Sophia’s contributions to collective work
her role in the bgc!
Sophia served as the Lead for BGC Youth Programs from the 2024-2025 school year. She helped spearhead the recruitment and establishment of the first BGC Youth Team and the youth team’s attendance of the AERA conference. She has been a part of the Black Girlhood Collaborative for 4 years, and in that time, Dr. Brown and the other team members have guided her to join the UF Hall of Fame and become a Finalist for the Rhodes and Fulbright graduate/research scholarship opportunities. Sophia also plays a role in co-leading social media publications and website design. Sophia is currently working as a paralegal for the Public Defender Service of D.C.’s Juvenile Services Program, while continuing to co-facilitate and co-lead BGC Youth Programs.
2025 senior thesis: “Girls on Fire”
Sophia received highest honors on her African American Studies Senior Honors Thesis, with her research funded by the Mellon Foundation, UF African American Studies, and the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Research Scholars program. She presented her thesis work at the 2025 National Council of Black Studies Conference, and was published in the UF Journal of Undergraduate Studies in 2025. She completed these publications—and of course, all youth-engaged research—with the support and guidance of Dr. Taryrn Brown, her mentor, advisor, and the principal investigator and research coordinator of the BGC. Dr. Brown has also supported Sophia in endeavors to receive over $35,000 in grant funding for youth-engaged research and projects in Florida and the Dominican Republic.
