When Sophia Vo came to the United States from Vietnam at age 4, she couldn’t speak English.

Books became her learning tools and her friends. She would stay up late, sneaking extra reading time past her dad.

She learned English and did well in school as a self-described shy and quiet bookworm.

During her freshman year at Thomas Jefferson High School, she joined Key Club — and her life changed.

“I found I really liked people,” said the gregarious senior.

Key Club is a high school community service club associated with the Kiwanis.

She began opening up and putting herself out there, even in a leadership role.

Her Key Club president saw the potential and encouraged Vo to run for a lieutenant governor position, putting her in charge of several area Key Clubs.

“I was going to quit, I was so scared of public speaking,” Vo said.

She spent a year as lieutenant governor before becoming the governor of the Pacific Northwest District, which includes five states and three Canadian provinces. Her term just ended.

During her reign, Vo organized a 1,500-book drive. She also organized a districtwide music tutoring program to help elementary students who have had their music programs cut.

Vo plans on attending Stanford University in the fall. Harvard University was also on the list, but in the end, the people at Stanford won her over.

“They’re smart and articulate, but they have a life story,” she said. Vo said she loved talking to students during her campus visit.

The other pluses at Stanford were the laid back California attitudes, and importantly for Vo, the opportunities and willingness to serve others.

Vo said she’ll be well prepared for Stanford, thanks to the International Baccalaureate program at TJHS. The IB program is why she choose to attend Thomas Jefferson in the first place.

Vo plans on studying international relations. She one day wants to travel either to Africa or back to Vietnam. She’s come a long way from the bookworm in the corner.

Class of 2010: About this series

It’s time for high school graduations. The Mirror will take a closer look at high school seniors from each of the Federal Way high schools. These students have made their presence known already, doing multiple community service projects, challenging themselves in school and setting big goals for the future. Congratulations to all the graduating seniors.