Sophie Billadeau ’29, a first-year student from Minnetonka, Minnesota, is quickly building a memorable college experience at the University of Puget Sound. A graduate of a small charter school where she was involved in theater and served as president of the National Honor Society, she’s wasted no time in immersing herself in campus life as a member of the University's Honors Program in Consciousness, Creativity, and Meaning. Now, as one of 20 inaugural recipients of the Pohlad Family Scholarship, she is pursuing her passion for the Classics while writing for the student newspaper The Trail, and getting outside her comfort zone while exploring the Pacific Northwest. We sat down with her to discuss her journey to Puget Sound and how much she’s already grown in such a short time.
What drew you to the University of Puget Sound?
I was really interested in coming to school in the Pacific Northwest, and the University of Puget Sound really stuck out to me, especially because of the pretty campus. I think it was my mom who actually came across the Pohlad Scholarship when she was helping me look for scholarships that were specific to the schools I was applying to. We found the article on the website, and since it was just for Minnesota students, I was like, “Oh, perfect, that's me!” Once I got the scholarship, I knew I was definitely coming here. In fact, I submitted my deposit less than a week after I got the phone call. I am fortunate to have a college savings account, but a lot of private colleges were out of reach for me. Without the scholarship, I would not have been able to comfortably cover the tuition and definitely wouldn’t be able to afford to go to graduate or law school after receiving my Bachelor’s.
You're interested in pursuing a double major in Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Communication Studies. What fuels your passion for the Classics?
I took Latin throughout high school, and I really fell in love with the language and the general study of antiquity. I think a lot of people overlook it as just kind of boring stories, but if you are able to look deeper and more critically at these texts, you’ll find that it’s very revealing of just
how people work in general. The way we process emotions and feel and love and grieve is the same way they did back then. My favorite class this semester is ancient Greek philosophy with Professor Sara Protasi. The class is very interesting and a bit challenging at times — but I enjoy a good challenge. We've read from Socratic philosophers Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, and we are going to study a unit soon on ancient Greek women philosophers which I'm pretty excited for. I've enjoyed getting to look through arguments from these classical philosophers and figure out what exactly they're arguing, find the premises and conclusion.
Beyond the classroom, you've become very involved on campus. What activities are you most passionate about?
I'm a writer for The Trail, which I signed up for after enjoying doing interviews for a special issue during Passages Week. It's been an intense but rewarding experience that has sharpened my writing skills and helped me become more direct with my work. My most memorable story was working on the article about the University budget and getting to speak directly with President Crawford. I'm also a member of the RSA General Council, Wetlands Magazine, and the newly formed Classics Club.
You are one of the first Pohlad Scholars at Puget Sound. The scholarship is designed to support students who value community engagement and leadership. Can you tell us about how you’ve lived those values?
Community outreach has been a big part of my life. In high school, I was president of our National Honor Society and organized a Cultural Night for our community that had about 400 people. But the place most important to me is The Bakken Museum in Minneapolis. I started as a summer camper, then volunteered, and was eventually hired to work there. I love getting to work with kids in the museum; it’s not so much about teaching them, but encouraging them to see how creative and innovative they already are. It is such an important place to me, and I wanted to give back for all the things I gained from being there.
How has your experience at Puget Sound helped you grow so far?
I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned is to become a little bit more spontaneous and willing to try things. I was a very “stick to the schedule” person. But over fall break, I went on a six-mile hike, which is something I never would’ve tried at home. I also visited Seattle over break, where accidentally I took the wrong bus coming back to campus and didn’t fully panic over it. I am very proud of myself for not fully breaking down and learning to just go with the flow and figure it out.
From your experience, what makes a Puget Sound education so valuable?
The experience I've had so far has been so incredibly supportive. I think the amount of attention and care that professors put into their work is unique — you won't find the same attention put towards each student at a lot of other universities. I think it’s important that we continue to fund and help students who want an education at Puget Sound, so they can have this very personalized and supportive education that I would say is pretty rare.
To learn more about how you can support Puget Sound students, visit pugetsound.edu/support-puget-sound.
