Sophie Kim

1. Tell us a little about yourself

Hi! My name is Sophie Kim, and I am a rising high school senior attending the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana with a concentration on Acting. I have been acting for over 10 years, and in the future, I hope to continue pursuing the art while also working to have a politically active future. Outside of acting and advocacy, I spend my time with my dog, Chippy, hanging out with friends, taking moments to be introspective, and going on walks.

2) What is your connection to Orange County

I have lived in Orange County for all 17 years of my life, becoming involved in a plethora of its communities, spread throughout the region. Living in Fullerton, attending school in Santa Ana, going to church in Anaheim, and attending events sprinkled throughout the community, I’ve visited every inch of OC, and I’m proud to call it my home.

3) Share a little bit of your outlook on life

I have two main values that I am constantly looking to uphold in my life. The first one is that vulnerability is strength. In my acting classes, we were advised that having the ability to be vulnerable is the key to finding success in our art. However, the same applies to my day-to-day life. When interacting with new people or forming new connections, being vulnerable, honest, and authentic to myself has brought me success, friendship, and strength. The second value I hold is the fact that life should not be taken so seriously. I get stressed out pretty easily, but reminding myself that I only have one life allows me to live it to the fullest, make bold choices, and take risks without worrying about the consequences. Making mistakes is one of the only ways that we can learn the most meaningful lessons. It is important to be mindful, but equally as important to try new things!

4) What is your favorite book

At the moment, my favorite book is Macbeth. Reading this play as a book from an actor’s perspective is very interesting. Finding ways to validate each character’s actions by putting yourself in their shoes takes a lot of thought and makes you reflect on your morals. Every character is uniquely complex and very humanized because of how they are driven by instinct and pressure. Overall, once you get over the complicated language, Macbeth is a worthy read!

5) What is your favorite self-care activity

Whenever I get stressed or overwhelmed, I always walk over to the lake right by my house. In general, going on walks to take a break energizes me and gives me the clarity to refresh my mind. I love going to the lake, though, because I remember that no matter how difficult my situation may be, life always sustains itself. I’m sure that the ducks, trees, bushes, flowers, turtles, and fish of the lake all have their worries and stresses, but they always end up fine. Spending time at the lake reminds me that I am just a small part of the world. No matter how big my problems seem now, they are minuscule in comparison to the rest of the world and the universe.

6) What drew you to being involved with community mental health work/advocacy?

I really got into advocacy after attending a leadership conference for Asian and Pacific Islander Youth on legislation and discovering my passion for public policy. I’ve also always thought of mental health as a priority, especially for teenagers. Attending such a competitive school—in arts and academics alike—it is so important that my peers have healthy methods of destressing. In the past, I have worked to create safe spaces at my school to destress and escape the pressures of academics. Yet when I found a connection between policy and mental health, I immediately jumped into advocating for changes in legislation that would destigmatize mental health and provide equitable access to mental health resources for all individuals. This is seen in my work with Erabus and the Fall of Sparrows.

7) What is your preferred art medium?

Evidently, my preferred art medium is acting. Whether it is theatrical or acting for the camera, playing another character and conjuring emotions from my experience is empowering. Beyond that, acting trains me in practical skills: it improves my public speaking skills, and ability to connect with others.

8) What drew you to your preferred art medium?

I started acting in 2nd grade, feeling initially drawn to the art because of the unique experiences I got out of it. Auditioning and going on set for commercials and feature films were unique experiences that let me explore the world on a whole new level. However, when I began attending the Orange County School of the Arts and acting more seriously, I enjoyed the analysis of human interaction and the dissection of human behavior. Through acting, I discovered more than just an art form; I found a way to process my trauma, break down my barriers, and ultimately, acting helped shape my identity. My classes and experiences have taught me countless life lessons, such as the importance of vulnerability, and have given me confidence in my individuality as a person. There is something beautifully therapeutic about reflecting on your experiences and emotions, then revitalizing them to create art.

9) What role have the arts played in your life, especially your mental health?

Acting has almost single-handedly saved my mental health when I needed it most. More than finding methods to properly heal and be myself, acting has connected me with a network of people who have had similar experiences to mine and created a space where I am open to talk about it. With an emphasis on needing to be comfortable with being vulnerable in front of others to faithfully and fully portray a character, my acting classes became a safe space to work through my emotions and for my peers to do the same. Expressing vulnerability together not only connected us, but it also strengthened us and pushed us to reach our full potential. So acting is not just an art; it is a medium of deep and meaningful reflection that matures you. For this reason, I highly recommend everyone to try to take an acting class; its benefits are immense.

10) Can you share a bit about the Erabus and the Fall of Sparrows play and your contributions to it?

Erabus and the Fall of Sparrows is a student-curated play that covers topics relevant to the youth—such as teen suicide and gun violence—in a way that is both sensitive and impactful to all audiences. At its recent debut at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this past June, Erabus filled 50 seats for 6 nights, emotionally moving each audience member.

As Public Relations/Assistant Director, I was offered the unique opportunity to combine my passions of acting and mental health policy to make change. In my position, I had two main focuses: publicizing the show and ensuring that Erabus was a safe space for audience members. To market Erabus, I created a dedicated Erabus and the Fall of Sparrows website, documenting our project’s progress and goals. I also ran an Erabus Instagram page and worked with the OCSA CEO and PR Team to secure a feature on Culture OC and organize an “Erabus Instagram Takeover,” reaching over 26,000 individuals. At the same time, I reached out to local, state-wide, and national mental health and gun violence organizations, establishing official partnerships with Connect-OC, the CalHope-sponsored app Soluna, Charlie Health, and TeamENOUGH. Collaborating with our partners and other reputable associations such as the Trevor Project and the California Mental Health Services Authority, I created an audience resource guide giving viewers the tools to process the heavy content of Erabus and take action. This guide was nationally recognized by ENOUGH!, an organization sponsoring student plays against gun violence, incorporating the resources in their Nationwide Reading Toolkit for Producers.

11) How does theater help with mental health expression?

In a situation like Erabus and the Fall of Sparrows, theater helps with mental health expression by establishing a creative space to openly speak on stigmatized issues like mental health. Beyond work directly relating to mental health, theater requires actors to be in touch with their emotions. This allows for internal reflection and explicit conversation on how we can healthily express ourselves. Actors are placed in situations where they need to address pent-up issues and trauma, but are given the tools to do so effectively and come out stronger.

12) What do you think Orange County can do more of to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health?

In most parts of OC, mental health is viewed as a secondary issue, making it overlooked and underdiscussed. The best way that we can combat this is by talking about it. Recognizing mental health as a priority and normalizing casual conversations about mental health with friends and family encourages individuals to reach out and use available resources in times of need.

13) What would you say to a fellow student who is struggling with their mental health?

Don’t be afraid to reach out. It can feel like you are a burden when you tell someone what you are going through, but you are not. There are so many people out there who want to listen to you and support you fully. Additionally, whatever is happening will pass. It may seem like the end of the world right now, but it will get better. Take things step by step and week by week. Most importantly, give yourself time to take care of yourself.

14) Why do you think youth/young adults should attend communist mental health events (like those hosted by Connect-OC)?

Mental health events uplift you and your community. We can acknowledge that the stigma surrounding mental health is an issue, but the change can only be made if we take action. Attending communist mental health events, like Connect-OC’s self-care days or mindful expression events, are simple ways to do so. Additionally, these gatherings are opportunities to be connected with a network of people with a common interest in promoting mental health resources. Overall, collective mental health events are a great way to meet new people and start discussions that matter.