Sophie Chiewtrakoon is a rising senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) pursuing a dual degree in information science and sociology. She is the president of the Rural Area Student Initiative (RASI), a member of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity, and a James Scholar. Her upbringing in rural Arkansas fuels her passion for providing educational opportunities and uplifting future generations through social action. She joined her University’s Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) in January 2024, working on doctoral student Anna Barkley’s project investigating how first-generation students conceptualize college readiness. Although she is no longer a part of the URAP program , she continues to work with Barkley to publish this piece with the end goal of ultimately informing policy among education administrators. Through the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute’s Community Academic Scholar Program, Sophie worked with Dr. Meaghan McKenna and the Danville Public Schools during Summer 2024 to introduce and evaluate writing curriculum supplements for students in kindergarten to third grade. Through her experiences in and out of the classroom, Sophie has recognized a need for democratizing and improving information resources and is excited to be on ACE’s Technology Policy team this summer. In Sophie’s free time she draws, paints, and reads. She enjoys spending time with her friends and meeting new people.Â
