By Aidan Vann 鈥 Volunteer Engagement Ambassador
Justice, equality, love, and community guide Sophia鈥檚 decisions about where she shows up. For Sophia Gallo, service means recognizing the needs around her and stepping into the roles she can genuinely fill. Whether she鈥檚 tending community gardens, packing food boxes, or marching in the streets, she views each act as a way to uplift her neighbors and deepen the solidarity that connects different struggles.
Rooted in Justice
Sophia鈥檚 journey began at fifteen, when she first learned about police brutality against communities of color. What started as attending protests, quickly grew into a lifelong commitment to justice. Over the years she has shown up for Black lives, immigrant rights, women鈥檚 rights鈥攅specially in the wake of the Roe v. Wade reversal鈥攁nd for queer and trans communities. She has also been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian liberation, calling for an end to U.S. complicity in their oppression.
A few years ago, her activism expanded beyond the streets. After learning more about food insecurity in her region, she dove into work around food sovereignty. Volunteering in community gardens and food pantries opened her eyes to the beauty of neighbors feeding neighbors鈥攁nd to how urgently accessible, community-grown food is needed. For Sophia, racial justice, food justice, human rights, and liberation are intertwined. Every person has a role to play, and embracing her own has guided her path.
Growing Through Community
Sophia鈥檚 commitment didn鈥檛 emerge from a single defining moment, but from years of reading, listening, and witnessing the injustices people face. Along the way, she found something she hadn鈥檛 expected: deep community. Connections with organizers, activists, and compassionate neighbors have grounded her, especially during moments of burnout. These relationships not only motivate her, but ripple outward鈥攈er family and friends now join her at protests, volunteer alongside her, and draw inspiration from her unwavering commitment.
Leadership on Campus
As a Volunteer Engagement Ambassador, Sophia works to make service more accessible for fellow 91视频 students. With school, jobs, and life pulling students in many directions, she strives to build bridges to opportunities that feel doable and meaningful.
Her leadership extends across campus. As president of the Sociology Club, she helps shape events centered on political education and community awareness鈥攆rom discussions on Latinx identity labels to explorations of food sovereignty. The club is also active in SAFA (Students Against Fascism Alliance), organizing student-led activism such as a recent car parade protesting the Time, Place, and Manner policy.
Sophia鈥檚 involvement in Liberation Education (LibEd), a socialist organization focused on political education, has deeply influenced her growth as an activist. Recently, she facilitated an event on Ecological Marxism and food sovereignty, discussing capitalism鈥檚 impact on people and the planet while highlighting local community gardens like the MiniNature Reserve. The event also distributed free produce during a period of steep SNAP cuts鈥攁n example of theory and community care working hand in hand.
Advice for Future Changemakers
Sophia encourages new volunteers to start small. 鈥淣o one can fix everything,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ut everyone can do something meaningful. Find a community you care about, choose a manageable first step, and let your journey unfold from there. One act of service often leads to another鈥攁nd before long, you find your place in the work.鈥