Young Changemaker Award 2024

Sofía María Bosch ’16 currently serves as a bilingual special education department head, teacher, and pilot program lead at J.H.S. 050 John D. Wells in Brooklyn, NY. The pilot in New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) prioritizes experiential, project-based, and small-group learning for students at the intersection of neurodiversity, migration, and emergent bilingualism.  She receives ASIJ’s 2024 Young Alumni Impact Award for her efforts in the education world, particularly in the area of multilingualism and education for diverse learners. The award highlights the outstanding and impactful accomplishments of alumni who graduated high school in the last 15 years, and seeks to recognize and honor young alumni who have brought about a significant positive change to a community or institution through their efforts.

As a Mexican-Spanish-American who attended ten schools in five countries, Sofía had first hand experience navigating a wide variety of cultures and languages growing up. “My mother is American and my father is first-generation American from Barcelona, Spain” she tells us. “My paternal grandmother, however, is part Mexican as she fled Spain during the Franco dictatorship and was raised entirely there. I was also born in Mexico City. I grew up moving almost every two years as a kid and have lived in five different countries. I attended ASIJ 8th grade through my junior year of high school. I moved to Japan in 2011.”

Sofía found the Japanese language challenging at first but fell in love with the food, culture, and independence she had due to the public transportation system. At school, she credits middle school librarian Marty Swist (FF’97-12, P ’03) for taking her under his wing the first few months and her eighth grade teachers for their support in her transition to yet another new school. Sofía blossomed during her time at ASIJ, jumping at opportunities to perform at middle school dances, at events such as Winterfest, in chorus and vocal jazz, and in three high school musicals. From her swim coaches Lynn Loveman (FF ’06–16, P ’15, ’23), [current swim coach] Hiroto Yamamoto and  Dave Swanston (FF ’13–21) to chemistry with Karyn Watt (FF ’11–20), history with Steve Welckle (FF ’03–22, P ’13, ’15, ’21), econ with Beck Gessert (FF ’05-20, P ’18, ’23), theater and music with Brent Huber (FF ’88-17, P ’00, ’05), [current theater manager] David Neale, and Randy Wanless (FF ’08–16), and AP Spanish with Javier Fernandez (FF ’85–21, P ’13), found many academic mentors during her time at ASIJ.

It was no surprise that leaving Japan at the end of her junior year in 2019 was not how Sofía hoped her high school career would culminate. “I definitely was sad to be leaving before my senior year and missed Japan incredibly,” she says. “I did have some trouble [adjusting] but had moved so many times before (it was my 10th school) that I was used to it. I ended up really loving my senior year in Orlando, Florida and had a wonderful community of friends there.” After graduating, Sofía attended the University of Southern California on scholarship, where she studied journalism and international relations. College also provided an opportunity for Sofía to build on the service opportunities she’d explored at ASIJ and she became an active community organizer, working primarily with Latino families surrounding housing rights and with unaccompanied minors in South Los Angeles.

As a freshman, Sofía began to work with Troy Camp as a counselor, taking students to summer camp and then helping run year-long and afterschool programming. “Troy Camp is a very special organization to me, it is what got me involved with youth and helped me discover my passion for education,” she says. Founded in 1948, the program has taken hundreds of local Los Angeles children on a week-long camp adventure, during which the campers create life-long mentor/mentee relationships with the USC college students who work with them. “I was a part of Troy Camp for more than four years and really fell in love with the organization’s mission and the tangible impact it was having on Latino youth in South LA,” Sofía says. “Two years ago, I was invited to join the organization’s board in charge of supporting advocacy and inclusion efforts and the current leadership. I have just been renewed for a second term of two more years which is exciting to be able to support the amazing work they’re doing.”

Upon graduating from USC, Sofía went on to work with startups in Mexico City for a year through a nonprofit and taught design-thinking to high schoolers. “Next, I got a degree in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship at Harvard in Cambridge and worked part-time advising education-related startups as a systems and storytelling coach,” she says. “All of that set me up beautifully for my current work in New York City.”

Sofía currently serves as a humanities teacher at J.H.S. 050 John D. Wells in Brooklyn, NY, piloting a bilingual special education program for New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). The pilot prioritizes experiential, project-based, and small-group learning for students at the intersection of neurodiversity, migration, and emergent bilingualism.

“Growing up living in five different countries and in a Spanish-English bilingual household, a passion for language and multilingualism is a part of the fabric of who I am,” Sofía tells us. “In a world that is increasingly connected, I believe it is an asset and superpower that all individuals should have. Speaking more languages gives individuals more words to choose in their linguistic repertoire, deeper stories to be able to tell.”

 Sofía tells us that  85% of her job is currently teaching with her remaining time focused on training and leadership related to building out the BSE program. ”Next year we’re expanding so I’ll be leading a team of five bilingual special education teachers,” she says. “I’m building, designing, and facilitating curricula that best meets our students’ needs in three subject areas: English Language Arts, Home Language Arts (Spanish), and Social Studies. After school, I help run our community for new arrivals and undocumented students called DREAM Team.” In addition Sofía is also a Spanish debate coach and — paying forward her on stage career at ASIJ — the choreographer/assistant director for the middle school musical. Sofía is particularly focused on finding ways to help students thrive while also supporting herself. “That balance is something that took me years to figure out,” she says. “We have to fill our own cup before filling others’ if not we’ll have nothing left to give.”

Sofía is deservedly proud of role as a teacher and mentor and recognizes that the pilot program “is a wonderful adventure” that she’ll remain with for the next few years. Beyond that she is hoping to continue blogging and building resources for teachers related to neurodiveristy, interrupted education, and multilingualism. On learning she’d received ASIJ’s Young Changemaker Award Sofía told us, “I am honored by this recognition from a school that introduced me to teachers who inspired me to dream bigger and opportunities that ignited my creativity and fearless curiosity.”

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