Hi! My name is Sonia and I am a neuroscience major on the pre-med track. As a junior, I've had some time to find the best eats, memorable study places, and hidden gems on campus and I can't wait to show them to you. You can usually find me dancing in studio at the Platt Performing Arts Center or grabbing a coffee with friends at Stommans, but when I'm not out and about I love studying at the Neuroscience and Behavioral Science Building rotunda. These places hold the memories for me at Penn that brought me the people that make the campus and amazing education memorable and I would love to show you what you could find on this campus of limitless possibilities.

Hometown

Pennington, New Jersey

Major(s)

Neuroscience

Minor(s)

Chemistry, Data Science and Analytics

Clubs, organizations & involvement

CityStep, Auxilium Tutoring, Quadramics, Penn Singers, PennArts, Zeta Tau Alpha

Describe your college experience

As someone who did an arts pre-orientation program, I was thrown into the art scene at Penn and the greater Philadelphia area from Day 1. For me, I came to college still exploring what I wanted to do academically, so I took classes in various subjects - ranging from food to medicine and business. However, the community and passion I found within the dance and theater clubs I joined is something that sticks with me today and that have become the people I want to surround myself with. Penn's flexible program gave me the opportunity of time to find what I wanted to do academically while the wide range of arts clubs helped me find what exactly I loved about dance and theater and find my place at Penn.

Tip for future students

Take the time to explore different interests you might have! Take classes in different subjects and join clubs that may be out of your comfort zone because you never know what you might like until you try it.

Favorite class

Digital Humanities was my favorite class. The workshop-style had us visit the various libraries around Penn and take a deep-dive into the process behind digitizing literature. This was my favorite class because it made me slow down and think about the detailed process of transferring a physical archival material to my computer screen. I previously did not realize how much thought and planning went into this process, and after this class I began to apply this type of insight to other sites around campus and in my life.

Career goals

I hope to participate in Teach for America for 2 years before going to medical school. Right now, I am interested in interventional radiology, cardiology, and neurosurgery.

Ideal way to spend a free night

For me, an ideal night is a small gathering with my closest friends. About 5 or 6 of us would go to a family-style restaurant that was quieter and bond over our favorite Italian food before going back to someone's apartment and baking and playing board games.

High school or secondary school

The Lawrenceville School

Favorite spot on campus

My favorite spot is the Neural and Behavioral Science building, specifically the atrium. It overlooks the Biopond and greenhouses, already making it a picture-perfect spot to study, but the reason it has really become my favorite is because of the small memories I have made with the people around me there. From study sessions with friends after lunch to getting to know my lab partners after class downstairs, the building is a place that brings people of both similar and varying interests together.