Coastside Whiz Kid: This Week’s Outstanding Young Person

Name: Sophia Pappalardo

Age: 10

Town:  Half Moon Bay

Schools: Serra Preschool, San Clemente, Calif.; Community Presbyterian Preschool, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; Half Moon Bay.

Church: , Half Moon Bay

Academic accomplishments: G.A.T.E. program, good grades

Awards: “Good citizenship. For my birthday this year I asked for donations to a shelter in Utah named ‘Best Friends’ instead of gifts, and I ended up raising a little more than $300.”

Sports: Basketball for (CYO), 3rd & 4th grade teams

Hobbies: Greek mythology, reading, learning to play guitar & piano, gymnastics, singing, dancing, jewelry making, cooking & baking

Favorite subject in school: “Writing because it allows my imagination to go wherever it wants to.”

Least favorite subject in school: “Math because fractions, decimals and division are a bit confusing to me.”

Whiz Kid’s key to awesomeness: “Read and have big expectations for yourself in life.”

Favorite foods: “Sushi, seaweed, pasta, kiwi and mango.”

What are you reading right now? “'The Magic Thief’ by Sarah Prineas, ‘Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator’ by Roald Dahl and ‘Dragon Rider’ by Cornelia Funke.”

What’s your most favorite thing to do on weekends: “Hang out with friends, read and play with my dogs.”

What do your parents make you do around the house that you dread or drives you crazy:  “Vacuuming.”

How many hours of homework do you do on average each night? “Two hours.”

Something you would like to share: “I love for things to be organized. I clean my sister’s half of our room as well as mine. I really love baking popovers and cookies.  Someday soon, I’ll be cooking dinner for my family just like my uncle, who is a chef in San Francisco. I want to go to Australia as soon as I can, and I want to go to Greece to see all the cool places I love to read about in Greek mythology.”

Something interesting about you: “My name Sophia is Greek and means wisdom so naturally my favorite Greek god/goddess is Athena, who is the goddess of wisdom.”