Major: Neuroscience/Pre-Med
Minor: Political Science
Year: Junior
Hometown: Rochester, NY
The first thing you’ll notice when looking up Sowmya Sanapala on Facebook is that there’s something a little different about her. While most girls are concerned with getting a perfect “selfie” to make their new profile picture, Sowmya is making sure she’s doing everything to advertise her club’s latest event, usually listing the ever important profile picture to promote a charity. It’s not to say that this unique pre-med junior takes life too seriously; she’s animated and lively! But with this energetic personality, comes a simple passion to change not only the University of Pittsburgh, but also the world around her. Sowmya is ready to make her life meaningful, and she seems to have a pretty good idea on just how to do it.
1. What clubs are you involved in here at Pitt?
SS: I’m a board member on the Student Government Board (SGB), President of the Indian Subcontinent Association, Vice President of the Membership of the Blue and Gold Society, Student Director of the Student Alumni Association, and Vice President of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
2. Which club do you find speaks to who you are as a person?
SS: I guess SGB reflects more of where I have come to as a student at Pitt. I had no idea what the club was. Last year my best friend, Zoe, was a board member, and this year I got the opportunity to run, so I went for it. I wanted to fix what I saw as a lack of cultural diversity and wholesome representation of minorities on the board. A lot of minority organizations didn’t feel they had a spot, and I wanted to change that!
3. What have you tried to change since being elected onto SBG?
SS: One of my platforms was to urge Pitt to affiliate with the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) to ensure that the university clothing is not made in sweatshops. We are one of the few universities left of our caliber not to agree to this yet. I want to show administration that [our student body] cares about these issues. There’s been a lot of resistance from administration, but we are working with them to demonstrate the urgent need for this action. We want them to recognize a group known as the Workers Right Consortium. It’s a monitoring organization, and if Pitt affiliates, it will approve the rights to go into the factories that manufacture Pitt gear and demand a formal report stating that the workers are being treated, and paid fairly. Right now we don’t have that system in place. It’s our job to change this, and if all big universities threatened to cut off companies like Adidas, (who failed to pay their workers 1.8 million in severance) the change will start.
4. What other issues have you confronted with your position in SGB?
I want to improve sexual education on our campus by making sexual health a priority. One way I indicated this while campaigning was to make condoms more available to students. This is, not surprisingly, controversial due to strong differences in opinion and the question of funding. While completing preliminary research, I found out that the Student Health Center offers many services for sexual health that aren’t well known to most students. I would like to fix this by making such information more available whether it is on the website or in the form of additional residence hall programming. Right now, I’m working with Alexander Hess of LGBT Outreach Initiative to institute a formalized process of making condoms available to different clubs, organizations, and even RAs who wish to use them as part of educational programming. I would like to see a condom request form made available, recognized by the Administration which would show their support and awareness of the importance of sexual health. It’s not about free distribution. It’s about students’ health and an unavoidable aspect of it that is unfortunately contentious and taboo. I think every small step is important, and I hope to see the form in action by the end of the semester.
5. What is one of your favorite memories from all the clubs you’re involved in?
SS: Probably the Blue and Gold Society’s ‘Arrival Survival.’ I have been a part of it since sophomore year, and it’s just a solid group of friends. I enjoyed coordinating the ‘Arrival Survival’ Student Alumni Association tent this summer for incoming students. We had these big tents set up and it’s just a great time. Everyone from the blue and gold society showed up and made my job easier. They are such a great group of inspirational people, and we had a huge membership push during which we ultimately surpassed our goals. It gave me confidence to know the Blue and Gold society was behind me.
6. How does it feel to be nominated for Her Campus Pitt’s Campus Celebrity?!
SS: To be honest…cool. Cool Pitt, thanks. It’s not something I would have ever imagined myself as receiving. It’s humbling that people notice what I do on campus. It’s fulfilling…that’s the word; I’m grateful, and it shows that my junior year is working out. There are so many people who deserve to be recognized.
7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Which path do you plan on taking to get there?
SS: Well, in four years I’ll still be slaving away here at Pitt [laughs]. After med school I would like to complete my residency in New York City. I think there are a lot of fantastic hospitals there. I don’t know which field of medicine, though. I have been interested in women’s studies lately. I’d also like to spend some time practicing medicine abroad. I was born in India, and I have many of my family members that are practicing there. It would be special to devote some of my time over there…especially with my aunt. She has a practice, and she’s really cognizant of her patients’ social and financial state.
8. What made you choose Pitt?
SS: I’m from New York and my parents kept me on a 500 mile radius when picking colleges. I applied to Pitt because it has an impressive BS/MD program – if you get accepted, and maintain a certain GPA, you don’t have to take MCAT’s and you matriculate into the medical school here. My acceptance into that program was a huge pull for me. That and the cathedral are hard to beat. I guess you can say I like the city enough to stay for 8 years.
9. Who has contributed to your success? Do you have a role model (a parent, sibling or celebrity)?
SS: Andrea Abt. She’s a pre-med advisor. I started going to her early on, and she’s given me so much advice and insight beyond academics. She gave me a realistic perspective on my four years here and encouraged me to take advantage of my status as a conditional student. When everyone was cramming for MCAT’s over Christmas break, I was able to take a trip to Israel. She’s been really supportive and encouraging. She’s seen hundreds of kids go through Pitt and be successful so I really value her wisdom.
10. Finally, how do you want to be remembered?
SS: As a girl with an endless appreciation for chocolate…and food in general…I’m eating my way to diabetes essentially…yeah, I love chocolate.
Photo courtesy of Sowmya Sanapala’s Facebook page