Senior Sonia Modha has been a member of the Lincoln Mass Communications program for one year, taking Advanced Mass Communications as a senior and joining The Cardinal Times for her final year of high school. Modha has spent her time on the publication as a reporter, social media manager and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee member. She had no prior Mass Communications experience before joining the paper.
“I joined because I had a few friends in the class…I was like, ‘Oh, I only have seven classes for next year. Should I have an eighth class?’ I talked with [friend and classmate] Coral about it, and she said I should join The Cardinal Times,” explained Modha. “At the beginning of this year, I was intimidated by this class, because I was never in Mass Communications. Everyone was very welcoming on the staff.”
Modha’s creativity and determination helped her succeed on the paper. She has made multiple Connections games across issues and took a writing and marketing internship with the Northwest Examiner.
“I really like making the connections,” said Modha. “I also felt that I should be more involved, and I’m really happy that I did, because that led to my internship with the Northwest Examiner.”
In the fall, Modha will attend McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Modha is enthusiastic about her transition from Portland to Canada.
“I’m really excited just to be in a different country and whole other like side of the continent. I’m excited to explore Montreal, get involved at my school, find new hobbies and meet new people,” said Modha. “I chose to get out of my comfort zone and go somewhere a bit farther than what I normally feel comfortable with.”
Modha has spent her time in high school building skills and community in a variety of activities. The senior has participated in the Speech and Debate club, the Constitution Team and the Cardinal Ambassador program. She is also the president of the South Asian Student Union (SASU) and vice president of Sisters of Color (SOC).
Although Modha has learned many important lessons throughout her time at Lincoln, a few stand out to her.
“I’ve learned how to manage my time, even though I’m still not very good at it,” said Modha. “I want to do good in school, but I feel like prioritizing relationships with people is also really important. I’ve learned a lot in terms of balancing school with extracurriculars and hanging out with friends.”
Modha summarizes her approach to school with one motto: ‘work hard, play hard’.
“This year, I prioritized having fun. It’s important not to be super stressed all the time, and not only thinking about academics, said Modha. “Go outside. Take a hike.”
Fellow senior Rina Hoang is a longtime friend of Modha. Hoang admires many of Modha’s traits.
“She’s a really easy person to like to talk to, and nice to hang out with,” said Hoang. “She’s very open and honest, just an overall fun person like to talk to.”