Trinity Sawyer Senior Spotlight

How have your experiences in the African American Cultural Club shaped your time at Masterman? What are some of your favorite memories? 

I think it’s really shaped my experience at Masterman considering that I got here freshman year. I was really uncomfortable in the environment, considering that I was new. There aren’t that many African American kids in the school so having that club as an outlet and having people that can relate to me and have the same experiences has made my time here easier. One of my favorite memories was when HOMIES, a mentoring group, came and took us to Penn and had Zoom meetings and club meetings with us. It was a good place for us to meet older people that could relate to things that we were going through. 

Who from your family or the Masterman community do you look up to and why?

The person that I look up to in the Masterman community is Mr. O’Neill. I came here freshman year and he was my advisor. I almost left this school and he encouraged me to stay. He was somebody I knew that I could confide in. He was always very motivational and he didn’t ever make me feel like less than myself. He always created a safe space for me, and looked at me beyond grades and beyond the normal standards. [He is]somebody who I will forever look up to and forever be grateful for.

Describe your dream birthday.

It starts off with me being in L.A., and I go on a shopping spree when I wake up in the morning. I would have a party truck to take me everywhere that I go that day. I would have dinner with my friends and then go on another shopping spree. I would have a photoshoot in the mansion that I would be in, and I would make a bunch of posts on Instagram. 

You danced for about 7 years. What is one important thing you learned from dance that you will always remember?

Consistency can get you very far. I know that oftentimes if you aren’t where you want to be when you first start something, it can push you away from it. I learned how to keep putting more effort into it and to keep trusting the process. That’s something that dance has taught me, and I think about that to this day. I know that if I remain consistent and push through with it, I can become better than I am now. 

With the holiday season coming up, what are some Philadelphia traditions that you’re looking forward to?

We go to Christmas Village and Macy's downtown, where we see the Scrooge Story. We also see the lights at Macy’s. We go to two dance performances—first is the Chocolate Ballerina, which is the Nutcracker with a Black dance school, then we go to another dance performance. We’ve been doing this for years. I’ve been going to LumiNature at the zoo for the past three years. And I go to Shady Brook farms, the drive-through light show. 

You enjoy trying new restaurants. Which restaurants have you been loving recently?

Yeah, I love food. My favorite restaurant right now—five stars—is probably Sullivan’s. It’s a steakhouse in King of Prussia, and that’s one I really love. There’s another one called Din Din, which has Chinese food. 

What is your favorite part of HAAMS?

I joined HAAMS sophomore year, but creating bonds with the middle schoolers made me feel more comfortable. My favorite memory would probably be shadowboxing with the mentees and mentors—there was a competition. Looking back on the videos now, it was just really sweet knowing that everyone felt comfortable in that space. I think that is something that will always resonate with me. 

Who are some people you take the most fashion inspiration from?

Someone's style who I really admire is an artist named Teyana Taylor. Her style is amazing. Ciara as well, I love the way she dresses.

What inspired you to join peer counseling? What do you hope to teach the students you peer counsel?

I really love being able to mentor kids that are younger than me, and after I experienced HOMIES, it showed me the change that can be made when you reassure little kids that they have somebody to talk to. Oftentimes, kids face things in middle school or at home that they don’t feel comfortable talking to people about, and I think reassuring a kid that they have somebody to talk to or helping them know that they aren’t alone is something that helps them out. 

What is something you wish you knew at the start of your high school years?

I wish I knew what the workload would be like, and I wish I didn’t procrastinate as much as I did. [At Masterman], there’s a lot of work and it’s time consuming. I think that if I knew how to manage my time better and did that consistently, that is something that would have saved me. There were many times I was up late and stressed. Also, don’t try to overwork yourself because you see that’s what other people are doing. 

What Masterman tradition will you miss the most? 

Probably lip-sync in spirit week. We won last year, too. I think that’s really something that helps us to engage with people in all grades. I remember last year I wasn’t really familiar with the freshmen, but because I was a junior, I had to work with them. It gives you a good opportunity to come across new people, see new faces, and build new bonds within the school. I think that’s going to be something that I’ll miss very very much.