Sofia C. ’25 is involved in Latinas Unidas, First Gen Club, and volunteers at John Muir Hospital where she works in the Mother/Baby wing. She is a Mexican American, First Generation, Latina born and raised in California.
“I am the oldest sibling to my younger brother, which meant that growing up I was always the more responsible one. As a First Gen, It is practically a universal experience, that the oldest is always in charge of anything involving the English language. This independence at a young age impacted me as a whole. Although it can be exhausting, it formed my biggest skill, compassion, which has shaped me into the young woman I am today. It ties into my identity because it represents the values I hold and what I stand for.”
Sofia first got involved with Latinas Unidas at her freshman-year club fair. “Latinas Unidas is a group of poderistas, women of power, which to me is the act of uplifting our fellow sisters. I showed up to every meeting throughout my freshman year and was made vice president my sophomore year. That was when everything changed. More people started to sign up, and we even got a good amount of members, both from Carondelet and De La Salle, to show up consistently. This year, I was chosen to be the president of Latinas Unidas, and I plan to build an even bigger presence here at Carondelet.”
She credits her Hispanic heritage for giving her the perseverance to help achieve her goals and aspirations. “From a young age, I have always been told to persevere, no matter the issue. From school, to work, and even bigger issues, it’s helped me keep on going, even beyond my goals. It’s thinking about the delayed gratification of the achievement, like giving up free time for a better grade in class, that will ultimately help me in the long run. By pushing on, I have achieved many of my aspirations so far.”
“Advice that I would give to younger students at Carondelet exploring their Hispanic heritage would be to not compromise who they are. It’s important for people to see us for who we are, rather than what they expect us to be.”