This is a post by Tara Chattoraj, a student at Wheaton Warrenville South High School and a co-president of Verterra, the Action Team at WWS.

If you made a list of the top 5 things you wanted in an ACE Educator, I bet it would go something like this: resourceful, creative, understanding, connected, and, of course, fun. Combine all of those traits, and you’ve made an ACE Educator that is to die for.

Well, for all of you who’ve met Sophie, you know that she is definitely all five of those and then some. I mean, she knows everyone there is to know in the “green” world, manages to find grants day in and day out, and is always available to give a helping hand in any way she can. And by always, I mean, if you’re having an environmental crisis and she’s at her sister’s wedding, which just happens to be on Thanksgiving, you know she’ll crawl under the table to Skype you and still manage to get out to cut the cake. Or turkey. Or whatever. You get the point: she’s always willing to help.

But it doesn’t stop there: while she’s under the table Skyping you, she’ll also call 5 other people she just happens to know who can help you out, tell you about 7 grants and 10 websites you would have never thought of, and give you 15 pointers for your project entirely off the top of her head. Then she’ll schedule a time to meet with your action group to help you through the whole thing, and invite you to a Leadership Training just for good measure.

Sophie is not just an encyclopedic data base of helpful information and a great resource for finding grants and networking – she’s also a really fun person to work with. Whether it’s at a Leadership Training or a Skype conference with the whole club, you know that whoever she’s talking to will be enjoying themselves. She can talk about cutting-edge environmental technology or cute homecoming dresses, about the latest research on climate change or how to make good luck (vegan) chili – no matter what the subject, she always has something fun to add to the conversation.

And when it’s time to focus on your club, she’s relaxed, helpful, and always positive. Instead of telling you that an idea is bad, she’ll tell you how to make it better (and then proceed to give you the five names, seven grants, 10 websites, and 15 pointers that will make it awesome). If you’re having issues getting your numbers up, Sophie always has the answer. Not sure what project to do next? Just shoot Sophie an email, and she’ll get back to you within half-an-hour. If you realize don’t have quite the funding you need to complete a project, Sophie will find ways to fill in the needed money or bring down the price, and that’s if she can’t get you a grant from ACE.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that no matter what, Sophie is always there to help you out in any way she can, and that’s what makes her and every other ACE Educator so awesome. So this year, before you tuck in to your turkey and stuffing, send a mental thanks to your Educator and to everyone at ACE who works behind the scenes to help make us shine.

Without them, we’d be left to bumble around in the darkness. With them, we shine brighter than any setback that tries to block our path.

Want to tell us about your ACE Educator and keep it a surprise? Let us know.