Launch at LPS: Soren scripts success at Lincoln High

April 23, 2025

When the curtain closes on Soren’s high school career, she will have scripted many scenes that have earned her rave reviews.
 
The Lincoln High senior has filled leading roles in both academics and extracurricular activities during her time as a Link. She is the National Honor Society parliamentarian, theater board president, member and organizer of the school’s Improv Club and an academic star in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Focus Program. She also works two jobs, has been the student director of a school musical and is planning to study mechanical engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

 
Soren said filling her daily planner with a wide range of Lincoln Public Schools activities has benefited her in many ways. In addition to fine-tuning her time management talents, it has also allowed her to meet people across Lincoln High’s campus.
 
“For me, it’s been really important,” Soren said. “Even here in theater, we get a ton of different people, from show choir kids to people who do track and things like that. It’s a really cool experience to get a bunch of different perspectives from people that you might not normally meet otherwise.”

 
Molly Thomas guides Lincoln High’s theater program and Niki Barnes is the IB school counselor. Both said they have been impressed with Soren’s contagious enthusiasm, unmatched work ethic and enormous reservoir of leadership skills.
 
“To be an IB student and in National Honor Society and all the other things she does, including performing and doing stage crew for the theater department, and the fact that she can do all of those things and still have a high academic achievement is always amazing to me,” Thomas said. “I’m in awe of people like Soren who are strong academically as well as artistically. She’s going to go into college with a great balance of human characteristics, and I can’t wait to see where she ends up because of that.”
 
“Soren is a fantastic communicator and is remarkably perceptive and open-minded,” Barnes said. “She is a leader who is approachable and intentional about including others. She has a warm and empathetic personality, which makes her a ‘go-to’ within her peer group for emotional and academic support. I have no doubt that she will go on to have a measurable influence on the world around her.”

 
Soren came to Lincoln High because she wanted to pursue rigorous coursework in the IB program. She said her positive experiences with teachers, administrators and fellow students have given her a firm foundation for her future.
 
“I think that in LPS, there are a lot of resources that prepare students just to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom,” Soren said. “Even the guidelines of setting expectations, making sure everyone knows what you’re in class for that day, really sets students up for success.”
 
Many of those successful steps have taken place on Lincoln High’s Ted Sorensen Theatre stage. Soren planted seeds for her acting career when she signed up for “Journey to the World’s Edge” as a freshman. She has thrived in the theater-based topsoil and has become a role model for everyone in the department.
 
“I think in the theater program in general I’ve blossomed,” Soren said. “Starting as a freshman I was very nervous and I didn’t really have a voice. I really didn’t know where to put my energy, but going on the theater board and seeing the upperclassmen before me and seeing the leadership team be so strong and confident really helped me develop that in myself as well.”

 
Thomas said Soren has been a source of strength for the program with her poised and positive demeanor. Her ability to gain trust from everyone on stage convinced Thomas that she would be a natural fit as a student director. Soren led group discussions about backdrops for scenes, provided feedback to cast members and helped Thomas manage all aspects of this year’s “Guys and Dolls” production.
 
“Watching her go from a timid freshman to that amazing, confident leader that she is now has been a wonderful thing to see,” Thomas said. “She’s just grown so much over the years. She stepped up, she took a risk and allowed herself to go for different positions on our theater board, and apparently her peers respected her, because they all voted her into those positions.”

 
Soren said she has enjoyed being in both the creative world of theater and the calculating arena of mechanical engineering at Lincoln High.
 
“When I got to high school I realized, ‘Wow, I can have my fun artsy side and have my expression, but I’m better suited academically in a science field,’” Soren said. “It’s been really fun.”

 
Thomas said she believes Soren will be able to play any life role she chooses because of her intellect, imagination and incredible talents.
 
“The future is unlimited for Soren,” Thomas said. “She can do anything, because she does know how to balance, which is the biggest thing. She knows when to have fun, she knows when to be serious, and she knows when to call other people out if they’re being ridiculous. She’s not afraid of anything like that.
 
“She has the ability to speak her mind, and I think she’s going to go far because of the skills she’s acquired and who she is at her essential core. She’s a wonderful person.”

Congratulations, Soren!

We wish you the best in your future endeavors.

We are thankful our educators could help you Launch at LPS!
 

Looking for LPS graduation information?

Check out our graduation page at https://home.lps.org/graduation/ to get the details on celebrating your favorite high school grad.
 
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