At IHS, officers of clubs and organizations hold leadership positions for a variety of different purposes. For one leader, the purpose is to entirely serve the greater good. 

Leadership which sprouts from the desire to serve others is often defined as servant leadership, which is a management philosophy that is rooted in giving back to one’s community and leading for a larger cause. 

For IHS Senior Sophie Kent, who is the president of Best Buddies and National Honor Society (NHS), a Student Ambassador, and a member of the sport’s leadership council and athletic director’s council, the practice of servant leadership and advocation is essential. 

“A huge part of my leadership style is advocating for not myself, but for others. I think advocating is a huge part of being a leader. It is so important to be uncomfortable being uncomfortable,” said Kent.

By expanding the Best Buddies program, Kent’s leadership has led to events which create lasting memories for students with special needs. 

Whether it be the Best Buddies prom, Kickball tournament, or other events, Kent has executed her visions with a goal in mind. 

“Stepping back, my goal with Best Buddies was to create happy memories for kids with special needs so they have the same memories that I get upon graduation. Whenever I approached all of the events, my end goal was to create those lasting memories for others,” said Kent. 

Kent joined Best Buddies during her freshman year of high school, when the program was small in size and ultimately discontinued due to COVID-19 restrictions. Inspired by the impact of her younger brother Owen Kent, Sophie made it her goal to re-launch Best Buddies and expand the program to as it is today. 

“The lessons that I’ve learned from Owen have so largely shaped who I am today. I felt that everyone should get an opportunity to know someone like Owen, so that’s kind of how Best Buddies started,” said Kent.

For Kent, leadership does not stop at the doors of IHS. She plans on studying management at the United States Air Force Academy upon graduation – a highly selective military academy with roughly an 11 percent acceptance rate. 

“I plan to follow a management pathway at the academy and then go onto Logistics in the Air Force,” said Kent. “I am going to be in charge of people’s lives, I know it sounds cheesy- but I will be serving a purpose that is greater than myself.”

For Kent, initiative is always for others – regardless of the cause. 

“No matter what organization you get involved in, it’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t for you,” said Kent. “Nothing I did at IHS was for my own gain, It was more so I saw a problem that I wanted to fix. I think problems can arise when you lose sight of that.”