NAME: SOFIA CROUCH
HOMETOWN: CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND
It’s time to meet the final fellow from the 45th Street Manhattan office, Sofia Crouch! Sofia is a recent graduate of Barnard College where she majored in Urban Studies and Political Science.
During college, Sofia was a Refugee Resettlement Intern and has since continued to work with people seeking asylum in the United States. Through these experiences, Sofia learned the meaning of work on how people shape their identities. This inspired Sofia to write her Urban Studies thesis on how shrinking cities are using immigrant-led revitalization strategies to create new meanings of belonging and to grow their economies. She looks forward to developing this research further as a Fellow and to learn more about how economic and work policy can be linked to urban development. Sofia was drawn to the Work First fellowship as she saw it as an opportunity for her to continue to explore the relationship people have to work, especially among minority and disadvantaged urban populations, and the role of policy-makers in the workforce development system.
A BOOK THAT MADE AN IMPACT ON SOFIA
The Parable of the Sower
Sofia read this science fiction novel, written in 1993 by Octavia Butler, during the quarantine. She admits that “it was a lot to read while experiencing all this real-life chaos”, especially since the book takes place “in the future” in the year 2020. However, she appreciated Butler's idea of learned adaptation to change, which has given her some hope and inspiration.
HOBBIES SOFIA ENJOYS
Crocheting (she’s currently working on a pink fuzzy beret), reading, going on walks with friends, and taking bubble baths.
SOFIA’S FAVORITE QUARANTINE ACTIVITY
Exploring her hometown!
After going to school in NYC for her undergraduate studies, Sofia was ready to continue living in the city before the pandemic hit. With this unanticipated time living back at home in Chevy Chase, MD, Sofia has been making an effort to discover all the beautiful locations in her hometown. She has been camping, hiking, and tubing in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania state parks and has also been exploring lovely nearby cities like Annapolis, Frederick, and Baltimore.
Now that you’ve met some of our Work First Fellows, keep up with them! Follow Work First on Twitter and Facebook to support our work connecting people with jobs and researching innovative strategies to combat poverty.