Alumni Spotlight: Sophie Ulin, Class of ’21

What are you up to right now?

I am currently working as a Deputy Press Secretary in the United States Senate.

Could you walk us through your journey from graduating USC to what you’re doing today? What were some key turning points or decisions?

When I graduated USC, we were deep in the midst of COVID. I had wrapped up two virtual internships – one with the OneCampaign in Michigan where we turned the state blue and one with Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project – and I knew that I wanted to continue my work in politics. In January 2021, I decided that I was going to move to D.C. and try to work on the Hill. In part because of these opportunities but also because COVID and January 6th made me unsure of what our future was realistically going to look like. All I knew was that I wanted to help make a difference.

What sparked your decision to major in Narrative Studies?

I love to tell stories, and when I was in high school I was told I was really good at arguing. Naturally, as most people who are told they’re good at arguing, I decided I wanted to become a lawyer. To me, a lot of the legal field is all about storytelling. When you’re in front of a courtroom or crafting questions for a deposition, there is a narrative that you are trying to push: my client is innocent.

How did your Narrative Studies major prepare you for the challenges and opportunities in your current field?

My narrative studies degree prepared me for political communications because I am constantly thinking about the bigger narrative. My job is to get our story out there; in the press and online. And through my degree, I learned how different mediums can be used to do that effectively.

Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to students feeling uncertain about their post-graduation path?

Reach out to the person who has the job you want or is the field you want to be in. Networking and cold emailing can be really daunting and often feel unnatural, but I would not be where I am today without the guidance from not only my friends and mentors but also the strangers I decided to ping on LinkedIn.