Photo by Stef Lawson Photography

BY RICH PALZEWIC
CORRESPONDENT

Sofia Draghicchio is a senior at Bay Port who just recently finished her season with the basketball team and is getting ready for soccer. She is also very active in choir.

She plans to attend Carroll University in Waukesha to major in special education and possibly double major in music therapy. She also plans to sing in one of the choirs on campus and play soccer.

Name: Sofia Draghicchio
Nickname: Sof, Fia, Fifi
Parents: Alex & Cindy
School: Bay Port
Sports/activities: basketball, soccer, choir
Twitter: @dragsofi22

How do you pronounce your last name? “Dra-geek-e-o.”

I guess I wasn’t the only one saying it wrong! “A lot of people do!”

Have you ever done any other high school sports besides basketball and soccer? “I did cross-country my freshman and sophomore year, but I had some knee problems both years.”

Do you have any siblings? “I have an older sister named Natalia who goes to UW-Lacrosse and a younger brother named Dante who attends St. John’s as a seventh grader.”

Do you come from a sports family? “My mom played volleyball, basketball and softball in high school, while my dad ran track and was the kicker for football. He also played soccer. Natalia ran cross-country, played basketball and did softball. Dante plays all kinds of sports.”

Let’s talk about the recently completed basketball season. “I was really happy, especially with the young group of girls we had – it was nice to see the team come together and have a good season.”

I bet it was hard to watch the state tournament knowing the team was one game away! “I did watch it and it was hard seeing Arrowhead there!”

Now on to soccer! Expectations are high! “We are going to have a really good group this year. I’m really excited and I think we have a good chance. We can’t just think we are going to walk through it because we made it last year – we have to work hard.”

Would making it to the state title game in soccer last season be your most memorable sports moment? “Yes! I had never experienced anything like that before. It was just great to be with the team. Even though we lost it was a great bonding experience.”

What is music therapy? “You’re not a teacher, but you use music in all sorts of different activities with the kids.”

When did you know you had a “gift” as a singer? “It started when I was at St. John’s. When the Bay Port vocal ensemble came to school I was like, ‘whoa.’ It was my goal to be like them. That was one thing that really got me in to Bay Port.”

Is singing something you can learn or are you just born with a good or bad voice? “You can definitely learn some things. In choir we have different vocal lessons that help. I didn’t think I was very good as a freshman, but after working with the teachers and learning how to fluctuate my voice, I figured it out.”

I don’t have a very good voice … can you teach me how to sing? “Probably not (laughing). I’m not that good.”

You sang the National Anthem before the game with Ashwaubenon this past season! Were you nervous? “Last year (head basketball coach) Kati (Coleman) knew I was involved with choir and asked me to do it. This year it worked out. I wasn’t nervous this year at all.”

Is there something about you most people wouldn’t know? “When I was younger I knocked two of my brother’s front teeth out! I’m not a violent person, but we were in this museum. He was probably two at the time and I was so excited running down the stairs, and didn’t see him. I knocked him over and he face planted on the ground.”

Is there a famous person you’d have lunch with? “Singer Alicia Keys – she has an amazing voice and seems like a really down-to-earth person!”

What will you miss most about Bay Port? “I will miss the choir and sports programs here – I am really close to a lot of people. I will miss all the activities that you can do here. There are so many extracurricular opportunities.”

What three words best describe you? “Humorous, friendly, outgoing.”

Is there a teacher that has had the most influence on you? “Mr. Sorenson – he teaches language arts and creative writing. He’s so outgoing and funny … it made me want to come to school. He is great about not showing favorites or judging people.”

How will Sofia Draghicchio be remembered at Bay Port? “I’d like to be remembered as a person that got to know a lot of people and put myself out there. I took a chance and got involved in things.”

Dogs or cats? “Both.”
The dishes or vacuuming? “Vacuuming.”
Tiny house or tree house? “Tree house.”
Chocolate or vanilla? “Chocolate.”
The beach or the mountains? “The mountains.”

Favorites

Food: lasagna
Holiday: Thanksgiving
Subject: language arts/choir
Candy: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Phone app: Snapchat/Twitter

Notes: Suggestions for the senior spotlight can be submitted to Rich via email ([email protected]) or via Twitter (@richpalzewic). All spotlights can be found online at thepress.media. Check out last week’s spotlight on wrestler Jack Ehrfurth.