ATLANTA—Agnes Scott College prides itself on producing strong and capable women ready to lead. Two young Agnes Scott alums recently named student government presidents at Harvard University prove that pride is well-founded.
Sofia Becerra-Licha ’04 and Julia Wilkinson ’08 have been elected president of their respective graduate student government associations. Out of about 10 graduate student government associations at Harvard, two are presently helmed by Agnes Scott alumnae.
Becerra-Licha is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences studying music/ethnomusicology (the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance). She is the new president of the Graduate Student Council, the student governing body of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She served as vice president of the Graduate Student Council for the past two years.
Wilkinson is enrolled at Harvard Divinity School in the Master of Divinity program. She was elected president of the Divinity School’s student government association, called Life Together.
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Sofia Becerra-Licha
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Becerra-Licha caught the leadership bug while at Agnes Scott. A double major in music and Spanish, she was class secretary and served on orientation council in addition to participating in Leadershape, Collegiate Chorale and Sigma Alpha Iota.
“There was focus [at Agnes Scott] on encouraging all students to engage actively with their surroundings—a sentiment which happily seems to pervade so many of the exciting initiatives I've seen emerge from the college since my graduation,” Becerra-Licha said. “To me, it seemed like there was room for everyone and anyone to be a leader in some capacity, regardless of previous experience, and that this kind of personal development and campus engagement was emphasized and valued as a complement to our studies in the classroom.
“It was clear that my experience at ASC had given me an incredible foundation and I found myself hooked yet again in grad school,” Becerra-Licha added.
While she had never formally served as a leader in high school, Becerra-Licha said Agnes Scott’s tight-knit community, myriad opportunities and a push during orientation and convocations to “get involved” helped transform her slowly into a passionate leader.
“I’m supremely grateful to have had the institutional support to pursue all my interests; experimenting freely, and emerging a much more confident person, equipped with a very concrete set of organizational skills that have served me well in the real world,” she said.
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| Julia Wilkinson |
While at Agnes Scott, Wilkinson excelled. A double major in religion (with a focus on social justice) and African studies, she served on Honor Court and participated in Joyful Noise, ASC’s gospel music group. She was twice named an undergraduate fellow of The Fund for Theological Education. Wilkinson was one of only 70 students nationally who were awarded a fellowship as part of the fund’s efforts to encourage gifted young people to explore ministry as a vocation. Wilkinson used the fellowships to study at the University of Cape Town in South Africa her junior year.
“Several elements of Agnes Scott cultivated confidence and the willingness to serve a community through leadership. Agnes Scott has the nature of shared leadership. During my time at Agnes, no one person did everything. Several women held very important leadership positions, and there was a space for all to serve,” Wilkinson said.
“During orientation, Gué Hudson ’68 (dean of students emerita) advised the entering class to, “Get involved!” She stated how important it is to get the most out of your time in college, and becoming involved with the life of the school is a great way to do that! I always remembered that advice and decided to take that to grad school,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson returned to Georgia this summer to serve as a chaplain at Metro State Women’s Prison, where she counseled 150 inmates isolated from the rest of the inmate population due to mental health considerations. This fall, she presented the Virginia Love Dunaway ’56 Women of Faith Lecture at Agnes Scott.
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Agnes Scott College educates women to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times. Students are drawn to Agnes Scott by its excellent academic reputation, exceptional faculty, and metropolitan Atlanta location – offering myriad cultural and experiential learning opportunities. A diverse and growing residential community of scholars, this highly selective liberal arts and sciences college is known for its dynamic and challenging intellectual community. Encouraging students to engage the wider world through study abroad and presenting its curriculum with international context, Agnes Scott College delivers on its promise: The World for Women.