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Wellesley Senior Sophia Zupanc '15 Receives Prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
We recently received word that one of our young alumni – Sophia Zupanc '15 – has been selected by The Watson Foundation as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow. The 41 college seniors selected hail from six countries and 18 states. Watson Foundation Executive Director Chris Kasabach said, “A record number of students initiated this year’s application process. The new class is remarkable. They reflect the diversity, imagination and cross-disciplinary nature of our next-generation leaders.” The fellowship will provide Sophia with $30,000 to sustain her travel and research project for one full calendar year outside of the US.
Sophia’s project, titled “Dispatches From Death: Exploring How We Die” explores how the notions of death and dying are shaped by the culture, institutions and norms under which an individual lives. She will conduct her research by observing, interviewing and volunteering with people in communities whose death and dying rituals differ from those traditionally found in the US. Sophia will be working in Greece, India, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.
Sophia will graduate from Wellesley this May with a major in economics and a minor in mathematics. She says she always saw herself pursuing a Ph.D. in health policy (or something related) and becoming a professor, but now suspects her fellowship experience might lead her to something more clinically oriented rather than research-based.
Sophia credits her time at Gilmour and at Wellesley with leading her to this point. She’s particularly enjoyed her time at Wellesley due to the meaningful bonds she’s made with professors that have allowed her to pursue a curriculum specifically tailored to her interests. For example, she is currently writing a thesis in the economics department looking at how patient-clinician communication impacts ICU resource utilization in end-of-life scenarios while also completing an independent study in the sociology department on the phenomenology of illness.
Reflecting on her time at Gilmour, Sophia said she is indebted to three faculty members, in particular. She credits Mrs. Janis with helping her find her voice and cultivating the confidence within her to use it. She is grateful to Mrs. Stockard for her “unwavering support of each and every one of my wonky ideas from my sophomore year of high school until now.“ Finally, she thanks Ms. Merkel for reminding her to always think critically of the world around me. Sophia also noted that “beyond the faculty, the Gilmour mission, ‘To develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society,’ has been a touchstone for me.”
Safe travels, Sophia and we can’t wait to hear about your year abroad upon your return!
