“Life as a Boricua and a woman of color in the United States is interesting, to say the least. I’ve had my fair share of experiences with racism, some that you wouldn’t believe. I’ve gotten ignorant comments about my “lack of accent” when I speak. But life outside of Puerto Rico makes you even more proud of who you are, where you come from, and what you stand for. You’re always seeking your people, but you’re also showing others that being Puerto Rican is the best thing. It’s a feeling and a sense of being, which I know makes a huge part of me.”
Sophia Caraballo has come a long way in life yet, her dedication and compassionate nature remain untouched. Starting out in Her Campus UPRM cultivated this even more because of the “feeling of sisterhood” it gave. Caraballo reminisces how amidst all their differences, they had “one thing in common which was love for writing and for having ours and others’ voices heard.” Reminiscing about the time she started out at UPRM’s chapter, Caraballo described how her boss at the English Writing Center mentioned it to her. Playing around with her dream to get a Master’s degree in Journalism, Caraballo took a shot and found out that she truly wanted that journalistic future. By working side by side with one of the co-founders of the HCUPRM chapter, Caraballo developed herself as a writer at HC and “it confirmed that [she] wanted to write for a digital platform and be a journalist for a living.”
This experience paved the way for two of the biggest achievements Caraballo has celebrated in her young adult life. First, she got two nominations for an article that she wrote during her master’s career called “The Woman Who Changed Running Forever.” She explained how it was “a feature story about the first woman who ran a marathon. . . [barely] 50 years ago. . . and she almost got pushed off the trail, but she persisted and she finished the Boston Marathon.” Caraballo got nominated for best online sports reporting at the Society of Professional Journalists and then, she came in third place for best sports multimedia story in the Pinnacle Awards. Caraballo indicates that her other big achievement up until now, has been starting her journalistic career in New York City. “They say that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere”
With all this, which all started by working and writing for Her Campus UPRM, Caraballo has reached her lifetime goal of doing what she loves. She does this by “helping people by giving them a voice to tell their stories, which hopefully, contributes to change.” However, the thing that keeps motivating her and fueling her dedication and passion is making her parents proud, as she candidly says. Now, even though Caraballo has expressed all the positive things she has experienced in life, not everything that comes with adulting is exactly fun. Right now, Caraballo is working as an editorial associate at Parents, Parents Latina, and Family Fun. She also spent a year working as a digital reporter back in Puerto Rico with the magazines Imagen and Buena Vida. This freedom of choosing where to work, making other decisions and “pretending to be an adult” is what Caraballo mentions as the best part of adulting. “Worst part is the bills and having to be very conscious of your spending.”
Another part that came with adulting is what Caraballo describes as something she’s confronted that no one could be prepared for. She continued saying how she had to “step out of [her] comfort zone, move several times, [and] having to restart [her] life multiple times in different places, and just being lonely. “You never really know what you have until it’s gone and by that, I mean your people. You never know how much you’ll miss them until you can’t hug them or touch them.” From all the things Caraballo has learned throughout her academic and now, professional career she stands tall with experience. Caraballo advises the fresh-women AKA prepas at Colegio to do everything. “Join that club, go to that after class activity, talk to your professors, get a mentor, fall in love, get your heart broken, make friends with everyone, be late to class, get early to class, stand for what you believe in, go to that party but still make it to class. And always, ALWAYS take care of yourself before taking care of anyone else. Your physical, emotional, and mental health are more important than the guy who ghosted you, but you still see. Change your major and study what you really want to study, don’t listen to anyone else. And always carry pepper spray with you, hopefully you never need to use it.” As famous last words, Caraballo was candid and honest: “I want to go the cheesy route and say I have none because this isn’t the last time you’ll hear from me, but just — find what makes you passionate and go after it. It’s okay to be a little lost and overwhelmed because it may seem like people around you are way ahead of you, but everyone is just as confused and lost and scared as you are. You just have to find the people you click with and get through life with them by your side. And it is true what they say: college changes you and makes you a better person and you do meet the people who will stay in your life for good.”