Sophia Levy
Painting Preschools for a Change
At Cincinnati Urban Promise Preschool, I led a volunteer group in painting a mural on the exterior entrance wall. This painting project involved months of planning, gathering volunteers, and weeks of hard work. Through challenges and perseverance, this experience taught me the value of patience, organizational skills, and the transformative impact of collective effort. I also discovered the power of art and community in fostering creativity and happiness.
Witnessing the joy it brought to the preschool environment highlighted the transformative potential of seemingly simple acts. The project reinforced my belief in collective action, motivating me to seek future opportunities for community engagement. Despite warnings of its large scale, I was able to manage the project, leading to personal growth and contributing to a more inspiring world. The mural not only had real-world impacts but also formed a community among the volunteers. This experience has instilled confidence that I have the ability to carry out large projects with enough research and effort.
As I navigate my future, I carry with me the lessons learned - the importance of empathy, collaboration, and the belief that every individual can contribute to positive change. Throughout the entire project, I was beyond grateful that I had such amazing volunteers that were willing to wake up early on the weekends, be outside for hours in the cold, and adjust to changes that were made in the schedule. The images I decided to showcase capture the community effort and planning that made this project possible.
Recipe Family Tree
As part of a personal project, I collected nearly 50 recipes from five family members—my grandmother from Poland, my grandfather from Spain, and my mom, dad, and aunt from Venezuela. What began as a simple recipe collection quickly evolved into a deeper exploration of my cultural roots and identity as a first-generation American.
Through each conversation, I uncovered meaningful stories behind the dishes—memories of migration, tradition, resilience, and love. I learned that food connects us not only to our heritage but also to one another, offering a unique lens into our shared histories.
This project reshaped my understanding of what it means to be a Global Citizen Scholar. It’s not just about international experiences—it’s about honoring the diverse cultures within our own families and communities. By listening, learning, and sharing, I’ve come to value the power of storytelling and its ability to foster empathy and connection.
Moving forward, I hope to carry these lessons into my future—whether in the classroom, my career, or everyday life. Food brought my family’s history to life for me.
Strange Tools
This experience involved exploring a wide range of topics, from philosophy and art to the historical and social evolution with a week long study tour in Amsterdam. Through small group discussions and interactive activities, we were encouraged to question the structures that shape our understanding of the world. Philosophical discussions were centered around questions like what makes art good and how is taste developed or acquired? A central focus was the book Strange Tools by Alva Noë, which challenged us to reflect on how societal systems like art, technology, and urban planning are tools that shape and reshape human identity and experience. This is based on the notion that strange tools both change us and are changed by us.
One of the key themes of the course was how Amsterdam reinvented itself after World War II, having a tolerant, innovative society. Thriving even at a low elevation below sea level, their engineered canal systems of dams and dikes is very fascinating to study. Our study tour deepened this learning, allowing us to experience the city’s layered history and creative expressions firsthand through its architecture, street art, film, and various museums. We learned how RAAF labs designed an installation as a nod to delta works and the engineered systems that have allowed the Netherlands to survive. We explored street art in Amsterdam and learned about messages they are trying to send as street artists to society. This experience taught me to look beyond the built world and consider how culture, design, and policy work together to shape societies and how we can reflect on those societies and push them further.
“The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently.”
- David Greuber
Firenze Frenzy
During the Fall of 2025, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where I took courses in Industrial Design, Interior Planning, Painting, and Italian, but the real curriculum was daily life. Over four months across the Atlantic, I immersed myself in Italian culture and visited many regions beyond Tuscany from Venice to Naples. During my time across the Atlantic I was also fortunate enough to travel to six countries, meeting welcoming locals in Albania, sitting in the beautiful opera house of Vienna, and learning how different places function.
Weekdays in Florence taught me the art of slowing down. Mornings began with a mandatory cappuccino or homemade espresso from my moka pot, followed by meals inspired by recipes learned in a local cooking class. Living miles and miles and six hours ahead of home pushed me to rely on the people around me.Connection is essential and a place becomes much richer when you have a wonderful community around you. With fast-paced weekend itineraries, I learned that some of the best plans are having none at all. I tend to prefer genuine experiences over perfectly curated itineraries and avoiding the mass flocks of tourists.
In true Italian fashion, I also leaned into art. I studied oil painting at Accademia Italiana and completed three plein-air paintings, all created outdoors while observing time pass in nature. While frustrating at first, I learned to allow myself to let go of expectations while creating and just enjoy every minute of this life that seems to pass by way too fast.
WELLness
work in progress...