Sofia Urquiola ’22 did not begin her Cornell studies as a College of Human Ecology student, but it wasn’t long until she found a home in CHE, majoring in human development with minors in Spanish and in law and society.

“My most impactful class was Infancy and Childhood with Dr. Tamar Kushnir; it convinced me to transfer to CHE as a human development major,” Urquiola said. “Dr. Kushnir became my mentor and my research professor when I joined PRYDE [the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement], and she helped me to grow and excel.”

In the fall, Urquiola will be headed to Columbia University, where she will work toward a master’s in social work. Her favorite class at Cornell dovetails with that plan.

“The class, Developmental Psychopathology, with Dr. Jane Mendle was extremely engaging and was so applicable to what I want to do in my profession,” Urquiola said. “Dr. Mendle encouraged us to ask thought-provoking questions and think about how we can change the psychology field.”

In addition to being a PRYDE scholar, the Bergenfield, New Jersey, native was an Act for Change facilitator and a Meinig Family Cornell National Scholar. She won the 2022 Flora Rose Prize for Excellence in Community Service and won first place in the 2022 Rice Public Speaking Competition. Urquiola said she will miss the care that everyone in CHE has for each other.