Meet Our Scholars
Sophia Bautista
Fresno City College
Political Science
She/Her/Hers
Community College
California Endowment Scholarship Recipient
Sophia Bautista is a 19-year-old woman from Davao City, Philippines. Residing in Fresno, California, she has proven countless times – in the words of Langston Hughes – that “I, too, sing America.” She founded “Activ8,” a voting initiative that seeks to galvanize young people to vote in the 2018 midterm elections. She is also a member of the March for Our Lives advocacy group in Fresno. Sophia has coordinated marches, protests, voter registration drives, town halls, and pride events. She is also the first to create and spearhead “voting parties” in her district; an original project that aims to increase voter turnout by turning civic duty into a social bonding celebration. She also is a member of Fresno City College’s Speech and Debate team and has won local and regional awards with them. She has also published multiple LGBT pieces in literary magazines such as the Fresno State Chicano Literary Magazine and the Fresno City College Review. Sophia admires the bravery and courage of the LGBT community and the work they have done to bring her to the table — “they, too, sing America.”