Student Snapshot: Sofia Perrone ’25
With a double major in German and anthropology and coursework in health studies, Sofia Perrone is gearing up for a career that taps her interests in medical anthropology, global cultures and policy. So far, she’s traveled to the Netherlands to study attitudes and practices relating to death and dying, and to Italy to study food culture and food systems. She’s also job-shadowed with a judge at the Cumberland County Courthouse.
Hometown:
Fairfax, Virginia.
Majors:
German and anthropology, with a health-studies certificate.
Clubs and organizations:
American Association of University Women of Dickinson (president), German Club (vice president), Liberty Cap Society (tour guide), The Hive, Dana Research Assistant (German department), Take Back the Night planning committee. Next year, I will be a student project manager for the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.
Honors/scholarships/awards:
The George Shuman Jr. and Mary Louise D'olier Shuman Award, Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, Dean’s List and National War College Alumni Association Scholarship.
Best thing about my Dickinson experience so far:
The people! I have met so many amazing people through Dickinson. From professors to students to alumni, everyone is so excited about the college. This has created an exciting environment to learn in.
Best thing about my major:
The best thing about my majors is their intersectionality. I want to pursue medical anthropology and international policy, and my majors give me a wide base to explore multiple avenues within these fields of study. One of my favorite moments at Dickinson so far was using a reading from my German class in an essay for my political science class. My exploration of the German language and culture allowed me to access more sources than my peers who did not have this language experience. Seeing how my language class could help me grow in another subject is a fantastic example of the benefits of a liberal-arts education.
Favorite class so far:
Assistant Professor of Anthropology Amalia Pesantes Villa’s Medical Anthropology class. I had been interested in medical anthropology for a while, but my experience was confined to books that I could find on the subject. It was amazing to be able to hear from an expert in the field. Her explanations of the research she conducted confirmed my decision to declare my areas of study.
On studying abroad:
This past spring I participated in a Mosaic, which allowed me to travel to the Netherlands to study and research as part of a sociology class that compared how death and dying is managed in the United States versus the Netherlands. Despite the significant research carried out before the trip, I was amazed by how much more I learned visiting the country. Talking to students, nurses and doctors gave me a perspective I wasn’t able to gain from just reading.
This summer I traveled to Bologna, Italy, to complete a food-studies class focusing on the historical and geographical influences that create different food cultures in various regions.
During my junior year, I hope to study in Germany and New Zealand. I am extremely grateful to Dickinson for the emphasis they place on global citizenship.
As I kid, I wanted to be …
… a lawyer and pediatric oncologist.
About my research:
I helped develop the new digital platform for Glossen, a German journal run by Dickinson faculty.
About my externship:
I participated in an externship (job shadowing experience), sponsored by Dickinson, with Judge Albert Masland ’79, adjunct faculty in policy studies, at the Cumberland County Courthouse. I was able to shadow him, meet his fellow judges and talk to lawyers and other vital employees who worked in his courtroom. It was really valuable to see how much work and how many people it takes to run a court.
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …
… my family! College is an amazing experience, but having such a busy schedule during the semester makes me extra grateful when I get the time to have a meal with my family during breaks.
Most important thing I’ve learned so far:
You can’t do everything, but do what you can really well. During the Activities Fair, I signed up for at least 15 different clubs. I was so excited about college and being able to explore that I wasn’t realistic about what I could manage in my schedule. As the months went on, I discovered which organizations I was more interested in. Fully committing myself to a few clubs helped me grow more as a person than spreading myself too thin and trying to participate in everything.
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Published September 28, 2022