I looked at the campus and the faculty were extremely supportive. What drew me here was the positive energy.
Sofie De Coste has yet to take her first class as a ɫƵ political science major, but the incoming freshman is already making a name for herself on Beacon Hill.
Sofie serves on Gov. Maura Healey’s Youth Advisory Council. She sees her Bridgewater State education as an opportunity to further expand her ability to make a difference in others’ lives.
“I’m most excited to start the journey to be a public servant,” said Sofie, who is eager to soak in the experience of her professors. “When it comes to political science, I can read every book in the world, but actual experience is something you can only get from individuals in the classroom.”
The Lakeville resident, who is also majoring in psychology, said she draws inspiration from her family. The daughter of a disabled Marine Corps veteran, she saw the costs of her father’s service continue to affect him as he aged. So, she is advocating for legislation to exempt fully disabled veterans from paying property taxes.
“Being aware of the situation, I thought I should be the one to take the steps and do something about it,” she said.
On the Youth Advisory Council, Sofie leads the youth violence committee, which is studying causes of violence and programs to help young people overcome those challenges.
She is also part of a squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, a national organization affiliated with the U.S. Air Force. Sofie specializes in ground searches for missing people and spent much of this summer training in Texas and Pennsylvania.
Sofie has also experienced obstacles to her success. After her family faced racial discrimination, she questioned how much she could do as a minority.
“I was always saying, ‘I’m going to go out and save the world,’” she said. “I faced all those injustices with my family and had to overcome that. There was definitely a period of time where I wasn’t so sure if I’d be able to.”
But she rediscovered her confidence and commitment to service through the Civil Air Patrol. Now Bridgewater stands out as another place where she can thrive.
“I wanted to stay close to home,” she said of choosing ɫƵ. “I looked at the campus and the faculty were extremely supportive. What drew me here was the positive energy.”
Do you have a ɫƵ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.