Sophia Zandel
Quick Facts
Age: 28
B.S., summa cum laude, Nursing, 2021
Labor and Delivery Nurse, Swedish Hospital – First Hill
“I am looking forward to learn how to effectively help bring up the voices of those who are unheard in our society and how to listen to those who are different then me and speak with understanding and compassion.”
Notable: First-generation student, International student; Additional languages: Russian and Hebrew
Civility Research Project: Higher Education: Out of Reach?
Transfer Institution: Seattle Central College, Associate of Science, 2019
Service & Work:
COPE Health Scholar 2018 – 2019
Volunteer, Bread of Life Mission, 2017 – Present
Counseling Leader, Lech L'cha, 2015 – 2017
Awards & Honors:
President’s List
Member, Tau Sigma Honor Society
Alfie Scholars Cohort 2019
Messina Scholarship 2019
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society 2018–2019
Sophia’s Story
When I was 8 years old, my family left Russia because of antisemitism and moved to Israel. Moving to Israel was a big adjustment for my family. My parents changed jobs and had to learn a new language, my mother who was a mechanical engineer started over as an elderly caretaker, and my father had to work as a security guard. My brother and I were immersed into a new culture and school without understanding anything.
In Israel, after finishing high school, it is compulsory to be drafted into the military for at least two years. I wanted to serve my country and took pride in being the first one from my family to join the military. I served in an Air Force defense unit where I was trained to monitor radar information along the Northern border. The service was challenging and interesting; after a year and a half, I achieved sergeant status, and I was put in charge of the field operations and the training of a sub-unit of 30 soldiers. I was challenged in my compassion and the ability to care for my soldiers; that experience taught me what it means to be a leader.
After the military I was considering what to do, education was on my mind, but I strongly feared the ACT test. Even though I was a good student in high school, I was always weak in math and science, and thought that I could never get a good enough score. I had the amazing opportunity to work for two years as a counselor and leader in a post-army mentoring program, where I counseled young women who had a difficult military experience. I learned how much I loved helping people. This work was very fulfilling and the dream of getting a degree slowly faded.
From there I began working for the Red Carpet, a non-profit organization providing relief for victims of human trafficking. There we served the healthcare needs of sexually abused women and drug addicts. My first time visiting the Red Carpet and seeing the women that were there changed my life. I felt compelled to do something to be able to help them in some way. In the center they had a safe space to come into and shower, eat and get a haircut, a pedicure, or a manicure and to feel human again. It took me some time to develop relationships with the women that would come to the center. One day, I was talking to one of the women who told me about her life; she came from a difficult background and tried to find relatable points between our lives, but without success. I was not abused by my spouse or hated by my parents. In the difficulty of that moment, we succeeded to connect on a human level and not on the experiential level; I learned that even though our experiences are so different we still could connect.
The center did not have a medical person working with them, and the medical needs of these women were many. Many times the women refused to go to clinics and hospitals due to the fear of getting arrested. There in the Red Carpet, I received the calling to become a nurse. Even though math and science was a big part of nursing school, I knew that it was time for me to go and get a degree.
Currently, I am working towards getting a nursing degree at Seattle University. Even though I faced challenges due to studying in a different country, language and educational structure, I learned that math and science are fascinating subjects that I do not have to fear. I also learned that with hard work and dedication I can achieve anything.
Goals:
I would like to use my nursing degree to serve the medical needs of disadvantaged people, expanding my knowledge of nursing and focusing especially on gynecology and women's health. In the future I would like to join a relief organization that would allow me to put my skills and heart at the service of others as a nurse, in both local and international contexts.
On Civility:
I would like to use my nursing degree to serve the medical needs of disadvantaged people, expanding my knowledge of nursing and focusing especially on gynecology and women's health. In the future I would like to join a relief organization that would allow me to put my skills and heart at the service of others as a nurse, in both local and international contexts.
