Sofia grew up in Venezuela and witnessed firsthand the consequences of protesting an authoritative government without the possibility of legal recourse. During her time as an LSA international student (‘22, Political Science and Cognitive Science), she interned at a human rights agency and realized that defending people’s rights of expression was her calling. Would she pursue a degree in law like her parents, or go about her passion in another way? Sofia is still undecided on that, but she’s thrilled to be starting her post-grad life in Philadelphia back at Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression where she interned a little over a year ago. She’s excited to talk with LSA students about discovering their WHY, and about the value of building supportive relationships with friends and family that help keep one’s sense of intuition and patience intact. Join us!


About Sofia:

Sofia Lopez graduated with high honors in Political Science from LSA in 2022. She also majored in Cognitive Science and completed a minor in French and Francophone studies. She is a part of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, and she completed a senior thesis project on the constitutional construction of judicial independence and the impact of the Executive Office on the courts. Sofia has three years of research experience in the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan, studying moral development in children with a particular focus on how they develop trust in institutions and reciprocity. Her experiences in Venezuela created a passion in her for the First Amendment that led her to pursue an academic career in the United States. She now lives in Philadelphia where she works at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression as a program associate. In her spare time, Sofia enjoys playing volleyball, reading, listening to podcasts, and having interesting conversations.

You should attend this session if you are:

-A U-M undergraduate LSA student
-Interested in free speech and human rights
-Desire connecting with an international alum working in the public sector
-Curious to know how navigate the job search process outside of the corporate world
-Interested in living in Philadelphia


What you’ll gain by attending:
-Support from a recent graduate working in the public sector
-Ideas for launching a career that relates to your personal WHY
-A grounded approach to thinking through steps to take when nearing graduation from LSA

RSVP NOW to be part of the conversation. The link to join this Alum Connection will be emailed to you after you RSVP.

The LSA Opportunity Hub aims to deliver inclusive and accessible experiences and welcomes all LSA students to participate. This event will be hosted on Zoom (learn more about Zoom accessibility) and can be accessed by phone or computer. Presentation materials may be shared in advance if requested, and live captioning will be provided. To request other accommodations please contact LSA Hub Events at lsa.hubevents@umich.edu or 734-763-4674 so we can make arrangements.