Parallel Paths: Mother and Daughter Pursue Their Education at Puget Sound

Students

Looking back, it seems almost inevitable that second-year student Sophia Irigoyen ’28 would choose the University of Puget Sound. Less predictable: a decision by her mom Jennifer Irigoyen MPH’27 to join her this year as a Puget Sound student.

Sophia applied to 22 colleges — including Stanford and Princeton — and was accepted to many of them.

“But Puget Sound was the only school I toured,” the 19-year-old Tacoman says. “A big part of the attraction was how close it is to home.”

Jennifer enrolled this year at age 50 in pursuit of a Master of Public Health degree. Her love of the university runs deep.

She recalls growing up in Tacoma and admiring the university’s beautiful campus and its focus on liberal arts studies: “I always wanted to be part of this atmosphere.”

When her kids were younger, she dressed them in Puget Sound garb.

“There’s a photo of me from about 10 years ago wearing a Puget Sound sweatshirt,” Sophia says.

Jennifer earned an undergraduate degree in art from the University of Washington Tacoma. But she was inspired to return to school after spending some time as a substitute teacher and watching how the COVID-era expansion of computers in education changed the environment for kids. She saw how it could produce physical effects that hindered learning.

So, she wants to use what she gains in her public health studies to promote policies and curricula that encourage active posture and other mind-body connections.

Jennifer Irigoyen MPH’27 and her daughter, Sophia Irigoyen ’28, are both enrolled at Puget Sound, following parallel paths to further their education.

As an undergraduate in the honors program majoring in chemistry with a minor in art history, Sophia was confident when she put down roots at Puget Sound that she would find what she was looking for.

She initially thought she’d aim for medical school after graduation, but has now set her sights on a scientific research career and a doctoral degree. She plans to apply for a six-week summer study-abroad program that will take her to a lab in Copenhagen.

Sophia is a busy student with a demanding class load and three jobs: Resident Community Coordinator, assistant in the chemistry department storeroom, and weekends working for a bakery.

“I feel supported in my major, especially since I work in the department,” she says. “But I also feel supported by all the resources on campus. Even during some of the most challenging courses, busy times, and most chaotic semesters, there are so many support systems in place for me.”

Jennifer lives a few minutes from campus, with her younger daughter and their two dogs. Sophia lives on campus in a university house for students in the honors program.

When Jennifer decided to join Sophia at Puget Sound, mother and daughter agreed they had to establish some guidelines on how and when they’d interact.

"I try to be respectful of her boundaries and her space,” says Jennifer.

“There are certain hours when I don’t respond to her texts,” 19-year-old Sophia notes wryly.

They don’t share any classes together and their schedules are different: Sophia attends classes during the day, while Jennifer is on campus in the evenings. So when they do cross paths on campus, it’s usually intentional.

“I was in the library, doing my own thing — studying — when she found me with her phone app,” Jennifer recalls.

Jennifer is mindful of the challenges inherent in her decision to return to school after so many years away from the classroom. She’s also busy. She teaches Pilates, is attempting to restore her 1890s Victorian home, and tries not to worry too much about domestic chores.

But with Sophia’s help, Jennifer is learning to navigate campus technology and finding resources to help with her studies. At the Center for Writing and Learning, she met students who helped her improve her writing enough to earn “an A on my first college paper in 27 years.” She’s overcome her notion that using Google feels like cheating, and she’s been amazed at software that makes managing research paper citations a snap.

- Jennifer Irigoyen MPH’27

"I want to show her that it’s never too late to change your life or to do things that you feel are important."

Thanks to academic scholarships, including the William T. Weyerhaeuser Scholarship, Sophia’s tuition is fully covered. Jennifer is using student loans to finance her graduate degree — but it’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make.

She supports Sophia’s ambitions, and wants to lead by example.

“I don’t want her to grow up as a woman who’s afraid to do things,” she says. “I want to show her that it’s never too late to change your life or to do things that you feel are important.”

At the moment, that means sharing Puget Sound’s campus with her daughter. Sophia says she’s never felt like her mom is “spying” on her.

And if Jennifer did overstep, she’d tell her.

“I think I can deliver honesty with some degree of grace,” she adds with a smile.

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