Written by: Gwen Dalisay
Every editor’s journey starts with passion and ambition; for Sophie Dessart, it was no different as she navigated unprecedented challenges during her first days at Das Tor amid a global pandemic. Stepping into the role of editor in 2021, during such uncertain times was daunting, yet it became a transformative experience that shaped her professional trajectory.
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct an engaging interview with Sophie through Zoom. Currently, she serves as the communications and public affairs manager at Florence Copper, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s messaging and community relations.
When Sophie first joined Das Tor, she noticed something that surprised her: there was no social media presence. For a school newspaper amidst a global pandemic, that felt like a missed opportunity. Even more surprising—there wasn’t a functional website either. Everything was static, untouched, and definitely not reaching its potential.
Then came Christmas Eve. Sophie had a spontaneous idea: why not ask the student body to share their Christmas traditions and culture? But there was a catch—there was no platform to publish it on. Undeterred, she reached out to the Editor-in-Chief, and the two of them jumped on a call that very night to figure out how to get something—anything—just to get this idea out. They made it happen, talk about a Christmas miracle. And the traction it got? Immediate.
That spark led Sophie to take control of Das Tor’s social media accounts and commit to consistent, reliable publishing. She built a regular schedule and made sure content was always going out. The results spoke volumes: content interaction increased by 1700%, LinkedIn engagement spiked 225% in less than a week, and the team grew from just 6 or 7 people to a 30-person powerhouse. She even helped launch a podcast and saw major growth in event participation.
All of it is rooted in that one pivotal moment of asking, “What if we just tried something”
One of Sophie’s favorite parts of her time at Das Tor was how connected it made her feel. She loved the opportunity to engage with her peers and be part of the very fabric of the Thunderbird community. By the time yearbook season rolled around, she even counted how many people she knew—only one person was a stranger to her. That’s how embedded she had become.
When she officially stepped into the Editor-in-Chief role, Sophie assembled a dynamo of a team. They were big, they were passionate, and they genuinely cared about the work. Of course, with a large team came the usual growing pains, but the energy and commitment made it all worth it.