A Testament to Resilience, Faith & the Power of Opportunity

Sophie’s story starts with struggle that winds up in triumph—a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of opportunity.

A smart young lady with striking hair, a tall frame, and a vibrant spark that lights up any room, Sophie was brilliant from the start. She attended elementary school until she was 10, when her parents pulled her out for her to watch over her four younger siblings. Neglect escalated, and at 15, she was removed from her parents’ home and placed into foster care.

Re-enrolling in school meant restarting in 7th grade to catch up on missed years—a non-negotiable for Sophie. Her DFPS caseworker advocated fiercely, asking, “What does she need to graduate?” Their answer was “26 credits.” The school agreed to let her work independently. In one intense semester, Sophie earned all of her credits, graduating a full year ahead of her peers…This is proof of her abilities!

Foster care was a revolving door of Residential Treatment Centers until she aged out at 18. Drugs, homelessness, and toxic relationships followed—difficult years that tested her spirit.

In 2021, her caseworker issued a challenge, “Just take one college class.” Sophie aced it! She got hooked on school, and kicked her drug use all on her own. She pursued education relentlessly, while living out of her car and with no family support.

Things shifted in 2023 when THRU Project stepped in. Almost immediately after walking through their doors,  secured her an apartment. This security helped her graduate from UTSA in May 2025 with her bachelor’s degree. Determined, she then enrolled in a master’s program in social work, specializing in art therapy for youth on the spectrum. She is set to finish in 2027 and is working as a Mental Health Tech at NEXUS Health Systems.

Sophie’s relationship with her faith appeared in different ways throughout her life. As a child, her parents dropped her and her siblings off at church for the free food and daycare. She somehow still felt God’s presence, which was influenced by her grandmother’s deep faith. At the young age of 13, Sophie’s grandma sadly passed away, turning her parents and family into atheists; foster care seemed to reinforce a godless world to her.

A college history class that spoke on the Bible sparked her curiosity. Then, in 2024, while working at Chick-fil-A, she met Tristan. He invited her to church and she said, YES! The first service tugged at her heart; tears flowed through several more. On her second visit, she accepted Christ and was baptized in October 2025.

“I used to talk to ‘someone.’ Now I know it was God all along,” she reflects. “I’ve seen blessing after blessing, miracle after miracle. I no longer just “talk” to Him, I now listen and learn. I no longer feel lonely or alone.”

Her past? “It made me ME,” she says. “It pushed me.”

At 23, Sophie is engaged to Tristan—he proposed in August 2025 and they will marry in January 2026. They are planning their dream honeymoon in Puerto Rico.