Senior Profile: Sophie Cheng ’25

When it comes to leading the school, Sophie Cheng ’25 has it all. Whether she is offering advice to underformers as a prefect, looking over The Lawrence as a News Editor, or simply casting a bright smile your way, Cheng has made an unforgettable mark on Lawrenceville. 

Cheng has dedicated much of her time at Lawrenceville to sports. As a four-year Varsity athlete on the Girls’ Water Polo and Swim teams, she recounted how she met “many of her closest friends” through sports. Cheng fondly recalled an instance where she stayed at the Cartoon Network Hotel with fellow teammate Marissa Lombardi ’26, who she described as terrifying. However, Cheng emphasized that her participation in House Handball was her “proudest athletic achievement” to date, given her hard work with her peers in the Stephens House, which consisted of star player Imani Gaskin ’25 and several new III Formers who “show[ed] great promise.” Cheng looks forward to continuing that success in the current season after impressive wins over the Carter House and the McClellan House. 

In addition to her athletic endeavors, Cheng also took on many leadership roles. As a Stephens prefect, Cheng shared many memories of competing for her House. For instance, she donned a signature red blow-up suit at the 2024 House Olympics, which carries on as an integral Stephens prefect tradition. Cheng admitted that, although the House was not as strong in the relay races as the previous year, “the supportive culture of the Stephens House was [still] there.” Furthermore, Cheng was the News Editor of the 144 Board of The Lawrence, an experience she referred to as both “rewarding and fun.” Cheng expressed her gratitude toward Gaskin, who served as the Executive Editor for the 144 Board and former Editor-in-Chief Aki Li ’25, stating she was “extremely thankful” for the feeds and Diet Coke. A memorable moment for Cheng was the satirical issue, The Larynx, in which her co-editor Charles Potter ’25 “made the funniest article ideas ever.” Despite her lengthy accomplishments, Cheng argued that it was her friends and teammates who truly shaped her journey at Lawrenceville. 

Over the years, Cheng has been involved in many wonderful experiences with her Lawrenceville peers. As a III Former, Cheng embarked on a Harkness Travel Trip to Greece, a learning opportunity where she learned about and interacted with other cultures. A memorable moment from the trip for Cheng in particular was when her friends got food poisoning from seafood pasta on the last night. She also participated in the School Year Abroad program in Rennes, France as a rising III Former, a program she highly recommends to underformers. Cheng highlighted “the presence of her [Lawrenceville] peers” as what made the experience so fun. Cheng was also a frequent participant in Lawrenceville’s Saturday night events, where she constantly hyped up her friends to achieve great feats. One such event was “watching Alice Kizilbash [’25] go against Adam Shovlin [’25] in Rumble in the Arena.” Another was Halloween in 2023, when Cheng “dressed up as Smurfs with Kizilbash and Alexandra Raymond [25].” 

Cheng recommended that students consider prefecting and remarked how she is “so happy to know the underformers of the Stephens House” because of her current role. For rising V Formers who are now turning their attention to college applications, she advised them to “start [their] college essays in the summer.” Cheng spoke from her own experience of procrastinating and described the ordeal as brutal. Another tip she left for rising V Formers was to take Dr. Wilburn Williams’ H’02 ’06 English electives, especially her personal favorites, Hemingway and Moby Dick. Cheng praised him as “an incredible and inspiring teacher,” whose courses are suitable for “any rising V Former.” Cheng also emphasized the importance of participating in sports as a V Former, noting that her Varsity days as a V Former were both “fun and sad at the same time.”  

As Cheng prepares to move on to the next chapter of her life, the School will greatly miss her warm personality and friendly greetings. Yet, Lawrentians will remember the general impact she has left on Lawrenceville and Stephens specifically.