Sophia, who attends Bermuda High School for Girls, submitted the winning entry -- in the under 18 category -- in The Royal Gazette's Christmas short story contest last year.

And she in on the honour roll at BHS.

Sophia's favourite classes are history and maths.

The outstanding student, who attends BHS by way of a scholarship, hopes to become a movie director some day.

She is member of the Girl Guides and likes to play the piano and the viola.

She also enjoys dancing, swimming and playing netball.

Talking openly about her illness, Sophia said: "When I found out that I had lupus I was very upset. I was healthy, but my health was taken away from me.'' However, Sophia has found the strength to carry on.

And she said she wishes everyone would be happy and make the best out of what they have.

Sophia, who likes listening to rhythm & blues and pop music, believes that government should build a facility where a variety of activities, such as a shopping centre, movie theatre, education centre and games rooms, would be available to the youth of the Island.

She said that if the violence in Bermuda continues to escalate, tourism will go down and Bermuda will become another `crime-bitten' Island.

On the other hand she can see Bermuda progressing and becoming stronger as an island if violence is controlled.

Sophia said one of society's main problems is that people are always willing to talk about how badly the youth behave but no one does anything to help them.

"I think that adults should find out what the youth are interested in and then help to provide these things.'' she added.

Sophia is an only child and described herself has being understanding independent and caring.

She has two dogs Bicko and Sheba. Her favourite television show is `Under the Roof'. Her favourite type of food is Italian and she loves to eat fish.

Sophia said if she had an open plane ticket to anywhere in the world, she would go to Africa.

"I would like to see how people can live without a lot of material things,'' she said. "I would also like to see the place that my ancestors came from.'' SOPHIA GREAVES