Throughout her time at Georgetown, Sophia Pineda (SFS’26) has come to know herself not only as a student, but also as a community member and world citizen.
As she prepares to walk across the stage in May, Pineda reflects on her SFS journey, including the mentors who shaped her interest in demography and health, the impact of studying in DC and the international perspective that underlined her education.
A strong academic focus
While some students arrive at university eager to explore their academic options, Pineda’s direction was clear before she even came to the Hilltop. “I applied to Georgetown as an international political economy (IPEC) major, and I never considered changing it,” she says.
She continues: “I wanted to know how some people around the world were doing so well, while others were suffering immeasurably. Why are some countries rich and others poor? I knew that economics and politics were at the heart of these questions, and that diving into both of these disciplines would shed light on ways to improve wellbeing for entire populations.”
Over the course of her time at SFS, Pineda honed her focus on policies affecting women’s health. One of the cornerstone classes along the way was Culture, Reproductive Science & Technology, taught by Professor Cecilia Van Hollen. Initially drawn to the course by her interest in the politics and policies surrounding reproductive rights in the U.S. and around the world, Pineda says the material offered nuanced perspectives on historical and contemporary issues of healthcare and reproductive justice that inspired all of the subsequent research she undertook at Georgetown, including her senior research project on the impact of paid maternity leave on postpartum health.
Professor Axel Anderson’s Game Theory course is also a highlight. Although challenging, Pineda found the class incredibly rewarding, as she values the discipline for its wide-ranging application in modeling strategic interactions.
Pineda credits much of her academic success to her mentor, Professor Daniel Atherton, who taught the mandatory first-year course, Writing and Culture. She recalls the profound impact of his feedback: “I remember listening to his 20+ minute-long audio feedback and feeling so seen by someone who had read my work with genuine interest.” She adds that she had never encountered anyone “more invested in supporting what I had to say as a writer and communicator.”
DC as an arena for professional development
A key element of Pineda’s SFS experience has been experiencing life in Washington, DC. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, a small city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, she keenly appreciates the opportunities a city like DC provides: “One of the best parts of going to Georgetown is having access to opportunities in DC.” In fact, she opted not to study abroad during her time at SFS, instead immersing herself in the local community. “I wanted to take advantage of living in DC for as long as I could,” she says.
Getting out into the city, Pineda explored a wide range of off-campus activities, including a six-month internship at the Export-Import Bank of the United States during the summer and fall of her junior year. Honing her skills in financial research and insurance underwriting, she shares, “It was gratifying to apply what I had learned from classes like International Trade and International Finance to my work at the Bank.” Currently, she is interning at DC-based fundraising tech company Grassroots Analytics.
Pineda also charted a distinct extracurricular journey at Georgetown. After applying to several campus organizations, Pineda felt defeated when she was rejected from the clubs she felt were most related to her major. However, that disappointment turned into opportunity when she joined Georgetown Students for Prison Justice. The student-led organization works to integrate educational programming into local jails and to advocate for legal reform, combining education, volunteering, advocacy and research.
After three years of volunteering with the group, Pineda says that she is grateful for the redirection that led her to the organization. “I am glad I got rejected, or I would not have been able to engage in such fulfilling work,” she explains. “I learned a lot from volunteering at the jail, and I think it is significant that Georgetown facilitates students getting involved to improve one of the most opaque systems of our country.”
Exposure to international perspectives
Although she may not have physically traveled abroad during her time at Georgetown, her SFS education brought the world to the Hilltop. Her first-year proseminar, People and Politics Down Under, focused on issues dominating the Australia/New Zealand region. “My biggest takeaway from the class was the concept of the Anglosphere and how historical ties manifest in international agreements like AUKUS,” Pineda recalls.
The language program at SFS also became a defining feature of her experience, starting with her first-semester Spanish class. Pineda went on to take Portuguese for Spanish-Speakers her junior year, during which she had the opportunity to meet with Brazilian English-learners over Zoom each week to practice languages and engage in cultural exchange.
What Pineda values most about her SFS experience is the community’s international perspective; she explains that she found it “exciting and refreshing to be surrounded by people who kept up with global news.” She describes the enrichment she found in being surrounded by “people practicing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and other forms of spirituality,” adding that “Georgetown’s inter-religious engagement is one of its strengths.” Pineda also highlights the SFS community’s distinct solidarity with diverse global communities. “The SFS community is uniquely aware of the value immigrants bring to the United States, and I am grateful for the action of SFS students and faculty in the face of anti-immigrant policies,” she says.
Taking Georgetown’s impact into the future
Though she is sad to depart from Georgetown, Pineda eagerly anticipates her next chapter. This fall, she will be attending the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to pursue a master’s degree in demography and health, where she will further specialize in population data science.
As a December graduate, Pineda says she already misses Georgetown. “I miss the joy of learning, having a front row seat to global events, running on local trails and sitting down on a picnic blanket on Copley lawn with friends,” she says.
If she could go back and give her first-year self advice, she says she would emphasize “not beating yourself up for not having a relevant internship lined up.” She also highlights the importance of networking with intention, explaining that she has “found Georgetown alums to be very friendly and open.” She reminds current students, “there are truly Hoyas in every field, so reach out and you never know what opportunity may come from it!”