Sophia Makarem

There are opportunities for everyone. As a non-STEM major, the UHP is very useful because the program ensures there are research and real-life experiences available to all students. I am currently majoring in International Affairs on the pre-law track and already have so much lined up for future experiences that could expose me to the law field and the reality of what I hope my future could look like. As an avid planner, knowing what’s in store for me puts me at ease and the UHP assists in this process.

An honors experience I am excited to enroll in next Spring (2023) is the Blind Injustice seminar. The hands-on course focuses on cases where individuals were wrongfully convicted and incarcerated; this is, unfortunately, common and often hard to reverse, specifically within the US justice system. The latter term is ambiguous and I think the seminar would be a great insight into unpacking what it means to me and also in a greater context. With my aspiration to help those less privileged, this UHP experience would act as a gateway to helping underserved individuals in the local community.

As I enter my second year at UC, I am thankful for the memories created and the self-growth I’ve endured. Being independent and experiencing life without the comfort and familiarity of home, family, and friends can be challenging, but I can successfully say I did it! My best moment at UC would be experiencing new classes and finding new interests of mine to explore; with the wide variety of colleges and courses, I’ve decided to delve into my Arab culture and pursue a minor in Arabic language studies, and am excited to see where it leads me in the future!

This fall semester, I am completing my first honors experience by participating in ENGL2089: Intermediate Composition. I did a lot of writing in high school through the International Baccalaureate program so I’m looking forward to getting back into essay writing and developing essential skills that will benefit my future profession.