one is the same. Everyone has a different perception of everything, and I think that's so cool and interesting. That's what sparks my love to talk to people and learn not just from my experiences, but from others. I also really care about environmental issues and animal welfare, which is why I recently went vegan. I like to keep track of what's going on with the environment around me and pay attention to those systems being put in place.