Have you ever wondered who is behind bringing student experience stories to life at the School of Human Ecology? Or who is posting on the social media accounts? As my time at the school draws to a close, I’m ready to step out from behind the curtain. Hi! My name is Sofia More, and I am excited to reflect on my time as a human ecologist and share my story with you.
In high school, I wanted nothing less than to go to school in the Midwest. As a native Chicagoan, attending college with a million of my peers and being two hours away from home sounded like my worst nightmare. That is, until I visited UW–Madison’s campus at the beginning of my senior year. I instantly fell in love — the vibrant student community, lakes, nature and incredible academics — what more is there to want?
The pivotal moment that helped me really see myself becoming a Badger was touring Nancy Nicholas Hall where the School of Human Ecology calls home. I was interested in a community-based major, and the Community & Organizational Development program (formerly known as Community & Nonprofit Leadership) checked all the boxes. A current student led my mom and I on a tour where we learned about unique opportunities Human Ecology students can take on, like the philanthropy lab and community-based learning courses.
After that campus visit, I just knew: It was Madison or bust!
In the fall of 2022, I moved into my dorm and officially became a UW–Madison student. I was over the moon! My freshman year was filled with ups and downs — making new friends, adjusting to being in charge of my own schedule and eating in the dining halls. But no matter what, I was so happy to be a part of the madness.
About a month before sophomore year started, I learned that the School of Human Ecology’s Advancement & Communications team was hiring a student assistant. I already had a job lined up for the year working with University Housing, but something nudged me to apply for the position.
As soon as I started in my student assistant role, I knew I was lucky to join such an amazing team. From the get-go, I was given so much trust and freedom to exercise my creativity and try new things. Working for the school from within gave me newfound respect for all of the work done behind the scenes to ensure a smooth-running operation for students, faculty and staff alike. My favorite part of the job quickly became highlighting the incredible students and experiences taking place at the school.
Being part of the Advancement and Communications team challenged me to pursue experiential learning opportunities for myself that I might not have known about otherwise.
For example, I took a community-based learning course called CSCS 375: Human Ecology of Food & Sustainability taught by Jennifer Gaddis, associate professor of Civil Society & Community Studies. With fellow classmates, I helped pilot a healthy, inclusive school lunch program at a local elementary school. It’s rewarding to know that my college experience is filled not just with hypotheticals and case studies, but also with real-world applications of classroom lessons.
At the beginning of my junior year, I was fortunate to study abroad in Florence, Italy. Across the Atlantic Ocean, I used lessons I learned as a Human Ecology student to better understand my experiences and the world around me.
Even though I was more than 4,000 miles away from the UW–Madison campus, I was still rooted in community.
I attended Milan fashion week with two Textiles & Fashion Design students, Lily Rogers ‘26 and Olive Boté ‘26. As a trio of human ecologists, we used our collective knowledge of navigating the world to enjoy the sights, meet new people and even attend a fashion show!
Although I was sad to leave Florence, I was excited to come back to Madison and continue my work with the School of Human Ecology — this time to fulfill my internship requirement for graduation. As an intern, my focus shifted to social media content creation and management, which was an area I had never worked in before. While nervous, I knew I had an amazing support system by my side to help me along the way.
Part of the Human Ecology internship requirement asks students to be directly responsible for a project to showcase their work. I chose to audit the school’s Instagram page, conducting in-depth data analysis and using my findings to propose a shift in brand identity. I was given full creative freedom to create new posts and fun videos. I loved showcasing the amazing ins and outs of Human Ecology in a fresh way.
My senior year has been filled with lots of emotions. As with any major transition, each day is different. This experience has been bittersweet: I want to soak in where I am now as a student, but I am also excited for the future while planning for what is next. It feels as though my freshman move-in date was just yesterday, not more than 1,000 days ago.
My experience as a student assistant wasn’t just a job. This role gave me a second home and an incredible opportunity to exponentially grow in ways that I could never imagine. It taught me what it means to be a human ecologist in more ways than one, leaving me with a profound sense of self and purpose.
Being a Community & Organizational Development student combined with my work experience has helped me become a leader and a problem solver — no matter the circumstance or setting.
I am so grateful to the School of Human Ecology for providing me with a dream education. If I could go back and do it all again, I would choose to be here every single time. Goodbye Madison, you will always be in my heart. On, Wisconsin!
Story by Sofia More ’26, Community & Organizational Development alumna
Graduation photos by Sidney Peterson
Interested in reading Sofia’s web stories from her student assistant and intern roles? Access a complete list of her written work.