Sophia Vassallo '28: Empowering Others from New England to Nepal

A sociology major with a concentration in social inequality and minor in social work, Vassallo has always cared about helping people. When she graduated high school, she took a gap year and sought out experiences that enabled her to support people who haven’t had equal opportunities in life – and that search eventually led her to Emmanuel.

“I’ve always been people-oriented. When I think about my career, I always think about what the job will do for others, not just myself,” she said.

Vassallo spent a month this summer in Pokhara, Nepal working as a Women’s Empowerment intern for GVI – a global conservation and community development enterprise – which unfortunately closed shortly after Vassallo’s internship.

In Nepal, Vassallo supported the groups of women that she worked with in any way possible. That started with teaching beginner English, but as time went on, she was able to expand her lessons based on needs that she saw in the community, and developed her own curriculum based on mental health and self-care that she called “Bloom Where You Are.”

“I saw how many of them needed support and encouragement to care for themselves and not just others…it really opened my eyes to how people in other cultures aren’t as aware of mental health,” Vassallo said.

Teaching them about identity, emotions and self-care, Vassallo saw the lessons and reflections helped the women build up their confidence little by little. She also helped with educational activities for local children involving the crafts, games, music and more.

Across all of Vassallo’s past experience, whether it was her community engagement role for Girls Inc. after high school, or her several years of volunteering with the Healing Hands Foundation in Guatemala, the most difficult part is leaving when she wants to continue supporting these communities.

“The more I do these, the more I grow outside of my comfort zone. The [Nepal] trip helped me progress my passion for community engagement, mental health advocacy, and empowering underserved populations. I hope to continue empowering myself by empowering others,” Vassallo said.

Emmanuel’s sociology program has been a big part of her progression as an aspiring social worker as well. The more she learns in the classroom, the more she feels prepared to help others and meet them where they are. And going forward, Vassallo feels more ready than ever knowing that she has the support of Emmanuel College behind her.

“I found this opportunity online and was drawn to its gender equality focus. I did some of my own fundraising, and also got a travel grant with support from Emmanuel – I’m very grateful for that,” she said.

Looking beyond graduation, Vassallo isn’t sure how she’ll choose where she ends up on her social work journey. But with so much volunteer experience under her belt, the possibilities are endless.