Political science major acts as student leader on campus

As the first member of her family to attend college, the transition for Margie Sosa ’20 wasn’t easy. She initially felt intimidated and unsure of her decision, but she knew that Wooster was where she needed to be. “As an immigrant from Peru, who grew up in New Jersey, moved to Atlanta, and came to Wooster, it was hard for me to adjust and navigate higher education on my own,” said Sosa. “Being a first-generation, low-income student, I felt a huge pressure to succeed, to try to prove myself, and to show others that I belonged here.”

What type of support did you have as a new college student at Wooster?

“Posse (a nonprofit college readiness program for urban high school students) provided me access to a variety of networks, resources, and mentorship opportunities that were critical to succeeding as a first-gen student. Similarly, the relationships that I have been able to build with faculty here and their willingness to take me in and mentor me have also been very integral to my success.”

What inspired you to form the First-Generation Student Organization and Latinas Unidas on campus?

“Freshman year, I had a lot of friends who were also first gen that were going through the same struggles that I was, but they didn’t have Posse behind them. I wanted to create a community for first-gen, low-income students on campus and a space to have those difficult conversations, share resources and professional development opportunities that are critical for us to succeed in college and after. Similarly, Latinas Unidas was an idea I had after attending the LEAD conference at Harvard in 2018. I saw the impact of Latinas Unidas at Harvard, and I wanted to create that same sense of community here. Now that there are two Latinx student organizations, I feel like it’s really changed the landscape and environment for Latinx students at Wooster. My hopes were to help these students find a home on campus, become involved, and create a strong sense of pride and unity within our community.

What are some skills or experiences you’ve had as a student that you see yourself carrying forward into your career?

“Wooster made it incredibly accessible to study abroad, especially as a low-income student,” said Sosa, who studied at University of Oxford in her junior year. “I received a grant from the Discovery Learning Endowment to help offset many of the expenses that came with studying abroad and my Wooster scholarships/Pell-grant rolled ove,r so it didn’t put a significant financial burden on my family and me. Overall, studying abroad was life changing. It really exposed me to a different world, new opportunities, and taught me so much about myself and my capabilities.”

What’s next for you after graduation?

“I interned last summer with Deloitte LLP, a consulting firm, working in their government and public services division on a Medicaid project. At the end of the summer, I received a return offer, so I’ll be joining them in Atlanta. As for Wooster, we’re trying to start a Latinx alumni association to increase the networking opportunities available for both current students and alumni and to also have events during Alumni Weekend and Black & Gold Weekend for the Latinx community. This year, we hosted the first annual Latinx Gala as part of the campus’ Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.”

Posted in Experiential Learning on March 19, 2021.