Sofia Funk
“Through debate, I learned to navigate structures that were not created for me.”
League: Silicon Valley (SVUDL)
School: Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School
College/Career Interests: Environmental Science, Urban Studies, Urban Studies, Education
As a scholar, a volunteer and an artist, Sofia Funk says that debate is the most powerful activity in which she has had the fortune to participate. It is debate that has given her the tools to speak her mind and to push the envelope in important conversations around the issues that matter to her most — namely the economic and educational inequities right in her backyard. Sofia says her keen sense of “the bigger picture” is an advantage in the classroom, in the debate space, and beyond. It is also an asset that has contributed to her sense of self-possession and assertiveness when standing up for her beliefs and for the needs of her community.