Sophia Guirola

Sophia was born and raised in El Salvador and finished high school in Dallas, Texas. She was a Forty Acres Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin where she focused on Latin America, international political economy, and natural resource management. Sophia engaged in faculty research projects on democracy in Texas and beyond while balancing community engagement in service organizations including a refugee awareness group and UT’s oldest women’s honorary service society. Sophia then worked with Ernst and Young as an anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance analyst. Once the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, Sophia lived and worked in Paraguay for almost three years, serving as an environmental education Peace Corps Volunteer. During her service, she worked closely with high school teachers at her rural site, developing and delivering tailored lessons and programs, including interdisciplinary permaculture garden projects. She extended her service by almost six months to work closely with a local sustainable development organization and to continue providing support to fellow PCVs. Sophia is passionate about sustainable development, environmental governance, and climate-forward strategies applied in the Latin American context. After SPIA, she plans to pursue meaningful work in these fields while fostering strong community connections. Sophia enjoys gardening, cooking, making things with her hands, and spending time with friends in nature.