My name is Sophie Mei Yŏu Zhì Greene. I am 17-years-old. I was born in Chenzhou, Hunan, on March 1, 2003. I attend high school at the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS). Before that, I graduated from Lake Washington Girls Middle School, where I started the Animal Rights Club. For elementary school, I went to University Child Development School.
I live with my mom, Barb, my dad, Doug, and my sister, Darby. My family and I have 3 adopted pets; two cats, Phoenix and Firestar, and one dog, Angel.
I have been learning Chinese and Spanish since I started school, and I hope to and will be trilingual one day. My Chinese name Yŏu Zhì means right (You), a mission (Zhi)–right mission–if you put them together you could say it means determined. I think this name truly does fit me.
I also have the gift of being autistic. Most people wouldn’t think of it as a gift, but I do. If I wasn’t autistic, I wouldn’t be anything like who I am today. Even though I might have challenges from my learning style, I don’t let them stop me from reaching my goals. My autism is one reason I’m so passionate about animal rights and social justice in general. I have a talent in public speaking, so I’ve written poems and songs about these topics (which makes sense because I also love and am inspired by musical theater). I also have written stories, drawn pictures, and written essays about them.