At just 14, Windsor’s very own starlet Sophia Houston has an air of sophistication, maturity and a strong desire to be a good role model for other girls — attributes you wouldn’t normally expect of someone so young.
After the Gazette spoke with her, it was obvious there’s success in store for the aspiring actress, singer and model.
A year 8 student at the McDonald College of Performing Arts, Sophia has been in the performing arts world since she was two, starting out in both dancing and acting at Vogue Dance Studio in Riverstone and Bligh Park Community Centre.
She’s now in the process of trying to make it through to the finals of the Miss Teen Australia competition, which she says would be a good way to set her up for the future.
‘‘This competition prepares you for the modelling world and looks amazing on your resume,’’ she said.
‘‘I would really like to be a leader and a role model. I want to show people you can still be a real person.’’
The quest is known as the biggest beauty pageant in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sophia is one of 50 in the junior category (13-15-years), vying for a place in the finals, in December on the Gold Coast.
Entrants are chosen through interviews with judges and personal presentations.
However, the Hawkesbury can vote for Sophia in the People’s Choice Award category, by texting TEEN 351 to 19901090. Voting closes on October 17.
The auburn-haired SRC representative named Nicole Kidman and Nelson Mandela as her own inspirations for the extensive portfolio she’s already built, including appearances on Home and Away, Carols in the Domain and in various TV ads.
‘‘I’m a really big fan of Nicole and I’m a bit obsessed with Nelson Mandela,’’ she said. ‘‘His story is just so amazing and intriguing.’’
In November, Sophia is also set to appear as an actress and singer in the lead role of Clarisse in the production of The Servant of Two Masters at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
