A Soul for Dancing

By Leslie Cranford, section manager

When Texas Tech K-12 senior Sophia Jones’ mom tried putting her in ballet classes at age 4, Sophia cried the entire duration of each class because they would only let parents watch from the waiting room.

“She could see me, but I couldn’t see her,” Sophia remembered. “Since that didn’t go so well, my mom decided we would wait and see if I ever wanted to go back.”

Go back, she did.

When Sophia was 6, she told her mom she really wanted to take ballet. “Mom” promptly reminded her how much she disliked it before and told Sophia that she wouldn’t be in the room with her when she took the class. This time was different. Putting Sophia into her “first” ballet class, she fell in love with dance and never looked back.

“Growing up in my small home studio, my parents and I were told that I had a special gift,” Sophia said. “My teachers told my parents that I was going to be someone in the ballet world; they were sure of it. My parents, however, never really took any of that seriously when I was so young.”

In a collaboration between Sophia’s ballet school, Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre and Feijoo Ballet School, training was offered during the day for anyone serious about trying to make it into a ballet company someday; she desperately wanted the freedom to train during the day. Sophia became more determined than ever.

In the fall semester of her first year of high school in 2021, she found Texas Tech K-12 on her own in an online search and proposed the idea to her parents. She had been a public-school student her whole life.

“Although my dad listened from the start, my mom wasn’t going to budge,” Sophia recalled, with a hint of an eyeroll. “Being a public-school principal, she had her mind made up that my brother and I would both graduate from our local high school in League City (Texas). My dad convinced my mom to open her mind to allowing me to go online and join the Texas Tech K-12 program.

“After much research, she agreed that this could be a good fit for me, and I’m grateful she finally came around.”

Sophia enrolled in Texas Tech K-12 in the spring of 2021. She has been on a “fast-moving train” since spring 2024, when she won the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semi-finals in Houston. After advancing to the finals in New York City, performing at Lincoln Center, winning third place in the world with her partner in classical pas de deux at the YAGP Finals and placing top 12 with her classical solo there as well, she has hope that her dreams of becoming known in the ballet world will come true. Those winnings brought her to Boston, where she works every day, doing what she loves with Boston Ballet II. Working as a ballet dancer full-time means putting in more than 40 hours a week in rehearsals, and the performances are additional time on top of that.

“The benefits of me using Texas Tech K-12 are tremendous because it allows me the flexibility to work on school at night, on weekends and even on my breaks during the day at work,” Sophia offered eagerly. “And the program has allowed me to be college-ready for sure. The depth and complexity of the curriculum are one of its strengths.

“The teachers are very encouraging and helpful when you reach out to them. I've attended office hours for tutorials and even had a teacher call me for a conversation over the phone. I can honestly say that I feel the teachers truly care about their students. My advisor, Taylor Fierro, has been very supportive and has helped me stay on top of things as well.”

Sophia says although Fierro has had to send a few progress reports telling her she needed to pick up the pace of completing courses, she’s grateful her advisor has monitored her progress and held her accountable. Sophia will always appreciate the kindness and support shown by Fierro throughout her journey with Texas Tech K-12.

Fierro wasted no time praising Sophia for the student she is and has been – always showing up for herself – a trait Fierro says is essential as Sophia prepares to transition into life beyond high school.

“She has an admirable level of dedication, not only to refining her individual talents, but also to maintaining a strong commitment to her education,” Fierro said. “I know Sophia has a bright and promising future ahead of her. It has truly been an honor to support and contribute to her growth, and to have played a small part in her educational experience.”

Sophia continued explaining how the self-paced, fully online program helped her learn to prioritize. Despite the school’s flexibility, one has to be disciplined to keep up, which she says will also be very helpful for her as she learns to juggle her ballet career and complete her upcoming college classes with Northeastern University.

As far as the future, Sophia says a career as a professional ballet dancer is much like any other professional athletic career.

“You dance until you’re in your mid- to late 30s, then you retire and do what’s next. I am grateful that I’ve been accepted into Northeastern here in Boston. My plan is to chip away at my education slowly since I’ve already started my professional ballet career.”

Later this month she will go on tour to Los Angeles with the Boston Ballet. They are rehearsing for “Swan Lake,” which she is excited to be performing with her colleagues.

“This performance is a beast, but it is so rewarding to complete each show, as well as feel the energy of the audience when they see all of the swans dancing together,” Sophia said, her eyes twinkling.

The thriving young dancer reflected on her experience with Texas Tech K-12, knowing she wouldn’t have come this far without the freedom and flexibility it presented her. Happy to encourage others, she said if they’re looking for a high school education that gives them the rigor of an in-person public school system, she absolutely recommends this program.

“Going through this program helped me achieve my goals,” Sophia exclaims. “From here, where I stand today, I make it my goal to only go up because it truly is possible. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Having faith and having grit gets people to their goal, so, “From Here, It’s Possible™!”

---