This Week We Feature Young Professional Sophia M. A. Emberson-Bain
This week Virgin Islands News Online proudly presents Young Professional, Sophia M. A. Emberson-Bain, a young woman with the environment at heart and a passion for theatre and the arts.
Sophia, currently in the final year of her pursuit of a law degree, was raised in Pasea Estate until the age of 6 before subsequently migrating to England and then Australia where she was schooled. She attended the St Peter's Lutheran College in Brisbane, Australia before moving on to her legal studies at Queensland University of Technology. Over the years, she has returned twice per year on holiday to her beloved Virgin Islands.
Our young professional has also studied acting, jazz (plays the clarinet) and once wanted to become a medical doctor as she related that she has a passion for helping people. Sophia disclosed, “I realised that the only way that I could help people was if I knew the law so that I could help people through the confines of the legal system.”
Whenever she returns home from her legal studies in Australia, she works at McW, Todman & Co law firm.
She took a break from her law studies at one time and pursued acting in Los Angeles, California where she secured an acting manager from the management firm Vincent Cirrincione & Associates, but later decided to move back to Australia to pursue her acting and resumed her law degree studies.
Sophia is particularly passionate about Environmental Law and says this came as a result of influence she had received from the mother of her best friend who was "a very big" environmentalist. “She opened my eyes to the fact that we live in a world where the environment sometimes plays second fiddle to society’s main objectives… she made me aware of the environmental injustices that are happening on a daily basis,” she revealed, “I then took all that information and just ran with it and became super passionate about it…”
A co-founder of the environmental organisation, World House Caribbean, Sophia established in 2012 with fellow Virgin Islander, Dalan Vanterpool, a platform for encouraging and promoting “environmental consciousness” for the benefit of the future generations of the Virgin Islands. “Hopefully,” she added, “one day we’ll be able to expand it throughout the Caribbean.”
“Our main objective right now,” the Young Professional stated, “is to educate the community as to plastics in particular… we’re trying to transition the people of the [VI] from plastics to re-usable bags.”
A typical day in the life of 24-year old Sophia includes watching documentaries, reading books, “…something to further my environmental knowledge,” she said, “I’m always doing that.” She makes regular checks of her email to find out about acting or other bookings from her agent, chats up some friends, going to the beach, dancing or similar activities. “I think I’m a very family-oriented person,” she added.
Our Young Professional lists among her greatest achievement the incorporation of an environmental organisation as well as her charitable organisation in Australia.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would have an environmental organisation that I am essentially in charge of,” she said. “I’m the mother of it… and it happened so quickly it was just ‘I need to do something and I need to put a name so that people can identify who’s doing it’.” It was at this point that she made a decision along with Dalan to form the non-profit organisation, ‘World House’.
Through her charity Tri-butions in Australia, she collects food contributions from members of the community, to donate to the Aboriginal community once per week.
Sophia explained that she has participated in film, television and theatre acting, most recently playing the role of the title character’s arch enemy in ‘Carmen’, an opera production in Australia that saw her doing more acting than singing. She has also done a bit of modelling, appearing on a few billboards in Australia.
She has recently been a fixture on the popular ZRod FM ‘Morning Ride’ show with Paul 'Gadiethz' Peart, using the platform to promote and encourage human rights and environmental awareness issues within the Territory.
Even though she didn't go to school here, Sophia said the Virgin Islands is her home, noting that she was brought up with values that are closely associated with the Territory. She noted too, that the VI is never too far from her heart when she is away. “I guess that’s why I love it so much, it’s where I’m from, it’s where I identify as an individual,” she said, “I’m passionate about making this place greater than what it is.”
She said of her environmental interests, “I think that not just people should be represented, but [also] the land that we occupy… I don’t think that there are enough people that are able to do that or have that passion… everyone has their own individual passions… [I think that] if you are passionate about the environment and you are living here then I think that you should put that passion to good use and fight for the environment because it needs fighting for.”
“The world is your house...” she said, “I think there is so much scope for the future of environmental law and environmental justice growth particularly seeing that the BVI is directly linked to tourism and the world is becoming more aware of the benefits of the environment, particularly the impact and growth of eco-tourism.” She pointed out that tourists come here for the environment and not a shopping metropolis or Vegas-like casinos.
To youths, Sophia said, “If you like reading, then law is definitely for you. Keep reading, expand your mind… think big.” She also noted that one should not preach environmental justice and consciousness without first being conscious about the environment. “Start with yourself, start picking up garbage and putting it into the garbage bin…” she advised. She also encouraged that persons should start with bringing their own bag with them to the supermarket… not letting the water run for ten minutes before taking a shower or using aluminium water bottles instead of plastics.
“Never think that just because your ideas are different from theirs you’re going to give up,” she said.
20 Responses to “This Week We Feature Young Professional Sophia M. A. Emberson-Bain”
AND SHE IS BEAUTIFUL (and she knows it).
Awesome stuff Sophia. Keep it up..
Oh Beautiful Virgin Islands(British)
Virgin Islands(B) Territorial Song