SOPHIE BUCK let the small paintbrush glide across the tiny palette, blending lush green hues with turquoise blues to capture the Cantabrian Sea on a perfect Easter morning in Spain. Sophie, one of four homeschooled children raised in Fayetteville, had embarked on an adventure of a lifetime near her 23rd birthday — walking across the entire country of Spain, from the French border to Santiago de Compostela. Though she was also an accomplished musician, Sophie left her violin at home for this journey and focused on her art.
“I just wanted some time to kind of reset and take out a really long walk with God,” Sophie said.
Sophie is no stranger to taking big leaps of faith, as she and her family have always dreamed big.
Sophie’s military family moved to Fayetteville when she was a child. Her parents, Jeb and Val Buck, inspired their children by modeling hard work, perseverance, and excellence in all they do.
Though they did not know anyone, they quickly felt welcome in this town known for its Southern hospitality. Sophie said they found an instant home at Howell Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where the Buck children grew up.
“They just really provided a sense of community and home,” Sophie said.
The Buck family became deeply involved in the church, and Sophie enjoyed playing violin there for worship services. The children were also active members of the 4-H Club, under the leadership of Dan Owen. They participated in everything from wildlife judging to taking on service projects. Sophie’s judging team and her brother Evan’s team both won the national 4-H wildlife judging competition.
“Being active and involved in church and doing 4-H really positioned us well. It gave us a huge advantage through public speaking contests, service projects, and just getting out into the community,” Sophie said.
The siblings also ran on Riverside Christian Academy’s cross-country team. By the time the Buck children were ready for college, they had all completed dual enrollment at Motlow through the Dual Enrollment Grant.
“All four of us went to different Tennessee schools,” Sophie said.
Evan, the oldest, attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he majored in ornithology. He currently works as a bird scientist and has seven published papers on Google Scholar as the primary author. His fieldwork has taken him to Michigan, Minnesota, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Bering Sea, where he banded ducks. He even traveled to Taiwan for a solo birding expedition.
Sophie’s sister, Tori, attended Tennessee Tech, where she majored in pure mathematics and was commissioned directly into the Navy upon graduation. She is now a lieutenant and surface warfare officer. She also published her first novel, “The Ocean’s Accomplice,” at just 16.
Andrew, the youngest, is currently 21 and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Spanish. He studied abroad in both Spain and Costa Rica and is now a flight instructor at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
“Having a close family is one of the greatest blessings that I can think of,” Sophie said.
Sophie graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, where she studied graphic design and music. She taught music lessons for a year after graduation before setting off on her cross-country excursion in Spain. And now, she is a talented, classically-trained violinist and recording artist who lives in Nashville.
Sophie stays busy doing what she loves. She works four days a week at Franklin Pediatric Dentistry, teaches violin at Bandwagon Music on Fridays, and performs her music at wedding gigs and other events.
She has released two albums in Nashville. The first is a collection of fiddle tunes — including square dance, contra dance, and Celtic. The second, “In the Garden,” is a special project for Sophie. It is an instrumental recording of the hymns she grew up singing at Howell Cumberland Presbyterian Church, to which she dedicated the album. Sophie played every instrument herself — layering them throughout the songs — including violin, viola, cello, guitar, mandolin, piano, and bodhran.
“I grew up singing and playing at Howell Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The album has ‘Amazing Grace,’ ‘How Great Thou Art,’ ‘In the Garden,’ and just a lot of my favorite hymns that are a part of who I am,” she said.
Two music videos are coming soon — one filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains and one centered on the hymn “Christ Alone.” They will be released in June and September of this year.
Sophie is engaged to Ian Jacobs, a draftsman for a barndominium company. After an October wedding, she plans to join him in Lafayette — trading city life for country homesteading, where they hope to raise goats, chickens, and bees and plant a garden. But she’s not stopping there — her next season also includes writing and illustrating children’s books.
“I’m super excited to dive into that in this next season,” Sophie said.
The Buck family never stops dreaming.
“If you have a dream, I think that’s something that the Lord has placed in your heart, and I just want to encourage everyone to go for it,” Sophie said. “Proverbs 3:5-6 says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding… acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.’ That is my testimony, and I can attest that it’s true.” GN
